Abby Wright (1774–1842) operated a female academy on the site of what is now the Mount Holyoke Observatory in South Hadley, Massachusetts, from 1803 until 1811. Wright's letters and memoirs, in the collection of the Mount Holyoke College Library, illuminate her educational goal to lead young women "in the paths of rectitude and virtue, that they may establish an unblemished reputation and become ornaments to society. "In the process, young women learned ornamental arts, such as needlework and watercolor painting. This mourning piece for Azubah (Mrs. Ebenezer) Collins was pivotal in identifying Abby Wright's school because of the inscription that names South Hadley. Many needleworks have since been identified with the academy, including historical, religious, and allegorical pieces.

Mourning pieces combine classical funerary iconography with Christian symbolism and were a popular response to the romantic age. Although some mourning pieces commemorated well-known literary and historical figures, others were personal tributes to family members or friends. The memorial for Azubah Collins was made two years after her death by one of her daughters while she attended Abby Wright's school. Azubah Chapin (1766–1805) married Ebenezer Collins (1764–1836) in 1788. The couple had seven children, all of whom are depicted in this mourning piece. Lovice Collins is most likely to have stitched this embroidery, as she would have been around fourteen at the time it was made. Shortly after Azubah's death, the family moved from Warehouse Point, Connecticut, to South Hadley, Massachusetts. Mr. Collins set up a distillery business with Peter Allen, who married Abby Wright in 1809. The business operated successfully for many years before Collins moved his family again, this time to Hartford, where he, his second wife, and six of his children, including Lovice, are buried in the Old North Cemetery.

Stacy C. Hollander, "Mourning Piece for Mrs. Ebenezer Collins," in American Anthem: Masterworks from the American Folk Art Museum (New York: Harry N. Abrams in association with American Folk Art Museum, 2001), 306.