Madame Tougas 1904 by Couleur Tourterelle

From the designer —

This is an exceptional French sampler in part for its unusual lengthwise format – over four feet wide – but above all because it was stitched by 18 different children…

The sampler is very interesting design-wise, with 8 alphabets of varied style, including two, all curves and arabesques, showing Art Nouveau influence – let’s not forget that this is 1904.

The smaller generic letters, used for names and school, are derived from the 18th century Linenmaid’s Alphabet, designed for marking laundry and still in use at the time. Note that all complete alphabets include letter W, a modern feature, perhaps the influence of her husband as a teacher?