CONTENTS:Travel

DesignCookingGardens

Shaker Furniture

The Paris House DesignsShaker Village

Spring 2011

Articles written by Michele Rosenthal

Photography by Sam Rosenthal

Food prepared by Michele Rosenthal

Magazine created by Sam Rosenthal

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THE SIMPLISTIC AND BEAUTIFUL STYLE OF THE SHAKERS My family and I recently

vacationed in the Berkshire

Mountains in Massachusetts;

a lush, mountainous region

filled with beautiful

picturesque countryside,

fresh locally prepared

organic food, artisanal crafts,

art, museums, music and, an

abundance of culture at

Tanglewood.  While there we

spent the day visiting the

Hancock Shaker Village.

“Hancock Village is a

National Historic Landmark. .

They just celebrated their

50th anniversary as a living

history museum and center

for the study of principled

living in 2010. The Village is

located in Pittsfield, Mass

and is fully restored including

18 historic buildings,

heirloom medicinal gardens,

22,000 examples of Shaker

furniture, crafts, tools, and

clothes that depict daily

life at Shaker’s City of Peace

through its 220 years, as well

as heritage-breed farm

animals and spectacular

hiking trails..

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There are daily tours, craft

and cooking demonstrations,

lectures and workshops, and

a variety of activities for

children and families, as well

as a museum store and

Shaker-inspired cuisine at the

Villages Harvest Cafe. My

children enjoyed the

Discovery Room that offered

hands-on opportunities for

kids of all ages to try their

hand at chair-seat weaving,

working at a loom, trying on

Shaker-style clothing, or

milking a life-sized replica of

a cow. An interactive audio

tour (free with admission) is

available in English, French,

Italian ad German” (source

‘Hancock Shaker Village

Magazine’).

Up until this visit the first thing I thought of when thinking of the Shakers were their

simplistic designs specifically their furniture. Of course the iconic shaker chair is something

that most can immediately identify; but, what else do we really know about this religious

group? As I researched and read up on the Shakers as I do before visiting anyplace I travel to,

I became more and more fascinated by this group of worshipers. I always do a little research

before I embark on any of my travels because I want to know as much as possible about the

place before I get there, I don't want to miss a thing and I want to ask a lot of questions and

learn as much as I can. I also love to be surprised along the way and discover off the beaten

path treasures. I soon began to understand that the Shakers had a much greater impact and

interesting history than I had ever imagined.

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The Shakers, The United

Society of Believers in

Christ's Second Appearing,

or better know as the

‘Shaking Quakers’ because

their worship services were

so ecstatic they would often

shake during them.  The

Shakers began in

Manchester England in

1747, and like many

religious sects formed from

mainstream Protestant

religion. It was the French

Camisards (http://

www.nps.gov/nr/travel/

shaker/shakers.htm) in

southern France in the 17th

century and their religious

beliefs that inspired both

the Quakers and the

Shakers. The Shakers

founded Ann Lee or Mother

Ann as she was referred to

as their new leader. Mother

Ann joined them by 1758. .  

She asked her followers to

confess their sins, give up

all their worldly goods, and

take a vow of celibacy. She

felt that neither marriage nor

giving in to marriage was

necessary and celibacy was

a preparation for for the

Kingdom.

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Some feel she was perhaps one of our earliest feminists.  

However it certainly made

growing their congregation very

challenging as they needed to

rely on converts and bringing in orphans to increase their size.  

Even though the Shakers did not

practice procreation themselves

children were welcome into their

communal families through either adoption or conversion.

The Shakers welcomed all and

often took in the homeless and

orphans. At the age of 21 the

children were free to leave the Shaker religion to go their

separate way or remain with the

family. The Shakers lived and

worked together as a single

supportive group. The Shaker religion valued men and women

equally with the women at the

top of hierarchy, though at each

level men and women shared

equal responsibilities.

The Shakers perceived that God was embodied in both female and male characteristics.

Outside of church, the Shakers followed a more traditional gender work related roles. The homes were

segregated by sex, as were women and men’s work. Men worked in the fields or shops while women

worked indoors cooking, sewing, cleaning, and washing. It is very interesting as women in the 21st

century continue to struggle for equal rights, respect and pay to realize and fully understand that the

Shaker’s valued women’s status in society and realized the importance and difficulty of women’s work

and did not feel a need to unnecessarily elevate the male. This very modern way of thinking allowed

the continuation of church leadership after all the male leaders had died and membership consisted

solely of women. (source, Wikipedia and the Hancock Shaker Village tour guide, and magazine).

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1774 Ann Lee and 8 of her followers

made the journey from

England to the Colonies

where they settled in

Watervliet New York which is now called

Colonie, this has often

been an area of

confusion, many of the

Shakers referred to their community as The

Niskayuna Shakers.

These towns are all very

familiar to me as this is

an area of Upstate New York, very close to

Albany NY and not far

from where I grew up.

Mother Ann continued

to preach with great passion throughout the

area and mostly in New

England giving very

powerful talks. .  Mother

Ann Lee continued as their leader until her

passing in 1784.

Although the Shakers

represent an incredibly

small group of followers they are however

considered one of the

most influential,

preaching in their

communities knew no boundaries of

education, gender or

social class.

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No matter how limited in size their voice was it

could not be ignored.  

To this day they remain

one of they greatest

influences in furniture design which simplicity

lends a modern

timeless style that

continues to influence

some of the greatest designers and furniture

makers.  Many of their

collections are

priceless. The Shakers

built 500 settlements that attracted some

20,000 converts over

the next century and

along the way

contributed timeless works of art.

Another great

gift The Shakers gave to

the World is their gift of

music and song writing. The following is one of

the most famous and

you may recognize it

from President Obama’s

inauguration. (Lyrics to the left)

"Simple Gifts" Alfred, ME- 1848

Used in worship for quick dance

“Tis the gift to be simple, Tis the gift to be free,

'Tis the gift to come down where we ought to be;

And when we find ourselves in the place just

right, 'Twill be in the valley of love and delight.

When true simplicity is gain'd, To bow and to

bend we shan't be ashamed. To turn, turn will be

our delight 'Till by turning, turning we come

round right.”

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The Shakers composed thousands of songs and created

dances to go with them.  The

were an incredibly important

part of their worship services.  

They recorded musical inspiration as it occurred. Many

had no formal musical training

and used a form of music

notation called the letteral

system. Many consisting of syllables and words from

unknown tongues.  Many

Shaker melodies are of

extraordinary grace and beauty.  

To this day, even though little is known regarding the Shaker

song repertoire it remains an

important part of the American

cultural heritage and of world

religious music in general. The few remaining Shaker's continue

to sing songs from both the

earlier repertoire and the four

part songbooks.

The most famous Shaker song is "Simple Gifts" which Aaron Copland used as a theme in

1944 for variations in the ballet "Appalachian Spring".  The tune was composed by Elder

Joseph Brackett and originated in the Shaker community in Maine in 1848. Many

contemporary Christian denominations incorporate this tune into hymnals, under various

names, including "Lord of the Dance", adapted in 1964 by English poet and songwriter

Sydney Carter. (source, Wikipedia).

You may recognize "Simple Gifts" from President Barrack Obama's inauguration as it

was performed by Yo -Yo Ma and Itzhak Perlman. Please visit here to listen to this lovely

performance.

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Other Shaker Lyrics that were used by

an American Rock band

REM included a song

called “Fireplace” on its

1987 album “Document.” The lyrics

of the song (“Hang up

your chairs to better

sweep/Clear the floor to

dance/Shake the rug into the fireplace”) are

adapted from a speech

by Mother Ann Lee.

Please visit Wikipedia

for more works of art and music derived from

the Shaker experience.

The Timeless Appeal of Shaker

Furniture

The Shakers had a

very strong work ethic

and a famous quote of

theirs really sums it

up. “Do your work as

though you had a

thousand years to live

and as if you were to

die tomorrow.” “Put

your hands to work,

and your heart to

God.” If this isn’t

inspiring I don’t know

what is!

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The Shakers were known for a very specific style of furniture know as Shaker furniture. The style was very plain and simplistic and although we associate it with days long gone many modernist love the clean modern lines and use their designs in their homes, work and creative inspirations to this day. The Shaker chairs were massed produced around the time of the Civil War. They never made ornate items and relied on their skills and hard work to provide quality for their families. The Shakers designed their furniture avoiding making anything with extra decorations or detail but only for their intended use.

The iconic Shaker Ladder-back Chair was and still is a very popular piece of

furniture. Most of their items were crafted from pine wood. Their interiors were equally

simple, efficient and unadorned characterized by austerity and simplicity. An example

would be the continuous wooden device that ran along the upper level and hung light

furniture such as their Famous Shaker Chair when they are not in use. American

architects and designers have found lasting inspiration from the simple architecture of

their homes and gardens.

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The Shakers won

respect and admiration

for their productive

farms and organization

and efficient skills. Some

of their other inventions

were the Babbit metal,

the rotary harrow, the

circular saw, the

clothespin, the Shaker

peg, the flat broom, and

the wheel-driven

washing machine. At

one time the Shakers

were the largest

producer of medicinal

herbs in the United

States and really

pioneered the sale of

seeds in paper packets.

Not to mention their

contribution to music,

lyrics, dance and folk

art.

The Shakers

influenced many people

to write books and to

adapt ways of life. Sadly

by the middle of the 20th

century many Shaker

communities were

disappearing. Many

American collectors

whose visual tastes were

formed by the stark

designs of the modernist

movement found

themselves drawn to the

spare designs and

artifacts of the Shakers.

The ideology that form follows function continues to be clearly expressed in modern day

interpretations of Shaker Designs. Original pieces of furniture are often priceless.

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Modern Day Shakers

By the end of the 19th century the Shaker membership had dwindled. There are many reasons for this; Shaker furniture could no longer compete with mass produced products that were available at much lower prices, many people chose a life near a city and moved away from farmlands, a new law was passed in 1960 denying adoption by religious groups which made ‘recruiting’ and growing their congregation much more challenging. Some of the Shaker settlements were turned into museums such as the Pleasant Hill community in Kentucky after its last member, Ethel Hudson died in September 1992.

At the peak of the Shaker movement there were 6,000 members at one time but by 1920

there were only twelve Shaker communities left. In the United States there is now only one

active Shaker community at Sabbathday Lake, Maine, which in April 2010 had only 3 members

left.

The Sabbathday Lake still accepts new recruits. The community founded in 1782 was

one of the smaller more isolated communities during the sect’s heyday. Here they spend their

days farming and making a variety of handicrafts. There is a Shaker museum and a Sunday

service which is open to visitors. As there are only 3 members left there, it may be a very

interesting part of history to visit if you happen to be in that part of Maine. The members

celebrate Mother Ann Day on the first Sunday of August. They sing and dance and enjoy a

Mother Ann cake.

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(This is an example of their daily schedule at the Shaker Village in Sabbathday Lake):

* The day begins for at 7.30a.m.; the Great Bell on Dwelling House rings, calling every one to

breakfast.

* At 8:00a.m. Morning Prayers start. They may read two Psalms and then read from the Bible.

Following this is Prayer and silent prayer, concluded with the singing of a Shaker hymn.

* *Work for the Shakers begins at 8:30

* * Work stops at 11:30 for Mid-day prayers.

* * Lunch begins at 12:00. This is the main meal for the Shakers.

* * Work continues at 1:00 p.m.

* * AT 6:00 it is dinner time, the last meal of the day.

* * On Wednesdays at 5:00 p.m. They hold a prayer meeting which is followed by a Shaker

Studies class.

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Shaker Trust In October 2005

Sabbathday Lake Shaker

Village, Maine and its members entered into a trust

with the state of Maine and

several conservation groups.

The board members, who are

largely non-Shakers will decide whether the property

will become a museum, park

or other public space should

the Shakers die out. (That

decision will be made by a nonprofit corporation- the

United Society of Shakers,

Sabbathday Lake Inc.) This

will preserve their legacy as

well as their idyllic, lakeside property at Sabbathday Lake

Shaker Village, Maine.

The $3.7 million conservation

plan relies on grants,

donations and public funds. (In 2009, Toronto-based,

American-born poet Damian

Rogers released her first

volume of poetry, Paper Radio.

The lifestyle and philosophy of the Shakers and the matriarch

Ann Lee are recurring themes

in her work.)

The Shakers continue to

influence our culture, design, art and where many still draw

influence from the Shaker’s

history and practice.

(Sources: The Hancock Shaker

Village, Wikipedia, You Tube President Obama’s

Inauguration)

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SHAKER CHICKEN IN CIDER AND

CREAM

1 (4 lb.) chicken, quartered5 tbsp. butter, melted

1/2 c. cider

1 tbsp. grated lemon rind

1 c. heavy cream

1 tsp. salt1 tsp. fresh pepper

Cook chicken in hot butter until

brown. Cover pan and continue

cooking over low heat until tender,

30-40 minutes. Add cider and lemon rind and spoon liquid over chicken.

If chicken seems to be drying, add

cider before chicken is fully cooked.

Remove chicken to warm platter.

Quickly add cream and seasonings to pan and stir. Pour hot sauce over

chicken. Serves 4-5.

Recipe adapted from; Source: http://www.abbyskitchen.co.uk

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The Paris House Chicken in Apple CiderI created this recipe for a more elegant dinner party I hosted while still keeping it super easy and delicious. It was influenced from the Above Shaker Chicken Recipe. You can often easily update an older recipe and make it more modern and perfect for todays entertaining needs.

*I used organic chicken breasts, and sauteed them in a few tablespoons of butter and a little olive oil to prevent burning and add flavor. I then removed them from the pan after they were golden brown and kept warm on a plate loosely covered in foil.*I added my apple slices ( about 4-6 Granny Smith) a little more butter and 2-4 sliced shallots and sauteed until golden brown and buttery. Then I removed them and added them to the dish of chicken breast to keep warm.* I deglazed my pan, scraping up the brown bits with a few tablespoons of 'Apple Jack Brandy'* Then I added 1 cup of good Farm purchased Apple Cider and reduced it over medium heat until it thickened up and became a bit 'syrupy' Absolutely delicious!!!*I added salt & pepper to taste and a squeeze of lemon.*Lastly I added 1 cup of heavy cream and a dollop of creme fraiche and combined over a very low heat until thickened.*Then put your chicken breasts, sauteed apples, shallots and any juices back in the pan and heat through making sure they are cooked ( you could also warm them up in the oven if you like)* I added sprigs of fresh Thyme and a bit more salt and pepper to taste.This was all done in one pan on the stovetop and was very easy, very delicious and very elegant.** You can add more or less of the apple cider as you go along....I have been making my version of this dish for the past 17 years and it always turns out delicious.

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Shaker Lemon Bars (Adapted from Martha Stewart Living)Begin step one the day before you plan to bake these cookies.IngredientsMakes about 5 dozen • 2 lemons, washed and dried • 2 cups plus 3/4 cup granulated sugar • 2 1/4 sticks cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2 inch pieces • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 3 cups all-purpose flour • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten

• Confectioners' sugar, for siftingDirections 1. Slice lemons as thinly as possible; remove seeds. Toss slices with 2 cups sugar; transfer mixture to a flat resealable plastic container. Place in the refrigerator overnight. 2. Place butter, salt, remaining 3/4 cup sugar, and flour in the bowl of a food processor. Process until mixture is crumbly and starts to hold together. 3. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Line a 12-by-17-inch baking pan with parchment paper. Press dough evenly into the bottom and up the sides of the pan, making sure there are no holes. There should be at least 1/2-inch crust of dough going up the sides of the pan. Bake until golden brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely, about 15 minutes 4. Place lemon-sugar mixture and eggs in the bowl of a food processor. Process until lemon rinds are in 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces, 30 to 40 seconds. Pour mixture over cookie crust. Bake until set, 15 to 20 minutes. Cool on a wire rack. Trim 1/2 inch around edges of pan. Cut into about sixty 1 1/4-by-2-inch pieces. Sift confectioners’ sugar over cookies.From Martha Stewart Living, December/January 1999/2000