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.

DIVDefinitive work. 48 plates show tables, chairs, benches, room, arrangements, interior decor of American sect. /div

While demonstrating the high level of artistry attained by furniture-makers of the period, this selection in many ways reflects the evolving character of domestic life in America during a seminal period in the country's history.

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.

Interpreting Anniversaries and Milestones at Museums and Historic Sites is an invaluable resource for a wide range of cultural organizations that are attempting to plan an historical anniversary celebration or commemoration, including museums, churches, cities, libraries, colleges, arts organizations, science centers, historical societies, and historic house museums. As you plan a milestone anniversary for your institution, learn from what others have already accomplished in their own communities. What worked? What didn’t work? And why? The book begins with an examination of why people are drawn to celebrating and commemorating anniversaries in their own lives and in their communities, as well as the institutional benefits of planning this type of programming. The rest of the book features case studies of specific institutions that have planned and executed an anniversary celebration or commemoration. In-depth interviews with key staff members involved in the planning process at each organization provide the reader with ideas that can be adapted to their own celebrations, as well as pit-falls to avoid, funding opportunities, marketing plans, and visitor response. Chapters are organized by the type of anniversary activity: · Signature Events · Programs and Tours · Fundraising Campaigns · Exhibitions, Books and Documentaries · Audience Outreach and Community Involvement · Preservation · Partnerships · Commemorative Products and Souvenirs A wide range of sizes and types of organizations are represented from across the country and around the world, including the Smithsonian National Museum of American History, The Andy Warhol Museum, The Imperial War Museum, Mackinac State Historic Parks, Woodrow Wilson House, the National Corvette Museum, Stan Hywet, Cincinnati Preservation Society, the Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, the City of South Bend, and much more. Plans can be scaled up or down, depending on your institution’s resources.

The Encyclopedia of New York State is one of the most complete works on the Empire State to be published in a half-century. In nearly 2,000 pages and 4,000 signed entries, this single volume captures the impressive complexity of New York State as a historic crossroads of people and ideas, as a cradle of abolitionism and feminism, and as an apex of modern urban, suburban, and rural life. The Encyclopedia is packed with fascinating details from fields ranging from sociology and geography to history. Did you know that Manhattan's Lower East Side was once the most populated neighborhood in the world, but Hamilton County in the Adirondacks is the least densely populated county east of the Mississippi; New York is the only state to border both the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean; the Erie Canal opened New York City to rich farmland upstate . . . and to the west. Entries by experts chronicle New York's varied areas, politics, and persuasions with a cornucopia of subjects from environmentalism to higher education to railroads, weaving the state's diverse regions and peoples into one idea of New York State. Lavishly illustrated with 500 photographs and figures, 120 maps, and 140 tables, the Encyclopedia is key to understanding the state's past, present, and future. It is a crucial reference for students, teachers, historians, and business people, for New Yorkers of all persuasions, and for anyone interested in finding out more about New York State.