A Rare Needlework Sampler by Rachel Richards, Attributed to Ann Marsh School, Philadelphia, PA, Dated "1792"

Bearing the inscriptions, "Wrought by Rachel Richards in 1792," and, "Daniel Richards, Rachel Richards and Jane Richards," worked with polychrome silk threads on a shear linen ground, framed; the frame bears a printed paper label, circa 1900, "From/ Earles Galleries/ and/ Looking Glass Warerooms No. 816 Chestnut Street,/ Philadelphia."

18 1/2 in. x 16 3/4 in. (sight), 22 3/4 in. x 20 3/4 in.

Property from the Buck Family Collection, Philadelphia

This lot is located in Philadelphia.

Note:

Rachel Richards was born in 1778 to Rachel Bettle (b. 1741) and Daniel Richards (1737-1793). Her sister Jane was born in 1776. Daniel Richards is listed as a lumber merchant in the 1791 Philadelphia Directory with addresses at 7 Callow Hill and 325 N. Front Street.

Literature:

For information on the Ann Marsh School, see Betty Ring, Girlhood Embroidery: American Samplers & Pictorial Needlework 1650-1850 (1993), Vol. II. pg. 332-337, and for a related design, see fig. 361, pg. 343.

William "Bill" Clifton Buck (1928-2023) was a successful businessman, avid sportsman, and leader within the Philadelphia community. Bill attended Lafayette College, where he majored in Economics, and later joined the family business, Smith Kline and French (later GlaxoSmithKline). Alongside his brothers, he founded and expanded The Drug House and later established TDH, a venture capital firm that invested in major companies such as ESPN and Staples. Bill married Laura Thomas (1931-2024) in 1954, and they enjoyed a vibrant 68-year marriage. Together, they were active philanthropists, supporting numerous organizations and causes in Nantucket, Vero Beach, and Philadelphia, including the Barnes Foundation and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. In addition, Bill’s lifelong passion for baseball led him to become a partner in the Philadelphia Phillies in 1981, and he cherished the team's successes, including the 2008 World Series win.

“Bucktucket,” their beloved Nantucket residence, offered an impressive backdrop for the couple’s collection of Nantucket art. The furnishings of Bucktucket, a traditional cedar-shake house, and of the couple’s Villanova residence seamlessly blended their varied interests into an inviting and cohesive aesthetic. Bill and Laura loved discovering just the right things to fill their homes, meeting artists and dealers along the way. Their collection is marked by several spectacular pieces, including fine period furniture, maritime painting, scrimshaw, sailor’s valentines, wool-work pictures, ceramics, and folk art, offered within this single-owner sequence.