Sampler
Object name
Maker
Date made
Early 19th century
Place made
Description
Early 19th-century map sampler of England and Wales made by Hannah Smith.
Content description
Early 19th-century map sampler of the counties of England and Wales made by Hannah Smith. The sampler is worked in wool thread on linen ground and uses almost exclusively tiny cross stitches. The map shows England and Wales divided by county, with a small portion of Ireland, Scotland, and France also included. The names of the counties, large cities, and large bodies of water are embroidered in capital letters in black thread. In some places, the letters have been overwritten in black pen where the thread has been lost. The counties are outlined in a variety of thread colours. At the top right, the title 'A Map of England and Wales' is worked in black thread and is surrounded by a wreath of flowers and leaves. A small yellow compass and scale are worked in the lower left corner in satin stitch and back stitch. The maker's name, Hannah Smith, is stitched in small letters at the bottom.
Map samplers emerged in Britain in the 1770s and had fallen from popularity by the 1840s. They gave girls undergoing their embroidery education the opportunity to learn geography while also learning needlework. This particular map of England and Wales was so popular that printed versions were sold to be embroidered upon, but this version of it was hand drawn onto the linen.
Map samplers emerged in Britain in the 1770s and had fallen from popularity by the 1840s. They gave girls undergoing their embroidery education the opportunity to learn geography while also learning needlework. This particular map of England and Wales was so popular that printed versions were sold to be embroidered upon, but this version of it was hand drawn onto the linen.
Dimensions
height: 55cm
width: 53cm
width: 53cm
Materials
Stitches
Techniques
Motifs
Credit line
Gift of Jean Panter, 2009.
Catalogue number
RSN.1802
© Royal School of Needlework