| Deerfield, Mass. (June 18, 2015) --- Historic Deerfield was recently awarded a $2,000 grant from the Tudor Rose Sampler Guild, based in Texas, for the conservation of two important needlework pictures acquired by the museum in 2013. The grant helps to round out the funding for the project, which is also supported with a $3,000 award by the Felicia Fund.
The Tudor Rose Sampler Guild's mission is to educate individuals regarding the art of needlework with a primary focus on antique samplers.
The pictures are terrific examples of "schoolgirl" art with connections to the Connecticut River Valley. Schoolgirl art is the general name given to embroidered or watercolor pictures taught by instructors to girls attending various academies in the 18th and early 19th centuries. Girls could attend schools for one or more terms, with each term lasting about 12 weeks.
The earlier example, wrought around 1755 by Springfield native Lois Breck (1738-1789) depicts the Biblical scene "The Death of Absalom" (or Hanging of Absalom), from the Book of Samuel (2:18). Breck probably created her unfinished piece at the famed Boston school of Elizabeth Murray (1726-1785). The second is a wonderful pastoral scene known as "The Apiary." Wrought in 1804 by Betsy Knox (b.1791), it depicts a woman tending to a beehive. Knox, a Blandford, Massachusetts, native, completed her needlework while attending Deerfield Academy during the fall 1804 term.
When they entered the collection, both pieces exhibited similar condition issues. Each piece needed stabilization of the ground fabric, cleaning, and reframing. The generous grants from the Felicia Fund and the Tudor Rose Sampler Guild will contribute significantly towards that important goal. Following conservation, these pieces will be on display in the Helen Geier Flynt Textile Gallery at the Flynt Center of Early New England Life in 2016.
About Historic Deerfield, Inc. Historic Deerfield, Inc., is dedicated to the heritage and preservation of Deerfield, Massachusetts, and the Connecticut River Valley. Its museums and programs provide today's audiences with experiences that create an understanding and appreciation of New England's historic villages and countryside.
Left: Pictorial Needlework, The Death of Absalom, by Lois Breck (1758-1789). C. 1755. Boston, Massachusetts. Textile: polychrome sill embroidery; gouache paint; black satin weave silk ground; metallic wrapped silk thread. John W. and Christiana G.P. Batdorf Fund. HD 2013.27.
Right: Pictorial Needlework, The Apiary, by Betsy Knox (b. 1791). C. 1804. Deerfield, Massachusetts. Textile: polychrome silk embroidery; watercolor; white plain weave silk ground; wooden frame; gilding. Hall and Kate Peterson Fund for Minor Antiques. HD 2013.28. |
