Description:
Needlework sampler done in silk-embroidered cross stitch and long-arm cross stitch on a plain linen ground edged with a narrow band of printed cotton, which is inscribed "Phebe Chapin Aged 8." The embroidery is done in blue, two shades of green, yellow, cream and light brown. Phebe Chapin (1809-1851) was the daughter of Stephen Chapin (1783-1862) and Lovina Hummiston Chapin (1783-1864) who married in 1802 and had 9 children. Phebe's ancestor Deacon Samuel Chapin (1595-1675) was the inspiration for the sculpture of August Saint-Gauden (1848-1907) of "The Puritan" presented to Springfield during the flowering of the colonial revival movement in 1887. In 1829, Phebe married Alonzo Lamb (b.c.1807) of South Hadley, Massachusetts, and had three children, one of whom, George E. Lamb (1832-1913), became a prominent land holder in South Hadley and whose descendents still live in the area. The sampler has five rows of the alphabet and the numbers 1-10; over the verse, "Now that my journey's just begun / My road so little trod / I'll come before I furher run / And give myself to God" flanked by a floral spray and fruit basket; over the bottom row which has two hearts intertwined in the center with two characters (?) over "P C" flanked by flowers and a fruit basket, pine tree, bird, and dog. The printed cotton edging, which may date to slightly later than 1817, was possibly put on to help stabilize raw edges, either original to the composition or else after it was trimmed.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+2003.56.1 |
