Books from the Shaker Press
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An Honorable Harvest: Shakers and the Natural World by Dr. Carl Benton Straub A 166 page soft covered book on the story of how religious movements initiated in Europe became American through taking seriously the land. In the Shaker ways of looking at the world, there is a basic religious unity between what is going on in history - "in the course of human events" - and what is at work in nature. The essential Shaker response to the land and the varied communities of life entwined with the land - wild and domestic - is the translation through interpretation and labor of nature's variables into patterns of meaning which reflect Shaker interest in religious community. Shaker Press, 2009. Soft covered, 166 pages.
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Hymnal - Original Shaker Music Vol. 2 Hard covered book of Hymns published by The North Family of Mount Lebanon, NY, in 1893. It serves as a companion to Hymnal Vol 1. Like the First Volume, this hymnal is still in use by the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Community.
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Life In the Christ Spirit by Brother Theodore E. Johnson The essence of Shaker beliefs and principles outlined in an easily understood manner. Essential reading. 12 page booklet on observations on Shaker theology from remarks delivered at the Shaker Conference in Hancock, Mass, Sept. 7, 1968.
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Precepts of Mother Ann - Testimonies of the Life, Character, Revelations and Doctrines of Mother Ann Lee and the Elders with Her "Eye and ear witness of all that our blessed Mother and the first Elders have done and taught." Essential for Shaker studies. Second edition. 302 pages. Hard cover.
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The Human & The Eternal: Shaker Art in Its Many Forms Michael Graham, Brother Arnold Hadd, Sister Frances Carr, and others The objects and artwork pictured in this catalog were featured in our special exhibit titled "The Human and The Eternal: Shaker Art in Its Many Forms" which ran from 2008-2009. This catalog features photographs of Shaker art, crafts, and other handmade items from the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Museum collection along with biographical and anecdotal information about the Shakers who made these items. Softcover, 69 pages, 2009 United Society of Shakers
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The Sabbathday Lake Shakers: An Introduction to The Shaker Heritage by Sister R. Mildred Barker. Published by The Shaker Press, 1985 second edition. Soft-covered. B&W photos. 29 pages.
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The Shakers: From Mount Lebanon to the World Edited by Michael K. Komanecky, Contribution by Stephen J. Stein, Jerry V. Grant, Michael S. Graham and Brother Arnold Hadd An important book on Shaker art and life, offering a fresh look at a style that has endured through centuries and continues to inspire designers and homeowners. This book presents the elegantly austere and simply styled objects of the Shakers in the context of their faith and community at Mount Lebanon, N.Y., the spiritual and administrative center of the Shaker world. Outstanding examples of furniture, textiles, tools, and other objects-drawn primarily from the collection of Shaker Museum | Mount Lebanon-bring the fascinating world of the Shakers to life. The book also explores the equally compelling material culture of Sabbathday Lake in New Gloucester, Maine, the last active Shaker community, and how this group of Shakers continued to thrive while other Shaker communities elsewhere gradually disappeared. Accompanying a major exhibition organized by the Farnsworth Art Museum, this book presents a new and authentic perspective on the Shaker community. Specially commissioned photography, archival imagery, essays by prominent scholars, and a firsthand interview with a member of the Sabbathday Lake Shaker community deepen our understanding of this influential movement and style. About the Authors: Michael K. Komanecky is chief curator at the Farnsworth Art Museum, in Rockland, Maine. Stephen J. Stein is a historian of American religion at the University of Indiana. Jerry V. Grant is the director of research and library services at the Shaker Museum. Michael S. Graham is the director of the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village. Brother Arnold Hadd is a member of the Sabbathday Lake Shaker Community. Reviews "The fascinating story of the Shakers, and of their extraordinary furniture, is now told in The Shakers: From Mount Lebanon to the World. This book expands our knowledge by documenting other types of practical furniture, tools and even Shaker clothing...this beautiful and enthralling book opens a window onto the world of the Shakers..." -Wall Street Journal "...this enlightening, visually arresting...uplifting exhibition highlights American ingenuity, resilience and fearlessness; its can-do spirit and individualism. The show is a rich overview of the Shaker community; but it celebrates individual artists, expressing themselves through a plain-spoken poetry that is uniquely American." -Review of Exhibition by the Wall Street Journal "With simple objects, simple words, Farnsworth tells complex Shaker story...it is a great exhibition. It is beautifully installed and fascinating. The objects are important and compelling. The language behind the installation is the level-headed and eminently commonsensical voice of the Believers." -Review of Exhibition by the Portland Press Herald "...the show will present a comprehensive look at the religious, social and economic foundations of Shaker life, seen through Shaker-made objects…accompanied by a richly illustrated book…” –The Republican Journal Hardcover, 256 pages, full color, 9.5" x 11". Skira Rizzoli; First Edition edition (July 1, 2014)
