"La Salle Leaving Fort St. Louis of Texas, A.D. 1687", circa 1903
Singer Sewing Machine Company; Marchand, J. N.
USA, TX
circa 1903
paper
overall: 4-3/8 x 7-1/8 in.
Print; "La Salle Leaving Fort St. Louis of Texas, A.D. 1687", circa 1903; print from 2005.34.124 in the collection of Captain Richard C. Mears (1829-1899); copy of an image from an original painting of La Salle marching from Fort St. Louis (Texas) in the company of Native Americans; printed on front "Copyright 1903 by the Singer Manfg. Co./ JN MARCHAND/ LA SALLE LEAVING FORT ST. LOUIS OF TEXAS, A.D. 1687"; printed on back "THE SINGER TAPESTRIES/ Illustrating the Exploration of the MIssissippi Valley/ This picture, from the original painted/ for the Singer Manufacturing Com-/ pany, by Mr. J. N. Marchand, has been/ beautifully reproduced in silk stitching on/ bolting cloth, in size 4 1/2 feet by 3 1/2 feet,/ all the work being done on a Singer Sew-/ ing Machine, without special attachment of/ any kind./ It is a wonderful example of woman's/ work on a sewing machine and is one of/ five similar tapestries illustrating the dis-/ coveries by the Spanish and French in the/ Mississippi Valley during the 16th and 17th/ Centuries. The description of this subject/ is taken from Parkman's History, as fol-/ lows:/ 'Of a hundred and eighty colonists, besides the/ crew of the 'Belle,' less than forty-five remained./ The weary precincts of Fort St. Louis, with its fence/ of rigid palisades, its area of trampled earth, its/ buildings of weather-stained timber, and its well-/ peopled graveyard without, were hateful to their/ sight. The journey to Canada was clearly their only/ hope; and, after a brief rest, La Salle prepared to/ renew the attempt./ 'At the dawn of day on January 7, 1687, the/ band of adventurers mustered for the fatal journey./ They led with them their five horses, laden with/ their scanty baggage, and with what was of no less/ importance, their stock of presents for the Indians./ Some wore the remains of the clothing they had/ worn from France, eked out with deer skins, dressed/ in the Indian manner, and some had coats of old/ sail cloth.'"
2005.34.124.5