Sampler (Fancy sampler)

Description

This is a fancy sampler worked with silk threads on a dark green canvas with linen warps and wool wefts. It was worked in 1812 by Beulah Purinton of Lynn or Danvers, Massachusetts. Beulah was the niece of Abigail Purinton, the maker of another sampler in Winterthur's collection.When this sampler was wrought, we begin to see a decline in the proficiency of the needleworker. Young girls were increasingly adding pictorial elements to their marking samplers. There became less of an emphasis on recording stitches and more of a focus on elaborately worked motifs, borders, and decorative designs. It was argued by contemporary reformers that the accomplishments of a young girl's boarding school education little prepared them for the actual role of motherhood or the day-to-day tasks of keeping the home. Beulah's sampler is showy and attractive, however, upon close inspection long, sloppy stitchery is revealed.