Rare Needlework Sampler, Sally Blunt, attributed to the Reverend Alden's Academy, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, circa 1804

Worked in silk on linsey-woolsey; inscribed Sally Blunt, Aged 9.

American Needlework Treasures: Samplers and Silk Embroideries from the Collection of Betty Ring at the Museum of American Folk Art (p. 19. fig. 28)

Overall very good condition; some minor losses at extreme left border.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Sarah (Sally) Blunt (1795- 1880),  was the daughter of Captain Robert Blunt (b . 1763) and Elizabeth Sherburne (c . 1769-1802) of Portsmouth. Sally's sampler may have been worked at the Reverend Alden's Academy in Portsmouth, where she was enrolled in 1807. An almost identical sampler was worked in 1805 by Mary Ann Hooker, Sally's classmate at the Alden Academy (see The Clarion, Winter 1985, p. 8). Mr. Alden's catalogue for 1807 notes that both girls worked pictorial embroideries that year- Sally an Emblem of America and Mary Ann These are my jewels. For these subjects in silk embroidery, see ANTIQUES, February 1981, p. 412, and August 1976, p. 296, respectively. Sally Blunt married the Portsmouth merchant William Chase on October 16, 1824.