Reports of Committees. 20 



MentioD should also be made of the curious engraving (copied from a 

 drawing or writing of a Yankee prisoner daring the war) consisting of the 

 Emancipation Proclamation so written and arranged as to form a very dis- 

 tinct portrait of President Lincoln. 



M. S. Bidwell, Jr., ) 



Mrs. Edwin L. Boardmax, [- Committee. 



Miss C. S. Gilbert, 1 



EMBROIDERY— 85 ENTRIES. 



The department entitled Embroidery committed to us for the awarding 

 of premiums, aside from embroidery comprise many classes of specimens 

 such as Needlework. Crochet, Tatting, Bead, Net and Knit work, requir- 

 ing for examination a duty somewhat onerous, justifying we think, two 

 committees instead of one ; the whole number ot specimens being eighty- 

 five. We suggest also, that some improvement as to show-cases and meth- 

 od of exhibition might probably be made. 



The art of Embroidery should be encouraged. If it be not one of the 

 fine arts, it is closely kindred thereto. All above and around us, are the 

 grand displays of Nature's embroidery exhibited in the spangled skies, and 

 upon the surface of the globe in the various seasons of the year. Of all 

 these displays, whatever is picturesque, beautiful, or grand, by the skill of 

 the embroiderer may be imitated. Progress in the art tends to promote re- 

 finement, good taste and ennobling culture. By its more splended speci- 

 mens we add to the grandeur of the palace, by its humbler efforts we con- 

 tribute to the charm and the cheer of the cottage. It has a moral as well 

 as a pleasing worth ; surely it should be encouraged. 



The history of embroidery is interesting — it is of two kinds : one is done 

 with the needle and fine threads upon some delicate fabric for ladies dresses; 

 the other is upon firmer stuffs with threads of various colors, often with 

 gold and precious stones interwoven, for hangings, curtains, tents and other 

 purposes. Among the wandering tribes of the East their tents are often 

 thus richly adorned. At a very early period the art was practiced, as sacred 

 and profane writers show. 



The instructions to the Hebrews as given in the 26th chapter of Exodus 

 in regard to the curtains of the tabernacle, furnish beautiful evidence of the 

 Hebrew knowledge of embroidery — "thou shalt make the tabernacle with 

 ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue and purple, and scarlet ; with 

 Cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them." And these instruc- 

 tions were given nearly fifteen centuries before the Christian Era. Certain- 

 ly the embroiderer can boast of the antiquity of the art. A late king of 

 Persia is said to have had a tent which cost $10,000,000. It was em- 

 broidered with burnished gold, studded with precious stones and diamonds, 

 interpersed with rubies and emeralds, set with rows of pearls ; and there 

 were shftwn thereon specimens of every created thing, birds and trees, and 

 towns, cities, seas and continents, beasts and reptiles."' feuch is the glorious 

 description Ave have furnished to us of a royal Persian embroidered tent ! 

 Egypt and Babylon, in fact the Asiatic nations generally, were celebrated 



