Mary "Polly" Snow
Sampler

Public Domain

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Maker Mary "Polly" SnowAmerican, born 1788

MakerPossibly made at the school of Ann Waters

CultureAmerican

Titles

Sampler

Date1798

Probable placeNewbury, Massachusetts, United States

MediumSilk on linen

Dimensions15 3/8 × 12 1/2 in. (39.1 × 31.8 cm)

Credit LineThe Bayou Bend Collection, museum purchase funded by Mr. and Mrs. James C. Marrow

Object numberB.98.16

Not on view

Explore Further

Department

Bayou Bend

Object Type

TEXTILES

DescriptionMary “Polly” Snow (born 1788) of Newbury, Massachusetts, married John Hills. Remarkably, Polly Snow’s first cousin Betsey Sawyer (born 1785) stitched a similar sampler, also in 1798. The two girls later became stepsisters. They undoubtedly attended school together, possibly in Newbury, and received needlework instruction from the same teacher and finished their samplers in the same year.
Provenance[Stephen & Carol Huber, Old Saybrook, Connecticut]; purchased by MFAH, 1998.
Inscriptions, Signatures and Marks

Stitched in cartouche:
Let morals Piety
and Learning Join
To mend the heart the manners
to refine Power
And Pure examples with resistless
Allure the feet to wisdoms
bower 1234567

Signed:
Polly Snow Born In December the 2 day 1788 / This wrought / in the Year / 1798

[no marks]

Cataloguing data may change with further research.

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