Sampler
Title
Sampler
Description
Abigail Nichols of Fairfield worked this linen
sampler when she was 9 years old, embroidering
several alphabets as well as numbers, and the
17th-century verse:
“Our days begin with trouble here
Our life is but a span
And cruel death is always near
So frail a thing is man.”
Samplers were part of 19th-century girls’ education,
an opportunity to learn and display needlework
and design skills as well as knowledge of letters and
numbers. Decorative needlework was an important
skill for women, who often used it to conceal repairs
to their families’ wardrobe, or to mark the family’s
linens. Embroidering her name onto a sampler
was one of the few occasions that an 18th or 19th
century girl would be asked to “make her mark”
on something permanent.
sampler when she was 9 years old, embroidering
several alphabets as well as numbers, and the
17th-century verse:
“Our days begin with trouble here
Our life is but a span
And cruel death is always near
So frail a thing is man.”
Samplers were part of 19th-century girls’ education,
an opportunity to learn and display needlework
and design skills as well as knowledge of letters and
numbers. Decorative needlework was an important
skill for women, who often used it to conceal repairs
to their families’ wardrobe, or to mark the family’s
linens. Embroidering her name onto a sampler
was one of the few occasions that an 18th or 19th
century girl would be asked to “make her mark”
on something permanent.
Creator
Abigail Nichols
Date
1827
Contributor
Mary B. Kippen
Rights
Fairfield Museum and History Center
Identifier
1973.92
Files
Citation
Abigail Nichols, “Sampler,” Fairfield Photos, accessed April 25, 2024, https://fairfieldmuseum.omeka.net/items/show/1116.
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