TN 101 Roots & Resources Session 1: Finding Text in the Textiles

Genealogical research can start with a birth certificate, a family Bible, or a census. Schoolgirl art, particularly samplers, are overlooked sources for genealogy. We will discuss specific Tennessee examples of family registers, mourning art, and granny notes that can lead to a richer understanding of family histories. Jennifer C. Core is the executive director of the Tennessee Historical Society. At THS, she was previously the director of membership and programs and the state coordinator of Tennessee History Day. Core is a folklorist and educator by training with masters degrees from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Indiana University, Bloomington. She formerly held positions at the Tennessee Arts Commission and the Grand Ole Opry archives. She is co-founder and director of the Tennessee Sampler Survey, a not-for-profit devoted to documenting Tennessee’s needlework heritage. Her areas of research have included Tennessee outsider and folk art, Middle Tennessee baskets, and West Tennessee Choctaw crafts. As a folklorist specializing in historical ethnography and material culture, she combines methodology from the fields of folklore and history. Core is the co-author, with Janet S. Hasson, of Tennessee Samplers: Female Education and Domestic Arts, 1800–1900 (University of Tennessee Press, 2025). Core is a former classroom teacher, a native of Knoxville, a resident of Nashville since 2001, and a proud Volunteer.