Sampler made by Lydia Hutchinson
1730
1885.0125
Samplers are works of embroidery that often contain a combination of letters, numbers, pictures, and rhymes. Young women and girls would often make samplers as part of their education during the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, typically as a way to learn letters and numbers while practicing their embroidery skills. Sewing was considered an essential skill for young women who were typically expected to manage their households as wives and mothers. This example was made by Lydia Hutchinson, sister of Thomas Hutchinson who would later serve as governor of the Province of Massachusetts Bay from 1771 to 1774.
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