Sampler
EmbroidererEmbroidered by
Frederic William Tuttle
(American, 1812 - 1895)
Date1821
MediumEmbroidery; silk thread on a plain-woven linsey-woolsey ground
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (height x width): 4 1/4 x 15 1/2in. (36.2 x 39.4cm)
ClassificationsTextiles
Credit LineGift of Jane Tuttle
Object number1923.9.0
DescriptionSampler worked in yellow, medium brown, and tan silk threads on a plain-woven linsey-woolsey ground using cross stitches. The sampler is rectangular, oriented horizontally. It is laid out with three rows of two alphabets and the numbers 1 through 20, over an inscription. The inscription is: "Frederic William Tuttle Aged 8 Years Wrought In the 45th Year of the/ Independence of the United States of America February 22nd AD [one character] 1821". The lines of alphabets, numbers and text are separated by straight, narrow borders. The sampler has a plainfour-sided border.
The sampler has a 5/16 inch double-turned hem on the side edges; it has a 3/8 inch double-turned hem on the top edge. The selvedge is on the bottom edge. The sampler is not framed.
Letters and Numbers: There are two alphabets and the numbers 1-20. The letters are uppercase block in alphabet 1 and lowercase block in alphabet 2. The letter J is present in the first alphabet only; the letter U is present in both alphabets. The letter "s" is repeated in the lowercase alphabet. The embroiderer uses the long 's'.
Stitches: The sampler is worked in cross stitches (over one and over two threads).
Condition: The sampler is fragile. There is significant damage to the ground. There is some stitch loss to L in the first alphabet, to "20", and to "Fe" in the date. The sampler has moderate fading. It is not framed.
The sampler has a 5/16 inch double-turned hem on the side edges; it has a 3/8 inch double-turned hem on the top edge. The selvedge is on the bottom edge. The sampler is not framed.
Letters and Numbers: There are two alphabets and the numbers 1-20. The letters are uppercase block in alphabet 1 and lowercase block in alphabet 2. The letter J is present in the first alphabet only; the letter U is present in both alphabets. The letter "s" is repeated in the lowercase alphabet. The embroiderer uses the long 's'.
Stitches: The sampler is worked in cross stitches (over one and over two threads).
Condition: The sampler is fragile. There is significant damage to the ground. There is some stitch loss to L in the first alphabet, to "20", and to "Fe" in the date. The sampler has moderate fading. It is not framed.
Label TextA sampler by a boy? While the vast majority of early American
needlework was produced by females, in some cases, children of both sexes
participated in knitting, sewing, and sampler-making instruction. This
sampler was made when Frederic Tuttle was eight years old, possibly
under the instruction of Rebecca M. Butler. Frederic’s attendance at a
girls’ school was not unique. Sarah Pierce’s school in Litchfield
included 125 boys, among them four brothers of author Harriet Beecher
Stowe. Another Hartford boy, Thomas Anthony Thacher, later
Professor of Classics at Yale University, recalled that his first school was
“kept by the well-known and most excellent ladies, the daughters of Mrs.
Ruth Patten . . .”
needlework was produced by females, in some cases, children of both sexes
participated in knitting, sewing, and sampler-making instruction. This
sampler was made when Frederic Tuttle was eight years old, possibly
under the instruction of Rebecca M. Butler. Frederic’s attendance at a
girls’ school was not unique. Sarah Pierce’s school in Litchfield
included 125 boys, among them four brothers of author Harriet Beecher
Stowe. Another Hartford boy, Thomas Anthony Thacher, later
Professor of Classics at Yale University, recalled that his first school was
“kept by the well-known and most excellent ladies, the daughters of Mrs.
Ruth Patten . . .”
Status
Not on view
Object/Object
