An Exhibition of Art, Objects & Artifacts from 350 Years of Trenton History
SPOTLIGHT: 1843 Sampler by Sarah Kallam
Sarah Kallam’s sampler was worked in colored silks on a linen ground with an upper section of alphabets above a lower section with a large house on a solidly worked lawn flanked by Quaker, floral, basket, bird, and star motifs all surrounded by a narrow border embroidered in a wave pattern. The sampler is inscribed, “Elisha Kallam was born October the 14 1794” and “Frances M wife of e. Kallam was born Jan…” (unfinished but the floss that would have been used is neatly coiled up and stitched to the sampler). The sampler is signed at the bottom “S H Kallam work done March the 3, 1843”. Frances was the second wife of Elisha. His first wife, Elizabeth, died in 1826 at the age of 19. Elizabeth was buried at the First Presbyterian Church in Trenton, suggesting the Elisha Kallam family was associated with that church. However, over members of the Kallam family were Quakers and the overall design of Sarah’s sampler shows the definite influence of a Quaker teacher.
Sarah H. Kallam was the oldest of three children born to Elisha (1794-1866) and Frances M. (1811-1880) Kallam. Elisha was a carpenter. The Kallam family was listed in the 1850 Census as living in the West Ward of the City of Trenton. The address of the Kallam residence was 90 West State Street. In 1850, Sarah’s age was 16, indicating she was 9 years old when she completed the sampler. Sarah married Alfred Glenn of Philadelphia on October 22, 1855, in Trenton. Other historical records indicate Sarah died on that exact date. It has not been possible to confirm whether this is just an error in the records, as is likely, or there is an untold story of Sarah’s tragic demise on her wedding day.
Sampler lent by Daniel Scheid
Trenton Historical Society Lecture CANCELED
The Early Clocks of New Jersey Clocks: 1725 – 1825
Given by Steven Petrucelli
About the Lecture
A discussion of the development of Clockmaking in New Jersey from the Colonial Period through the War of 1812. The discussion will trace the origins of Tall Case Clocks from the two major New Jersey colonial craft centers, Burlington and Elizabethtown, through the “High Style Federal Period”.
Steve Petrucelli is a collector, conservator and dealer in early American clocks. His primary interest is in the early clocks of New Jersey. Over the past 45 years he has loaned clocks and presented lectures to the National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors, Burlington County Historical Society, Hunterdon County Historical Society, Chatham Historical Society, Cranbury Historical Society, and Monmouth Historical Society. He is also a contributor and publisher of several horological reference books and Director of the Adams Brown Company, Cranbury, NJ.
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