By Sean Kunic

Samplers are more than thread stitched through cloth. As objects of art, samplers tell stories of creativity, instruction, and skilled work. As historical records, they document the lives and experiences of thousands of young women, histories that might otherwise remain unknown. As one of the rare samplers known to have been made by African American girls, the Heuston Genealogy Sampler does just that.

Measuring 17.5” by 29.5” in its frame, this large sampler was created by one of the children of Mehitable and Francis Heuston, a free Black family living in Brunswick, Maine. Through marriage, birth, and death dates, the work records the family, but also showcases the practice and skill of the girl who made it. 

Known abolitionists, the Heustons aided African Americans escaping slavery. Today, the Heuston Burying Ground is a part of the National Park Service’s National Underground Railroad Network to Freedom listing.

The Heuston Genealogy is just one of the many samplers included in the Litchfield Historical Society’s latest exhibit With Their Busy Needles: Samplers and the Girls Who Made Them. This new show features works from the sampler collection of Alexandra Peters, displayed alongside Litchfield examples from the Litchfield Historical Society’s textile collection. Peters, a sampler historian and collector, serves as guest curator of the exhibit.

With Their Busy Needles is on display April 26 through December 1, 2024 at the Litchfield History Museum. Admission to the museum is free. —litchfieldhistoricalsociety.org