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Creator:
Crawley, Margaret, 1880–1955
Title(s):
Margaret Crawley whitework band sampler.
Published/Created:
Great Britain or Belgium, 1897.
Physical Description:
1 sampler : embroidery, lace ; 92 x 43 cm, in frame 105 x 56 cm
Holdings:
Rare Books and Manuscripts
Textiles 22b
Yale Center for British Art, Gift of Sally M. and Peter J. O''Brien
[Request]
Copyright Status:
Copyright Not Evaluated
Notes:
The creator of the present sampler, Margaret Mary ("Daisy") Crawley was born June 28, 1880, the youngest daughter of a London architect. One of her sisters was married to the British portraitist Henry John Hudson (active 1881-1910). An oil portrait of Margaret Crawley by Hudson, ca. 1896, is also in the collections of the Yale Center for British Art (B2018.2, Gift of Sally M. and Peter J. O'Brien). In the early 20th century the Crawley family moved to Canada, and in 1909 Margaret married Ernest Beaufort, a journalist at Winnipeg. During the Second World War, Crawley returned to London to help with the war effort.
Whitework band sampler, with embroidery and lace, signed "D.C. [i.e. Margaret 'Daisy' Crawley] 1897." According to notes from Crawley's descendants, she may have augmented her needlework skills under the guidance of nuns in a Belgian convent. The word "Abys" appears below other needlework lettering in a middle band of the sampler. Abys may refer to the castle at Abbyes in Opont, Belgium (Abys is a known orthographic variant). In 1872, the castle was converted to a convent of l'Ordre de la Visitation de Sainte-Marie.
The sampler comprises five horizontal bands, all within borders of lace. The top band lacks a design. The second band features a floral motif on the net. The middle band features lettering, with a large central 'M' flanked by the letters J, B, and C (on the left), and the letters L, D, and H (on the right), above the word 'Abys' at bottom. It's unclear if any meaning is attached to the letters. The band second-from-bottom features a button and button hole on either side of simple grid. The bottom band includes the maker's initials and date, with use of metallic thread, including gold.
Subject Terms:
Crawley, Margaret, 1880–1955.
Women -- Education -- Belgium.
Women -- Education -- Great Britain.
Form/Genre:
Embroidery (visual works)
Lace (needlework)
Samplers (embroidery)
Whitework (embroidery)
Textiles.
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