Summary
Linen sampler worked by 11 year old Isabella McEwen (later Mrs Walter Hislop), 1880-1881. The sampler, exhibited at the Melbourne International Exhibition, was handed down from Isabella Hislop to her daughter Una England (nee Hislop), who kept it in her sewing basket for many years. It was Una's granddaughter, Wendy Brown, who donated it to the museum.
The Melbourne International Exhibition ran from 1 Oct1880 to 30 Apr 1881. The (Royal) Exhibition Building, designed by Joseph Reed and built by David Mitchell, was especially constructed for the occasion. Over 1.3 million people visited the exhibition at a time when Melbourne's population was only around 282,000.
Physical Description
Fine, off-white, linen sampler with hand stitching in matching cotton demonstrating seam and hem stitching.
More Information
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Collection Names
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Collecting Areas
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Acquisition Information
Donation from Mrs Wendy Brown, 25 Sep 1991
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Maker
Miss Isabella McEwen, Collingwood, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1880-1881
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Place & Date Used
Royal Exhibition Building (REB), Melbourne, Greater Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1881
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Inscriptions
Text, front, handwritten: 'Sewn by / Isabella McEwen / for Melbourne Exhibition / 1881.'
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Classification
Public events, Melbourne international exhibition 1880, Exhibition heritage
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Category
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Discipline
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Type of item
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Overall Dimensions
150 mm (Length), 105 mm (Width)
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Keywords
Exhibitions, Exhibitions: Melbourne International, 1880-1881, Royal Exhibition Building, Women's Work, World Fairs, Needlework, Sewing
