<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"> <p>In the colonial era, a certain type of pocketbook was all the rage from 1740 to 1790. Both women and men used them to carry valuables such as papers, coins, and jewelry. The majority were made of leather, but the ones that were saved tended to be the ones that were worked by hand using various needlework techniques. Women made them for their beaus, their husbands, or themselves. Shaped like a single envelope that closed with a flap, they were often bound with a wool or silk tape. To keep them closed, a clasp was attached or a ribbon or tape was tied around it.</p><p>Here is an example of one in the Textile Collection that was bound with a wool tape.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Pocketbook, open, with intricate design in variety of colors" class="auto-caption media-image img__fid__14808 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" rel="lightbox" src="https://americanhistory.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/blog_image/public/1_2.jpg?itok=OcTR2dmF" style="width: 550px; height: 503px;" title="6" wide pocketbook with inscription "HP 1763""></p><p style="text-align: center;"> </p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="Tall pocketbook with intricate design" class="auto-caption media-image img__fid__14811 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" rel="lightbox" src="https://americanhistory.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/blog_image/public/Textile_v2.jpg?itok=zMawH-Zx" style="width: 420px; height: 550px;" title="An example that is tied with a cord"></p><p style="text-align: center;"><img alt="" class="auto-caption media-image img__fid__14812 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" rel="lightbox" src="https://americanhistory.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/blog_image/public/3_3.jpg?itok=eYHGVgva" style="width: 337px; height: 550px;" title="Pocketbook stitched by Maria Connor Alexander, 7" x 12""></p><p>It was donated by "The Misses Henry," with information that it had been made by their grandmother. On the top of the piece are the words "Alexander Alexand." Was there supposed to be another "er" after the last word? No genealogical information was included with the donation. Was it possible to find Alexander Alexand? Putting "Alexander Alexand" or "Alexander Alexander" in Google did not yield any helpful information. Since "The Misses Henry" were living in Washington, D.C., in 1912, the 1910 census was checked to find some single Henrys living together, but nothing was found.</p><p>As a last resort, "The Misses Henry" was put into Google. That proved to be very helpful since they also gave art to the Smithsonian American Art Museum, and one entry said they were the daughters of a former Secretary of the Smithsonian. A few of the artworks they donated to the Smithsonian: "<a href="http://americanart.si.edu/collections/search/artwork/?id=22853" target="_blank">Buffalo Hunt on the Southwestern Prairies</a>" and "<a href="http://americanart.si.edu/lunder/beforeandafter.cfm?key=11&subkey=1291" target="_blank">Ko-rak-koo-kiss, a Towoccono Warrior</a>" by John Mix Stanley.</p><p>Joseph Henry was the first Secretary of the Smithsonian from 1846 to 1878, and the <a href="http://siarchives.si.edu/history/joseph-henry" target="_blank">Smithsonian Institution Archives</a> is a valuable resource for learning more about him. Using Ancestry.com, we learned that on May 3, 1830, Henry married Harriet L. Alexander in Schenectady, New York. They had four children, three girl and one boy. Harriet was the daughter of Alexander Alexander, born in 1765 in Scotland. His family came to the United States around 1774 and he served in the Revolutionary War. His wife was Maria Connor, born around 1770 in New York. It is not known if Maria Connor made the pocketbook before or after they were married. <a href="http://siarchives.si.edu/history/exhibits/henry/henrys-family-gallery" target="_blank">The Misses Henry</a> were Mary (1832-1903), Helen (1834-1912), and Caroline (1838–1920) Henry, daughters of Joseph and Harriet Henry.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://siarchives.si.edu/history/exhibits/henry/henrys-family-gallery" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="auto-caption media-image img__fid__14814 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" rel="lightbox" src="https://americanhistory.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/blog_image/public/Mary.jpg?itok=HqZipCEW" style="width: 300px; height: 412px;" title="Photographic portrait of Mary Anna Henry, daughter of first Smithsonian Secretary Joseph Henry (1846-1878), around 1855, by Unknown, photographic print, courtesy of Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Box 12, Folder: 5, 82-3258. According to Mary's obituary in the April 26, 1903, copy of the "Washington Post" says that she "was prominent in society in Washington as well as in scientific and literary circles. Her home on M street, near Thomas Circle, was famed for its hospitality.""></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://siarchives.si.edu/history/exhibits/henry/henrys-family-gallery" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="auto-caption media-image img__fid__14815 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" rel="lightbox" src="https://americanhistory.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/blog_image/public/Helen.jpg?itok=MH59Lf_m" style="width: 300px; height: 520px;" title="Portrait of Helen Louisa Henry (1836-1912), daughter of Harriet Alexander Henry and Joseph Henry. Joseph Henry (1797-1878), was a physicist and the first Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution from 1846 to 1878. Around 1855, by Alexander Gardner, photographic print, courtesy of Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Box 81, 46638-H or MAH-46638H."></a></p><p style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://siarchives.si.edu/history/exhibits/henry/henrys-family-gallery" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="auto-caption media-image img__fid__14816 img__view_mode__media_large attr__format__media_large" rel="lightbox" src="https://americanhistory.si.edu/sites/default/files/styles/blog_image/public/Caroline.jpg?itok=lGYV73HW" style="width: 300px; height: 420px;" title="Joseph Henry's daughter Caroline (1839-1920), around 1855. By R. W. Addis, carte de visite, courtesy of Smithsonian Institution Archives, Record Unit 95, Box 81, 82-3254."></a></p><p>In the 1850 Washington, D.C., census, Maria Alexander was living with the Henrys. Perhaps the granddaughters became acquainted with the pocketbook then and were told it was a treasure worth saving. It was given in all their names to the Smithsonian in 1912.</p><p>The embroidered pocketbooks that were so treasured were made of a variety of stitches. The most common stitch for pocketbooks was the Irish stitch and it was often done with crewel 2-ply worsted wool thread on linen canvas. Others used the queen stitch, which was one of the most difficult stitches to master, and worked it with silk thread on linen fabric. Maria Connor Alexander stitched this one completely in queen stitch, with silk thread on a linen fabric.</p><p>This pocketbook stayed with the Henry family for over 100 years. It has been at the Smithsonian for over hundred years and now Maria Connor can be given the credit for her handiwork. Volunteers in the Textile Collection are diligently working to find the identity of the makers of the embroidered objects in the collection.</p><p><em>Written by Sheryl De Jong, Volunteer in the Textile Collection, Division of Home and Community Life.</em></p> </div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-authors field-type-text field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Author(s): </div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even">Textile Collection volunteer Sheryl De Jong</div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-posted-date field-type-datetime field-label-above"><div class="field-label">Posted Date: </div><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even"><span class="date-display-single">Tuesday, August 11, 2015 - 08:00</span></div></div></div><div class="field field-name-field-blog-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above clearfix"><h3 class="field-label">Categories: </h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-0"><a href="/blog-tags/womens-history">Women's History</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-1"><a href="/blog-tags/collections">From the Collections</a></li></ul></div><div class="field field-name-field-tags field-type-taxonomy-term-reference field-label-above clearfix"><h3 class="field-label">Tags: </h3><ul class="links"><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-0"><a href="/tags/clothing-and-accessories">Clothing and Accessories</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-1"><a href="/tags/cultures-and-communities">Cultures and Communities</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-2"><a href="/tags/family-and-social-life">Family and Social Life</a></li><li class="taxonomy-term-reference-3"><a href="/tags/womens-history">Women's History</a></li></ul></div><div id="disqus_thread"><noscript><p><a href="http://amhistorymuseum.disqus.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Famericanhistory.si.edu%2Fblog%2Fdiscovery-textile-collection">View the discussion thread.</a></p></noscript></div><div class="feedflare"> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/OSayCanYouSee?a=bw6_EYqRJgU:-6mtawzQGEo:qj6IDK7rITs"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/OSayCanYouSee?d=qj6IDK7rITs" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/OSayCanYouSee?a=bw6_EYqRJgU:-6mtawzQGEo:7Q72WNTAKBA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/OSayCanYouSee?d=7Q72WNTAKBA" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/OSayCanYouSee?a=bw6_EYqRJgU:-6mtawzQGEo:V_sGLiPBpWU"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/OSayCanYouSee?i=bw6_EYqRJgU:-6mtawzQGEo:V_sGLiPBpWU" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/OSayCanYouSee?a=bw6_EYqRJgU:-6mtawzQGEo:gIN9vFwOqvQ"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/OSayCanYouSee?i=bw6_EYqRJgU:-6mtawzQGEo:gIN9vFwOqvQ" border="0"></img></a> <a href="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/OSayCanYouSee?a=bw6_EYqRJgU:-6mtawzQGEo:yIl2AUoC8zA"><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~ff/OSayCanYouSee?d=yIl2AUoC8zA" border="0"></img></a> </div><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/OSayCanYouSee/~4/bw6_EYqRJgU" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>
