The life of George Washington was commemorated in many early American needlework projects. Often the imagery was painted in watercolor by a professional on a silk ground, and the needlework was executed by a schoolgirl or other needleworker. John Johnston (c. 1753–1818) of Boston was responsible for the patterns for a related group of homages to Washington. Each is characterized by a seated Columbia, her hand resting on the eagle of the Great Seal of the United States. She sits on an obelisk containing an oval portrait of the President. While the print source for Columbia and the eagle remains unknown, more elaborate related examples incorporate elements that can be traced to print sources. Davida Deutsch offers additional insight when she indicates that the Philadelphia firm of Akin and Harrison proposed in January 1800 to print their engraving America Lamenting her Loss at the Tomb of General Washington on white satin, thus forming a foundation for a needlework pastime for ladies.

Technical notes: Ribbed silk taffeta ground; silk embroidery thread; tabby-weave linen lining.

Related examples: Massachusetts Historical Society, Boston; Betty Ring Collection, Houston; private collection.

Book excerpt: David B. Warren, Michael K. Brown, Elizabeth Ann Coleman, and Emily Ballew Neff. American Decorative Arts and Paintings in the Bayou Bend Collection. Houston: Princeton Univ. Press, 1998.