Harriet L. Locker

A sampler with wonderful personality, this was “Performed by Harriet L. Locker in the 8th year of her age” indicating that she was only 7 years old at the time. She included the names of her parents, William and Rhoda, in a leafy vine enclosure mirroring the one that contains her inscription. The double-chimney brick house sits between two trees that have trunks stitched with unusual texture, lending an air of whimsey to the scene. The upper register centers on a checkerboard basket with a pyramid of fruit under an arch connected to folky flower branches. Pennsylvania samplers can offer an appealing free-form quality and this sampler is an excellent example.

The identity of the samplermaker has been elusive but her parents seem to be William Locker (1801-1877) and Rhoda (Melk) Locker (1802-1874), buried in Reading, Berks County, Pennsylvania. 

Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted and is in its original beveled frame.