The Shaker Chair

About this book

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.