Sampling Women's Education
For many, the word sampler conjures up an image of a box of chocolates. Vassar’s sampler collection, though, is of the needle-and-thread variety. Often viewed as homey arts-and-crafts stitchings displaying simple messages such as “Home Sweet Home,” these works of art are, in fact, intricate silk embroideries that were an integral part of a woman’s education from the 17th through the 19th centuries. And Vassar boasts an impressive collection of these needlework gems.
