borders of trailing vines of berries surrounding central sampler with lines of verse "Tis sweet on lofty Mountan's [sic] brow ...O that to me the wings were given...", house, and trees, signed and dated at bottom "Wrought by/Louisa H. Rogers./Asheville 1824", silk on linen, 22-3/4 x 22 in.; painted period frame 26-1/2 x 25-3/4 x 3/4 in.

Provenance: by descent in family; James E Allen Antiques, Atlanta, Georgia; Collection of Carole Wahler, Knoxville, Tennessee

Note: This needlework sampler was created by Louisa H. Rogers at the age of 18 during her visit to Asheville, North Carolina. During her time in Asheville, Louisa kept a detailed diary, which is now preserved in the Special Collections of Emory University Library along with an extensive group of family papers. 

Louisa was originally from Lexington, Georgia and first married a lawyer from Athens, Georgia. After his untimely death, she remarried Dr. Kendall Rogers, a man who coincidentally shared her maiden name. Together, they relocated to Upson County, Georgia, where they lived in a plantation home named Bellwood. Sadly, Bellwood burned in 1894, but a photograph of the house survives and will be included in this lot.

Adding to the legacy of this remarkable family, the auction also features a Theorem painting created by Louisa's mother, Winifred Lane. Winifred was a direct descendant of the first Colonial Governor of Virginia, enriching this collection with significant historical and genealogical importance.

In addition to the sampler, this lot includes several related items:

• A photograph of Louisa Rogers’ two daughters, Susan and Loula, along with a separate photograph of Loula as an elderly woman.
• The original bill of sale from the antique dealer James Allen of Atlanta, Georgia, who sold these items to our consignor. In his documentation, Allen noted that he had purchased the family heirlooms from Julia Rawlings, the great-granddaughter of Louisa H. Rogers.
• a large file folder of detailed handwritten and printed consignor notes about the family history. 

This needlework sampler has been meticulously conserved, with full documentation provided by Dorothy D. McCoach, a renowned textile conservator, who worked on the piece in 1991. Copies of the conservator's report are available for review upon request.

Together, these artifacts offer a unique window into the life and legacy of Louisa H. Rogers and her family, showcasing their artistic talents and Southern roots.

The first four line verse is from an unknown source and could possibly be by Louisa. The second verse is the last four lines from a 1807 poem by George Gordon, Lord Bryon titled "I Would I Were A Careless Child."

Included is a printed 2015 email exchange between Carole Wahler and Dale Couch, retired curator at the Georgia Museum of Art and director of the Henry D. Green Center for the Study of the Decorative Arts.  Couch wrote, "This is stunning...the second [poem] is Lord Byron's paraphrase of the 55th Psalm."

Exhibition History: "Georgia's Girlhood Embroidery: 'Crowned with Glory and Immortality'", Georgia Museum of Art, Athens, Georgia, October 31, 2015 to February 28, 2016 (Loan Agreement accompanies this lot.)