For well over a century, the world has noted the distinctive chairs made
by Shaker communities throughout the eastern United States. A writer for
House Beautiful suggested at the beginning of the twentieth century that
If you own a Shaker chair, preserve it with great care, for it will soon
be considered an antique, and a rare one at that. In this definitive
book, that statement is verified as the authors examine in depth the
styles and production techniques of chairs made at ten Shaker
communities during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.
Historical and contemporary photographs, extensive journal and account
book references, diaries, postcards, catalog advertisements, and
detailed line drawings are all used to document the chairs' history.
Readers will find valuable information on identification of chair types
and origins as well as an analysis of design and construction. An
essential resource for collectors, historians, designers, and devotees
of antique furniture.