Marlene KATZ BISHOW wrote: I have received a request >from a volunteer at the
Smithsonian Museum concerning a mystery to be solved." This relates to two
samplers with cross stitched Jewish alphabets held by the Smithsonian.

I cannot tell you who the people are who made the samplers but I can tell
give a few extra clues: 1. The name on the 1843 sampler is "B. Lazarus" (how
did they convert that into Laxarus?); 2. In British and American traditions,
samplers were a key part of young girls early education (often done when
they were 8 or 9 years old) as they show important skills, neatness and an
ability to 'know your letters'; 3. The style of the samplers is very typical
of the American style. So my guess is that you are looking for two Jewish
girls born around 1835 >from educated and Americanised families who settled
in the U.S. quite early - pre 1843 but I would think much earlier than that.

I just wonder if our young needle-worker, B. Lazarus, was a relation of the
Lazarus family of New York - which included Emma Lazarus - perhaps she was a
child of a brother of Emma's father Moses Lazarus (born 1813)?

Martin Davis - London (UK)