SHARON COLLECTS:
Samplers from the Collection of Alexandra Peters
On view through October 15, 2022
(c. 1805)
Palemon and Lavine
Connecticut, probably Hartford
Watercolor and silk on silk, eglomise mat
Before adding a sampler to her collection, Sharon, CT resident Alexandra Peters researched the lives of the sampler makers and the world revealed by their needlework. The girls in this collection were touched by abolition, the Underground Railroad, and the anti-slavery movement. A few girls settled the Connecticut Western Reserve, others were educated at the three exceptional academies for girls in northwest Connecticut. Quaker girls created elegant darning samplers, and older girls stitched elaborate tales from classical history and literature. Some girls in England sewed world maps. Other girls in the United States documented their family histories, sisters worked companion samplers, and the women of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s family subtly influenced his storytelling with their needlework. Writing with needles, these sampler creators left us a powerful legacy that opens a window into the early education of girls, who their families were, and how they documented their very existence.
PAST EXHIBITIONS
Sharon Stories in the World and at Home: An Exhibit of Recent Acquisitions
The Golden Thread: Spinners and Weavers of Colonial America
Glimpse into the past with several recently restored objects from the historical society’s permanent collection. This educational exhibit explores the forgotten world of spinning and weaving in the days before mechanized looms. Experience the spectacle and beauty of antique craftsmanship with your own eyes!
The Road to Women’s Suffrage: The Sharon Petition
On January 26, 1918, a group of twenty-one Sharon residents signed a petition delivered to the office of Connecticut Senator George P. McLean, urging him to “use your influence and cast your vote in favor of the Federal Amendment Bill.”
Visit this pop-up exhibition of archival materials from the Sharon Historical Society & Museum collection and view stories about Elizabeth Darling, Beatrice Fay, Katherine Hotaling, Frances Jewett, and Nina Juckett. The exhibit documents the business roles, community roles, and suffrage efforts of women who lived in Sharon.
Digital production and public access to A Closer Look at the Petition and the Women Who Signed It has been made possible through Connecticut Humanities by funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the federal CARES Act.
We gratefully acknowledge the following organizations and individuals for their contributions to these exhibitions:
The Sharon Historical Society & Museum Volunteer Research Team:
Marel Rogers, Myra Plescia, Linda Neiberg, Trisha Davisson, & Billy Saster
The Brandon Family
Connecticut Humanities
Connecticut State Library
Cornell University
Gunn Historical Museum, Washington, CT
Harriet Beecher Stowe Library, Hartford, CT
Harvard Library, Harvard University
Mr. Mort Kraus
Library of Congress
Private collection of Linda Neiberg
National Archives, National Archives Museum
Norfolk Historical Society, Norfolk, CT
Private collection of Doug Rick
Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe Institute, Harvard University
Sharon Playhouse
Exhibition Design by: Whirlwind Creative