Elizabeth Wurts American Family Record Needlework Sampler, Dated 1837

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Elizabeth Wurts American Family Record Needlework Sampler, Dated 1837

An American embroidered family-record sampler signed Elizabeth Wurts and dated 1837, … Read more Elizabeth Wurts American Family Record Needlework Sampler, Dated 1837

An American embroidered family-record sampler signed Elizabeth Wurts and dated 1837, probably New Paltz, Ulster County, New York, with subsequent family entries extending into the 1850s. Apparently worked in silk threads on a plain-woven linen ground, the composition combines a carefully organized genealogical register with flowering vines, birds, and a verse devoted to friendship. The maker’s name and date occupy a leafy wreath at the lower center, giving the textile a distinctly personal identity.

Beneath the embroidered heading “Family Record,” columns labeled “Births,” “Marriages,” and “Deaths” are separated by slender chains of blue-green floral ornaments. Pale flowering branches arch above the lettering, while a broad, scrolling floral border encloses the composition. Small counted stitches articulate the names and numerals, contrasting with the longer, closely laid stitches used to model leaves, blossoms, and the stylized birds flanking the signature wreath. Green, blue-green, pale gold, and dark brown threads establish a restrained palette against the warm textile ground.

The register records the Wurts family, including Cornelia Lefever and children Elizabeth, Jacob, Catharine, Mary, and John. Elizabeth’s recorded birth in October 1826 is consistent with the sampler having been worked when she was approximately eleven. Entries dated 1858 and 1859 indicate that the record was apparently maintained after its initial completion in 1837. This continuing use gives the piece particular interest as both an accomplished example of domestic needlework and a record of one family’s history.

Overall framed measurements: 20.5" wide × 22.5" high. See less