The Shaker Legacy
by Christian Becksvoort

Review by Mark Gezella – February 2004

Another generous donation has prompted me to write this month's review. The latest addition to our library is a fine book that explores the Shaker lifestyle and its vast contribution to our world. "The Shaker Legacy" contains eleven chapters, though it's divided into two parts. Part one describes the lifestyle of the Shaker community, and tries to convey a sense of their style and spirit. Some pictures in this half are what you'd expect, yet others take you by surprise. Have you ever seen a group of Shakers tooling down the road in a motor car? I never did - until I saw it in print! Part two follows up with many pictorial representations of Shaker furniture. In this half you can find just about any example of product, from chairs and benches to clocks and oval boxes. The book also describes how contemporary Oriental furniture makers have incorporated Shaker design in recent pieces and the movement is now spreading to Scandinavian designs as well!

When I think "Shaker", two things come to mind. First, the woodworking that takes place within these communities, specifically the style of furniture produced. Second to that is the beliefs they hold regarding worship. However, as the book reveals, there is much, much more to this unique group of individuals. As this and most books, museums, etc. attest, Shakers are known for their stark contrast to "modern" living when compared to other communities. They convey a lifestyle of simplicity, with a beautiful order to everything. In fact, the only thing seemingly contrary to their lifestyle is the formal name for their church; the "United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing". Seems rather odd that a simplicity-based group would encourage such a verbose name, eh?!

Sometimes readers are easily drawn to romanticize about how perfect a simple, uncomplicated, slower-paced lifestyle would be. That is a common fallacy among modern day audiences (me included). Life in this community is difficult, prone to long hours of manual labor with a higher percentage of illness and mortality rates. It's interesting to note that Shakers recognized a relationship between illness and interior environments early in their development. Consequently, they make it a point to "air out" living spaces on a regular basis (opening doors and windows for a positive air exchange).

Some may consider the Shakers and the Amish to be the same general group of communities, but there is a key difference between the two. Shakers embrace technology and any basic change that manifests a more efficient way to work. The Amish shun technology with strict adherence to tradition and the "ways of old". The Shaker's will also permit outside influence when deemed appropriate. A good example of this is the change that took place in furniture design during the Victorian period. What fascinates me about the Shakers is their approach to labor. Work is not viewed as a set of miserable chores to be dealt with expeditiously. Instead, work serves as a purpose to one's life - it brings about fulfillment. Their actions echo the ordered structure of their possessions, and nothing is wasted, be it time or material. Consequently, much time is spent considering how methods of work can be improved upon. A result of this effort is a copious amount of inventions produced by this rather small group of folks. Ever use a broom, ink pen, or circular saw? You can thank members of the Shaker community for taking these ideas from inception to production. As it turns out, they are a very innovative group!

You may have noticed that I refer to Shakers in present tense throughout this article. This was intentional, since a small group still exists in Maine, and continues to practice the beliefs and lifestyle held throughout earlier generations.

This is one of the better examples of texts devoted to Shakers and the fine furniture they have produced. I think our library is now a notch better because of it. I hope you find time to borrow it at some point. It is currently available for checkout in the Guild library.