Samplers

The origin of the sampler

A sampler was originally a collection of patterns and designs sewed onto a narrow piece of linen and used as a reference for embroidery and needlepoint lace. The name was derived from the French word "essamplaire" which means work to be copied or imitated.

The tradition of samplers seems to go back to at least the 16th century. Although there are no samplers in existence from this period, they are mentioned in wills and inventories and sampler patterns can be found in printed books.

With the invention and development of the printing press pattern books became more and more common and popular thus rendering the original purpose of the sampler obsolete.

However, the sampler remained in use as a means of teaching children to sew and darn. Early examples contained a variety of stitch types, but by the 19th century the cross-stitch had become the dominant type and became known as the sampler stitch.

Most samplers contained different designs including flowers, animals, Adam and Eve as well as geometrical shapes. Some samplers incorporated other disciplines such as geography and history, or they included moral virtues and religious sayings, while others recorded personal or family events and dates.

A sampler is a wonderful piece of social history, which often brings the viewer in close contact with the person who made it. Spelling errors, imaginative designs, neat sewing or wrong stitching all adds to the story of each sampler.

The history of the sampler

In the 17th century the sampler was long and narrow, mostly with coloured silks on linen. The band sampler was the most common type, with designs, including cutwork, buttonholing and various types of stitches arranged in bands.

Band samplers often included motifs of complete scenes, single figures and shapes. Some of these had been made on another piece of material and applied to the sampler. The designs and patterns were often very compact leaving very little of the material unworked.

A common motif was "the boxers", small male figures looking sideways but walking forwards towards a plant and holding an object in one hand. They represent a continental idea of two lovers exchanging gifts; in British samplers, however, the female figure has been transformed into a tree or a shrub.

During the 18th century the shape of the sampler changed to a square. It would have a border, often some writing in the shape of a verse and several different motifs including animals, plants, buildings and persons.

One of the most common representations was the crown. The sampler would include the entire range of headgear from a baron's coronet to the crown of a king with the appropriate letter attached to each one. Such motifs could prove useful, if the worker was later to be employed in a noble or royal household.

The 19th century sampler

During the 19th century most samplers were made by children in village and charity schools or in orphanages. Here individuality was frowned upon and the designs for the samplers were copied from standard pattern books. Many of these samplers are therefore repetitive and very alike to the point of boredom.

Many such samplers contain the name and age of the worker, sometimes the name and address of the school and some even mentions the teacher. In these cases the sampler is an important historical document, which provides an interesting insight into the everyday life of children in the 19th century.

However, a name does not necessarily identify the worker of the sampler. Unless it is specifically stated that the sampler was made by the name in question, the sampler may have been made by a friend or relative for the person mentioned. Such cases present the social historian with a difficult and sometimes insoluble puzzle.

By the end of the 19th century several developments rendered the sampler obsolete. Traced designs became readily available, different needlework magazines were published and more and more households as well as schools could afford the domestic sewing machine. Finally, it became more and more common to buy rather than make the items for which the sampler had been a "training ground".

The modern sampler

Around the turn of the 20th century the sampler tradition was revived by the arts and crafts movement. The exponents of this movement, however, were more interested in the actual stitches, their capabilities and possibilities than in sampler patterns and designs. This interest is still alive at the beginning of the 21st century.

Today most school children no longer learn to sew and darn and the sampler has been gone from the education syllabus for many, many years. Instead sampler making has become an adult pastime. However, not as an educational tool for sewing but rather as a personal way of commemorating an event or illustrating a building.

Sampler-kits including fabric, threads and transfers have been commercially produced to celebrate royal coronations and jubilees, and have been sold as souvenirs from historic buildings and castles. These samplers are often designed by professional artists and leave little room for the maker's personal touch.

Modern samplers may share shape, materials and to a certain extent motifs and patterns with their older counterparts, but the maker of the sampler has changed from child to adult, many of the designs have lost their original meaning and have become purely ornamental and finally the purpose of the sampler has altered from a useful device for the future to a nostalgic recording of the past and the present.

Samplers in museums

Samplers can be badly damaged by light, especially UV wavelengths. Damage can include the fading of dyes and the yellowing of fibres. The recommended maximum light exposure for samplers on display is 50 lux. In museums samplers are stored in the dark. They should only be on show for a limited time and then displayed in a subdued, UV-screened light.

High relative humidity is another hazard. At levels of over 70% mould may start to grow, leaving telltale stains even when the mould itself has been removed. Dyes that are not wash fast may start to migrate in damp conditions. By contrast, samplers kept in very dry conditions may be prone to cracking and splitting when handled. The recommended relative humidity for all textiles is 55% +/- 5%.

Pests, such as carpet beetle larvae (woolly bears) and clothes moth grubs, can cause dramatic and rapid damage to samplers. They particularly like protein fibres, such as silk, wool, feathers, and soiled textiles. Cleanliness and good housekeeping are the answers to such problems.

Poor quality storage and display materials can damage samplers. Some woods and cardboards contain acidic compounds that may harm textiles kept nearby. Museums aim to pack objects with archival materials, such as acid-free tissue paper, rollers and boxes and undyed pure cotton sheeting