Shaker Style

Published by JG Press, 2008, hardcover, illustrated, large format, 112 pages, 27 cms x 36.8 cms, condition: as new.

The Shakers is the name by which the United Society of Believers is commonly known. There has been an upward surge of interest in the Shakers and their style of design, in recent years. This book has 120 full-color photographs; many of them are works of art in themselves.

Bowman's "Shaker Style" is one of the more beautiful samplers of Shakerism that I have seen. The extra large pages, 10 by 14 inches, contains many photos by knowledgeable Shaker scholars and photographers: Paul Rocheleau and James Archambeault.
Bowman has included a good sampling of buildings from Shaker villages at Hancock MA, Canterbury NH, Sabbathday Lake, Pleasant Hill KY and South Union KY.
Some of perennial favorites shown are the nearly identical meeting houses built by Moses Johnson in the late 1700's at Hancock, Canterbury and Sabbathday Lake. Also included are the great round barn at Hancock and several family residences at the five featured villages.
The furniture includes many items from private collections as well as items in the Shaker museums. Again, the photography is beautiful.
If you are interested in the Shaker's ingenious devices, Bowman devotes 25 pages of outstanding photographs of tools, looms, spinning wheels and other Shaker items.