This beautifully documented, authoritative overview of the Shaker form and function showcases the 200-year-old sect's eloquent, minimalist style, which blends seamlessly into today's modern design aesthetic. Includes Shaker-style architecture. 175 full-color and b&w photos.

The Shakers produced many incredible furniture objects that we continue to venerate today. For the woodworker the fascination is often rooted in the essential simplicity of the work. Interest in Shaker design is as strong today as it was when the first edition of this book was published in 1977, possibly stronger. This ongoing interest is the direct result of the inherent beauty of Shaker design—beauty that stems not only from form, but from superb workmanship, a commitment to utility and a total understanding of material.

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.

"The Shaker movement in America began in 1774 when Mother Ann Lee emigrated from Manchester, England, with a small group of followers, and settled in New York State. Despite impoverished beginnings, the Shakers flourished in the early nineteenth century, and by 1840 there were four to six thousand members living in eighteen principle communities from Maine to Kentucky. Turning away from society, they lived in large families that were both celibate and communal. In striving for heaven on earth, they created a visual environment of such harmony and quiet power that it continues to impress observers today, when the Shakers have all but passed from the American scene. The many works presented in this beautiful volume reveal the Shaker commitment to excellence in all matters. The chairs, cases of drawers, work stands, baskets, oval boxes, wheelbarrows, stoves, looms, and even tailoring tools have a purity of form that transcends mere utility and elevates our appreciation beyond a sense of function."--Amazon.

Over 250 photographs and measured drawings for over 80 classic Shaker designs: cradle, dry sink, trestle table, lap desk, rocking chair, many more. 262 halftones. 140 black-and-white line illustrations.

This book surveys furniture made during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in Shaker communities of New England, Kentucky, and Ohio, with over 130 color photos. Free-standing tables, chairs, boxes, desks, built-in cupboards, and cases of drawers are included. The text introduces nearly twenty Shaker communities, known cabinetmakers, identifiable furniture traits, and designs unique to specific Shaker communites.