Needlework picture (Mourning picture)

Description

This striking memorial sampler created by Susan Frisbee in 1828 under the guidance of Jemima Hartzell is a vibrant representation of the era’s design sensibilities and continued fascination with the legacy of George Washington, the nation’s first president. With its bold female figures standing beside a central monument to the fallen leader, this sampler’s design was inspired by design sources from the period. Only six examples associated with Jemima Hartzell Dumars school are known to exist. This needlework may have been created prior to Hartzell’s second marriage to fellow teacher James Dumars. The co-educational school she later formed with Dumars served Pittsburgh’s growing middle-class community who could afford to educate their children in various subjects.