Book excerpt: "The superb collection of American samplers dating from 1678-1865 that has been formed by Theodore H. Kapnek is the basis for this exemplary study of the subject, which is also very beautifully illustrated with 112 examples, the majority of them in color. There are also many details enlarged from the samplers, making it possible to examine the stitches closely. Far from being an assemblage that is merely visually stunning, the Kapnek Collection provides the reader with a broad chronological and geographical range of Americana as worked by schoolgirls over a span of two hundred years. Basically a method of teaching the essentials of both practical and ornamental needlework, samplers have become much sought after and prized in recent years as fascinating examples of early American embroidery. The author, an expert on all types of American needlework, provides in the comprehensive introduction a study of the development of the sampler in America, with special attention to the types of schools where this work was taught, the materials and stitches used, and the sources of the designs." -- Provided by publisher