Friends, a Common Thread – Samplers with a Quaker Influence

This special book is written by Carol Humphries, the acknowledged expert on all things Quaker, and Rebecca Scott a sampler specialist based in Oxfordshire.

In A4 softback format with 72 pages of glorious colour pictures, it gives us a fascinating insight to the Quaker traditions. The samplers include the well-known medallion samplers as well as religious texts, maps, pinballs and many others. This book was, in fact, the catalogue for the sixteenth exhibition at Witney Antiques.

I am naturally drawn to Witney Antiques, a remarkable gallery in Oxfordshire which has the largest collection of historic embroideries in Europe. I regard the owner, my friend Rebecca Scott, as the fount of all knowledge when talking about samplers and the history of this genre. Rebecca has collected samplers and other early embroideries for many years and is so knowledgeable. Although her soft back, full-colour books are originally designed to support exhibitions held at the gallery, they are amazing works. All her books are a joy and a must for the sampler lover.