Shaker Literature

A comprehensive, amply illustrated guide illustrates the simple, functional furniture style developed during the Shaker movement--a successful experiment in communitarian living--and traces its evolution from the Colonial styles of New York and New England

The definitive volume on Shaker commercial ephemera

The simple yet striking lines of Shaker design grace much of the furniture we see in high-end department stores, and beautiful examples of it adorn the pages of Architectural Digest and House Beautiful. How did this style evolve from its origins in a humble, small religious community to the international design phenomenon it is today? This illustrated study explores the emergence of the Shaker style and how it was vigorously promoted by scholars and artists into the prominence it now enjoys. The heart of the Shaker style lies in the religious movement founded in the eighteenth century, where Stephen Bowe and Peter Richmond begin their chronicle. From there, the authors chart the evolution of the style into the twentieth century—particularly in the hands of design media, scholars, and art institutions. These Shaker “agents” repositioned Shaker style continuously—from local vernacular to high culture and then popular culture. Drawing on a rich array of sources, including museum catalogs, contemporary design magazines, and scholarly writings, Selling Shaker illustrates in detail how the Shaker style entered the general design consciousness and how the original aesthetic was gradually diluted into a generic style for a mass audience. A wholly original and fascinating study of American design and consumption, Selling Shaker is a unique resource for collectors, scholars, and anyone interested in the cultural history of a design aesthetic.

A brief history of the Shakers by David Stocks -- On Shaker furniture by Jerry V. Grant -- The influences of Shaker furniture on twentieth-century furniture by Sir Terence Conran -- Masterpieces of Shaker design -- About the Shaker Museum, Mount Lebanon.