Left to right:
Artist once known
Euro-American
Purse, 1800s
Glass beads on cotton, buckskin lining, linen crocheted top, cotton cord drawstring
Artist once known
Euro-American
Purse, 1800s
Crystal and glass beads on silk, silk lining, steel bead tassels, silver metal clasp
Artist once known
Euro-American
Purse, 1835
Inscribed: E. Greyble / March 10, 1835
Glass beads on silk shell, printed cotton lining, steel bead tassels,
cotton cuff and drawstring
Artist once known
Euro-American
Purse, 1800s
Glass beads on silk shell, bead fringe, silk cord drawstring
Gift of Pamela Miller Ness and Paul Marc Ness in Memory of Professor and Mrs. Edwin
Haviland Miller, 2003. (2003.39.229, 226, 225, 228)
The beadwork in this case features similar materials, despite coming from different cultures. The purses on this side are by Euro-American women, who often created beaded accessories as a leisure activity.
Floral motifs were the most popular designs for beaded bags in the 1800s, but these four purses offer
alternative subjects. The two pouches at left present patriotic imagery with colonial figures playing cards and an eagle waving the American flag.
The two at right represent quaint town scenes, a subject shared with schoolgirl samplers from the same period.
Artist once known
Nakoda (Stoney/Assiniboine)
Belt pouch, 1885–1920
Leather and glass beads, overlay stitch and Sioux general lane stitched
Moccasins, 1885–1920
Leather and glass beads
Gift of Wendy Ellsworth, 2017. (2017.24.19 and 27 a,b)
The objects on view in this case represent beadwork across different cultures. The belt pouch and moccasins presented on this side were made by Nakoda women, identified by the bright orange beads and geometric designs arranged symmetrically in four directions. Before the introduction of glass beads in the early 1800s, the Nakoda created decoration in quillwork,
using flattened and dyed porcupine quills to create ornate floral and geometric patterns. By the 1890s, beadwork became a main source of income for Nakoda families, due to Euro-American disruption of traditional economies. On the moccasins seen here, the inverted mountains and circular key-hole symbols are early quillwork motifs that have been adapted to new beadwork techniques. The inclusion of ancestral symbols in these trade goods embodies Nakoda resilience and resistance in the face of colonial pressures.
Artist once known
American
Coverlet, 1829
Cotton and wool
Made in the Lower Hudson Valley, NY
Transferred from American Textile History Museum, The Edie and Stan Ross Collection of American Coverlets, Gift of Edith
and Stanley Ross, 2017. (2017.6.171)
The corner blocks of this coverlet proclaim, “Agriculture and manufactures are the foundation of our independence.”
Other special features of this design include the eagle from the Great Seal
of the United States, as well as Masonic symbols: look for two pillars, representing strength, and above them the
diamond-shaped square and compass, which represent virtue.
Many people found this design appealing in the 1820s and 1830s: today we know of over 125 examples of
this coverlet that were woven during that era! Our coverlet was made for E.A. Edget,
whose name appears in the top and bottom borders.
American
Trotting Horse, mid- to late 1800s
Hammered copper, tin wash and gold leaf
Purchase: The Gift of John and Fannie Saeger, 1973. (1973.3)
Currier & Ives
The Champion Trotting Stallion Smuggler, 1875,
hand-colored lithograph.
Image courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries.
John Valentine Haidt
American, born Germany, 1700–1780
Erstlingsbild (“First Fruits”), ca. 1754–1760
Oil on canvas
Made in Bethlehem, PA
Loan from the Moravian Archives
Benjamin West
American, 1738–1820, active in Britain
Return of the Prodigal Son, 1772
Oil on canvas
Made in London
Purchase: Priscilla Payne Hurd Endowment Fund, 2002. (2002.19)
The dramatic light and expressive poses of father and son in this work by Benjamin West contrast with Haidt’s painting at right. West actually took lessons from Haidt as a teen, and his earlier work resembled Haidt’s style. After study in Italy, however, he mastered the realism and subtlety of academic painting, and settled in London where he met great success.
A generation of American artists would travel to London to train with West—including Gilbert Stuart and Rembrandt Peale, whose works are at left.
Gilbert Stuart
American, 1755–1828
Ann Penn Allen, ca. 1795
Oil on canvas
Made in Philadelphia, PA
Purchase: The Gift of John and Fannie Saeger, 1978. (1978.13)
Rembrandt Peale
American, 1778–1860
Erinna, ca. 1830s
Oil on canvas
Made in Philadelphia, PA
Purchase: General Acquisitions Fund; the Gift of Paul Kania; and the Gift of Sam and Missy Saxton, 2002. (2002.22)
American
Sideboard, ca. 1795
Mahogany veneer with satinwood inlay
Made in Philadelphia, PA
Gift of Estate of Robert C. Alexander, 1988.
(1988.14.3)
Chinese, for export to Western market
Urns, ca. 1790
Porcelain with enamel overglaze decoration
Gift of Mrs. William P. Hacker, 1981.
(1981.25.1, 2a, b)
The unique shape and delicate decoration of these urns illustrate Chinese artists’ skill in producing porcelain for a Western audience. Using prints and painted wooden models provided by European merchants, Chinese artists created export goods that suited current fashions halfway around the world. On these urns, details like floral swags and faux-woodgrain bases cater to the taste for designs inspired by ancient Greece and Rome.
The United States became a leading importer of Chinese porcelain soon after independence.
Artist once known
Japanese
Eagle Embroidery, 19th Century
Silk satin with silk and metal-wrapped thread embroidery
Gift of Pamela Miller Ness and Paul Marc Ness in Memory of Professor and Mrs. Edwin Haviland Miller, 2003.
(2003.39.351)
Although this embroidery features iconic American symbols, it was actually made in Japan. As Japanese-American trade took off in the later 1800s, some Japanese merchants began to offer embroideries as
souvenirs for American sailors. This is a typical example, with its eagles, flags,
and patriotic motifs. More elaborate versions might add a “ship’s picture painted on silk (any vessel by order)”
or a slot where you could insert a photograph of yourself.
Like the Chinese urns at right, this embroidery shows how artists responded to new audiences brought by global trade.
Artist once known
American
Commemorative Handkerchief, ca.1876
Cotton, plain weave, printed
Transferred from American Textile History Museum, Gift of Mrs. Elinor Larson, 2017. (2017.6.7)
Anna Bechtel
American
Show Towel, 1844–1850
Linen plain weave with cotton and linen cross
stitch, chain stitch and straight stitch embroidery and drawn thread work
Made in Pennsylvania
The Randolph-McCoach Collection, Gift of Hampton C. Randolph, Sr., 1992. (1992.6.24)
James Claypoole Jr.
American, ca. 1743–1822
Robert Shewell, 1765
Sarah Sallows Shewell, 1765
Oil on canvas
Made in Philadelphia, PA
Purchase: Priscilla Payne Hurd Endowment Fund, and Gift of Francie Starr, 1992. (1992.19.1, 2)
Jingdezhen, China, for export to American market
Cup and Saucer, ca. 1805
Porcelain with black enamel overlay and gilding
Gift of Hampton C. Randolph Sr., 1984. (1984.23.1, 2)
British, for export to Pennsylvania German market
Plate, 1835–1855
Ceramic (spatterware)
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Arnold Kaplan, 2009. (2009.28.15)
American
Buttermold, 1800s
Poplar
Made in Pennsylvania
Gift of William W. Swallow, 1963.
(1963.152a, b, c)
American
Plate, 1800s
Redware
Made in Pennsylvania
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Herman E. Finkelstein, 1975. (1975.110)
American
Pitcher, 1800s
Ceramic
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Herman E. Finkelstein, 1975. (1975.122)
American
Stove Plate: Publican and Pharisee, 1742
Cast iron
Made in Pennsylvania
Inscription: “The proud Pharisee glorifies himself in prayer, but the heart of the humble Publican pleases God much better. Luke Chapter 18, 1742”
Gift of Dorothy C. Miller, 1975. (1975.148)
In the Christian parable of the Pharisee and the Publican, Jesus teaches humility by recognizing the ardent Publican, a Jewish tax collector for the ancient Romans, over the self-righteous Pharisee, a member of an ancient Jewish sect who believed their manner of religious observance superior. The designer of this stove plate based its design on an illustration from a popular German bible (below).
This work not only reflects the transfer of German traditions to Pennsylvania, but also calls to mind iron foundries’ as enslavers. Enslaved people, some of whom may have had experience in West African metalworking techniques, often performed skilled work at mid-Atlantic foundries.
Illustration from the Elector Bible (published in 14 editions, 1640–1758). Pictured in Henry Mercer, The Bible in Iron (Doylestown: Bucks County Historical Society, 1961), 191.
British or French
Cimarrónes or Quilombolas Fleeing Enslavement, ca. 1820s
Oil on canvas
Gift of John (Jay) and Jan Ruhle, 2022. (2022.14)
This painting depicts an enslaved family seeking freedom. Based on the topography and tropical setting, they are likely cimarrónes or quilombolas—people who liberated themselves from enslavement and established free communities in the Spanish Caribbean and Brazil. The sticks of sugarcane on the ground and in the man’s hand suggest that he was forced to labor to produce sugar, a commodity in demand around the world.
Explicit in its detail of the man’s shackles and the distress of the woman and older son, the image was likely meant to inspire sympathy in support of the abolitionist cause to end slavery. The man’s red cap is a symbol of liberty, worn in Roman times by formerly enslaved people who had gained their freedom.
This composition echoes Christian scenes of the Rest on the Flight into Egypt, in which the Holy Family paused during their escape to save the life of the infant Jesus. As the family in the painting here faces the threat of recapture, the young child at the center seems to offer a bit of hope.
Faith Ringgold
American, 1930-2024
Tar Beach 2, 1990
Acid dyes on bleached silk duppioni, and cotton, ed. 24
Made in collaboration with The Fabric Workshop and Museum, Philadelphia, PA
Collection of The Fabric Workshop and Museum. (55883)
In this quilt, Ringgold draws on her childhood memories to tell the story of Cassie, a girl who discovers she can fly.
An accomplished painter, Ringgold began making quilts in the early 1980s, drawn to this medium “so intimately connected
to women’s lives.” She also found inspiration in her family’s long line of quilters, including her mother, who helped her
create her first story quilts; and her great-great-grandmother, who was enslaved.
Tar Beach 2 marked a watershed moment in Ringgold’s career. She published its story as her first children’s book, and
in the following decades increasingly focused on storytelling as both artist and author.
American
Girl in Red Dress, early 1800s
Oil on Masonite, transferred from panel
Gift of Estate of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, 1981. (1981.19.6)
American
Stag, 1800s
Oil on barrel top
Made in Pennsylvania
Inscription: “You beautiful deer, don’t run so proudly, the hunter stands behind the woods”
Gift of Estate of Edgar William and Bernice Chrysler Garbisch, 1981. (1981.19.8)
Thomas Birch
American, 1779–1851
Great Falls of the Lehigh at Stoddartsville, Pennsylvania, late 1820s–1830s
Oil on canvas
Purchase: Gift from Three Supporters in Honor of Elliot J. Sussman’s Years of Service to the Allentown Art Museum and the Priscilla Payne Hurd Endowment Fund, 2011. (2011.18)
Gustav Johann Grunewald
German, 1805–1878, active in Bethlehem 1831–1868
Niagara Falls, 1834
Oil on canvas
Purchase: The Gift of John and Fannie Saeger, 1986. (1986.7)
Tompkins Harrison Matteson
American, 1813–1884
The Return of Rip Van Winkle, or, Rip Van Winkle’s Return from the Mountains,
1840–1845
Oil on canvas
Purchase: The Leigh Schadt and Edwin Schadt Art Museum Trust, 2001. (2001.10)
Winslow Homer
American, 1836–1910
The Surgeon at Work in the Rear During an Engagement from Harper’s Weekly, July 12, 1862
Wood engraving
Printer and publisher: Harper & Brothers, New York, NY
Purchase: SOTA Print Fund, 2006. (2006.15.2)
Artist once known
American
Table Rug, mid to late 1800s
Hooked wool on linen ground with fringe and loop embroidery
Gift from the Collection of Rosalind and Edwin Miller, 2001. (2001.18.1)
Artist once known
American
Coverlet, ca. 1870s
Wool and cotton double weave
Made in Pennsylvania
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Herman E. Finkelstein, 1975. (1975.24)
Henry Mosler
American, 1841–1920
Invoking God’s Blessing (Pilgrim’s Grace), 1897
Oil on canvas
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Norman Hirschl, 1977. (1977.4)
In their humble home, this Pilgrim family embodies faith, morality, and simplicity—values that some Americans feared were disappearing in the late 1800s. Artists like Henry Mosler depicted the past to offer inspiration and reassurance to those worried about urbanization and immigration transforming the United States.
Such artists were usually more concerned with celebrating American identity than with historical accuracy. Look for fun anachronisms in this painting, such as the very Victorian bows, and painted Chinese porcelain (rare in North America until about a century after the Pilgrims’ time).
John George Brown
American, born England, 1831–1913
Juggler, 1882
Oil on canvas
Purchase: Leigh Schadt and Edwin Schadt Art Museum Trust Fund, 2013. (2013.1)
George Cope
American, 1855–1929
Mr. Darlington’s Still Life, 1890
Oil on canvas
Made in West Chester, PA
Purchase: Leigh Schadt and Edwin Schadt Art Museum Trust Fund, 2004. (2004.35)
Severin Roesen
German, ca. 1815–ca. 1872, active in the United States
Still Life with Wine Glass and Watermelon, ca. 1860
Oil on canvas
Purchase: Frank E. and Seba B. Payne Foundation Gift, 1987. (1987.41)
Thomas Pollock Anshutz
American, 1851–1912
The Chore, ca. 1888
Oil on wood panel
Made in Philadelphia, PA
Purchase: J. I. and Anna Rodale Fund, 1949.(1961.26)
What might the woman who posed for this painting have thought about the finished work? Artist Thomas Anshutz—who was white—hired her to model because he wanted to paint a Black female servant, and chose the studio props, her pose, and the scarf she wears.
Either she or someone close to her probably had experience working as a servant: an 1899 study by W.E.B. DuBois and Isabel Eaton found that 90% of Black women employed in Philadelphia at this time were in domestic service. Maybe this woman preferred modeling to her regular job—or perhaps it was more tiring to work with Anshutz.
Susan Macdowell Eakins
American, 1852–1938
Kate Lewis, 1884
Oil on canvas
Made in Philadelphia, PA
Purchase: J. I. and Anna Rodale Fund, 1945. (1961.21)
William Seal
American, active 1810–1822
Coffee Pot, Creamer, Teapot, Sugar Bowl, Waste Bowl, Tongs, ca. 1817
Silver
Made in Philadelphia, PA
Anonymous Loan
Henry Ossawa Tanner
American, 1859–1937, active in France
Lion Licking Paw, 1886
Oil on canvas
Made in Philadelphia, PA
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Philip I. Berman, 1962. (1962.5)
Henry Ossawa Tanner painted this lion from life at the Philadelphia Zoo. He was preparing to make a larger work depicting Androcles, a formerly enslaved Roman who stopped to remove a thorn from a lion’s paw while fleeing his enslavers.
Tanner often explored stories of oppression and freedom in his work. As the son of a woman who liberated herself from slavery, and as an expatriate who left the United States to mitigate racism’s impact on his career, he likely found particular significance in these themes.
John Singer Sargent
American, 1856–1925, active in Europe
Head of a Young Woman,
1878–1880
Oil on canvas
Gift of Katherine Merle‑Smith Thomas, 2008.
(2008.22)