Great God Whose Wonderous Works Decree... sampler, Hanna Hawthorn

Archive Label 2003:
Scholars have documented the central importance of needlework in many aspects of the lives of nineteenth-century women. Girls were taught to sew by the age of five, and needlework was part of a school’s curriculum. It was at the Walborrie School that Hanna Hawthorn produced this unusual sampler featuring a steam engine. Perhaps an instructor caught up in the industrialization of early nineteenth-century England selected this worldly subject. The verse on dear parents was a common one, while the inspirational verse is a hymn. The initials are those of family members. Clearly Hawthorn was much better at needlework than at spelling.

Archive Label:
Nineteen-year old Hannah Hawthorne’s depiction of a steam engine among the traditional stylized flowers and animals on her sampler demonstrates the extent to which industry had become part of daily life, invading even the domain of the schoolroom. The verse on dear parents and the hymn verse are typical of sample texts. The initials are those of family members.