LumberJocks Woodworking Forum banner

Books on Shaker - My small collection

10K views 12 replies 8 participants last post by  JustJoe 
#1 ·
A few simple Shaker titles.

There are hundreds of books written about the Shakers and their furniture. I found 7 in my library with just a quick look. I'm sure I've got a few more but my shelves are a bit disorganized. Rather than do seven reviews I thought I'd just throw out my opinion on them in one blog series. I've provided links, when possible to these books on AbeBooks.com. ABE is a group of independent booksellers united together on the web - like Amazon without the evil, but you can find these books on Amazon, or Barnes & Noble, or even at your local library.

The first book, actually the first three, is Shop Drawings of Shaker Furniture & Woodenware by Ejner Handberg. The first book of this series was published in 1973. If you're looking for historical background, detailed plans and instructions or glossy 8Ă—10 color photos then these books aren't for you. If you like to work from a basic idea, to start with one measurement and work your way out until the project is finished, then it's a great set of books to own. Everthing from little (boxes, candle holders, coat hangers) to large (beds, chests, tables, wardrobes) is in here and all measurements are taken from authentic Shaker items in private or public collections. You won't find any "Shaker inspired coffee table" trash here. I don't have a scanner but I found a pic online of one of the drawings:

Book Art Font Parallel Pattern


Next up is "American Style - Shaker, Mission & Country Projects" by Time Life Books. This one is a hardcover 8Ă—10 spiralbound with color photos, detailed drawings and instructions and tips on techniques. Of course only 1/3 the book is devoted to Shaker. That 1/3 consists of a step-stool, hall table, rocking chair and a "shaker-style" footstool. Of course these are the four projects that have been done to death in every magazine printed for the last 30 years so unless you're just into collecting Time-Life books I can't recommend this one to anybody. Here's a pic of the book for those of you who like a little color in your blog reading:

Building Product Window Wood Door


Edward Deming Andrews and Faith Andrews wrote the books ""Shaker Furniture, The Craftsmanship of an American Communal Sect" in 1937. My copy is an 8Ă—10 Dover reprint with a 1964 copyright. I don't know if they just renewed the copyright, or if there is significant difference between my version and the 1937 one. Woodworkers will find very little of interest in this book. There are no drawings or plans, no discussion of Shaker specific joinery or techniques. Aside from some black and white photos gathered together in the middle of the book there is absolutely zero illustration. The text of the book is devoted to a short history of the Shaker sect, living conditions, and religious beliefs with an attempt to tie it to the current (1937) social changes occuring in America. If you're looking for historical background on the Shakers then this book might interest you, although all of the information contained is now readily available online for those who know how to google/bing/yahoo. I'm not giving it a total "thumbs-down" but I don't recommend it for a woodworker who is only looking for information for the next project. And so you don't fall asleep, here's another picture:
Building Font Art Table Rectangle


I've saved the last two books in my mini Shaker collection for a follow-up blog. Those of you with some knowledge of the subject will notice a big name that is missing so far. I'll get to him - don't worry, although it might not be the rave review you are expecting to read. And if you've read this far you're also thinking "Doesn't Joe like anything?" And to that let me remind you that I did like the Measured Drawings series. And my favorite Shaker book is coming in Part 2.
 

Attachments

See less See more
6
#2 ·
A few simple Shaker titles.

There are hundreds of books written about the Shakers and their furniture. I found 7 in my library with just a quick look. I'm sure I've got a few more but my shelves are a bit disorganized. Rather than do seven reviews I thought I'd just throw out my opinion on them in one blog series. I've provided links, when possible to these books on AbeBooks.com. ABE is a group of independent booksellers united together on the web - like Amazon without the evil, but you can find these books on Amazon, or Barnes & Noble, or even at your local library.

The first book, actually the first three, is Shop Drawings of Shaker Furniture & Woodenware by Ejner Handberg. The first book of this series was published in 1973. If you're looking for historical background, detailed plans and instructions or glossy 8Ă—10 color photos then these books aren't for you. If you like to work from a basic idea, to start with one measurement and work your way out until the project is finished, then it's a great set of books to own. Everthing from little (boxes, candle holders, coat hangers) to large (beds, chests, tables, wardrobes) is in here and all measurements are taken from authentic Shaker items in private or public collections. You won't find any "Shaker inspired coffee table" trash here. I don't have a scanner but I found a pic online of one of the drawings:

Book Art Font Parallel Pattern


Next up is "American Style - Shaker, Mission & Country Projects" by Time Life Books. This one is a hardcover 8Ă—10 spiralbound with color photos, detailed drawings and instructions and tips on techniques. Of course only 1/3 the book is devoted to Shaker. That 1/3 consists of a step-stool, hall table, rocking chair and a "shaker-style" footstool. Of course these are the four projects that have been done to death in every magazine printed for the last 30 years so unless you're just into collecting Time-Life books I can't recommend this one to anybody. Here's a pic of the book for those of you who like a little color in your blog reading:

Building Product Window Wood Door


Edward Deming Andrews and Faith Andrews wrote the books ""Shaker Furniture, The Craftsmanship of an American Communal Sect" in 1937. My copy is an 8Ă—10 Dover reprint with a 1964 copyright. I don't know if they just renewed the copyright, or if there is significant difference between my version and the 1937 one. Woodworkers will find very little of interest in this book. There are no drawings or plans, no discussion of Shaker specific joinery or techniques. Aside from some black and white photos gathered together in the middle of the book there is absolutely zero illustration. The text of the book is devoted to a short history of the Shaker sect, living conditions, and religious beliefs with an attempt to tie it to the current (1937) social changes occuring in America. If you're looking for historical background on the Shakers then this book might interest you, although all of the information contained is now readily available online for those who know how to google/bing/yahoo. I'm not giving it a total "thumbs-down" but I don't recommend it for a woodworker who is only looking for information for the next project. And so you don't fall asleep, here's another picture:
Building Font Art Table Rectangle


I've saved the last two books in my mini Shaker collection for a follow-up blog. Those of you with some knowledge of the subject will notice a big name that is missing so far. I'll get to him - don't worry, although it might not be the rave review you are expecting to read. And if you've read this far you're also thinking "Doesn't Joe like anything?" And to that let me remind you that I did like the Measured Drawings series. And my favorite Shaker book is coming in Part 2.
Thomas I suppose. I live near Hancock Shaker village, I suppose I should go see if they sell any books there. The buildings are fantastic and they have a round barn that's quite remarkable. The kitchen was way ahead of its time for feeding large crowds. Thanks Joe.
 

Attachments

#3 ·
A few simple Shaker titles.

There are hundreds of books written about the Shakers and their furniture. I found 7 in my library with just a quick look. I'm sure I've got a few more but my shelves are a bit disorganized. Rather than do seven reviews I thought I'd just throw out my opinion on them in one blog series. I've provided links, when possible to these books on AbeBooks.com. ABE is a group of independent booksellers united together on the web - like Amazon without the evil, but you can find these books on Amazon, or Barnes & Noble, or even at your local library.

The first book, actually the first three, is Shop Drawings of Shaker Furniture & Woodenware by Ejner Handberg. The first book of this series was published in 1973. If you're looking for historical background, detailed plans and instructions or glossy 8Ă—10 color photos then these books aren't for you. If you like to work from a basic idea, to start with one measurement and work your way out until the project is finished, then it's a great set of books to own. Everthing from little (boxes, candle holders, coat hangers) to large (beds, chests, tables, wardrobes) is in here and all measurements are taken from authentic Shaker items in private or public collections. You won't find any "Shaker inspired coffee table" trash here. I don't have a scanner but I found a pic online of one of the drawings:

Book Art Font Parallel Pattern


Next up is "American Style - Shaker, Mission & Country Projects" by Time Life Books. This one is a hardcover 8Ă—10 spiralbound with color photos, detailed drawings and instructions and tips on techniques. Of course only 1/3 the book is devoted to Shaker. That 1/3 consists of a step-stool, hall table, rocking chair and a "shaker-style" footstool. Of course these are the four projects that have been done to death in every magazine printed for the last 30 years so unless you're just into collecting Time-Life books I can't recommend this one to anybody. Here's a pic of the book for those of you who like a little color in your blog reading:

Building Product Window Wood Door


Edward Deming Andrews and Faith Andrews wrote the books ""Shaker Furniture, The Craftsmanship of an American Communal Sect" in 1937. My copy is an 8Ă—10 Dover reprint with a 1964 copyright. I don't know if they just renewed the copyright, or if there is significant difference between my version and the 1937 one. Woodworkers will find very little of interest in this book. There are no drawings or plans, no discussion of Shaker specific joinery or techniques. Aside from some black and white photos gathered together in the middle of the book there is absolutely zero illustration. The text of the book is devoted to a short history of the Shaker sect, living conditions, and religious beliefs with an attempt to tie it to the current (1937) social changes occuring in America. If you're looking for historical background on the Shakers then this book might interest you, although all of the information contained is now readily available online for those who know how to google/bing/yahoo. I'm not giving it a total "thumbs-down" but I don't recommend it for a woodworker who is only looking for information for the next project. And so you don't fall asleep, here's another picture:
Building Font Art Table Rectangle


I've saved the last two books in my mini Shaker collection for a follow-up blog. Those of you with some knowledge of the subject will notice a big name that is missing so far. I'll get to him - don't worry, although it might not be the rave review you are expecting to read. And if you've read this far you're also thinking "Doesn't Joe like anything?" And to that let me remind you that I did like the Measured Drawings series. And my favorite Shaker book is coming in Part 2.
I have John Shea's book, and a few others but can't remember the titles. Been a long time since I looked at any of them.
 

Attachments

#4 ·
Worst Shaker Book Ever.

In part 1 of my Shaker Books blog I linked to AbeBooks. If you're like me and still prefer the real thing over the e-version, then it's a great place to shop. There's another bookseller I just discovered last month. They're up in Canada but they ship to the US by driving over the bridge and mailing from the US Post Office. They are Antiquarius and I recommend them for anybody in the US or Canada.

There are two more Shaker books in my collection to review. I know some of you have short attention spans so I'll devote this blog episode to just one of them:

How To Build Shaker Furniture by Thomas Moser. (Copyright 1977, published 1980. Remember that.)

My opinion in a nutshell: Worst Book Ever. Some of you know Mr. Moser as being God's Gift To Shaker Style. More astute readers know him as the factory owner who mass produces shaker-themed furniture commanding a high price due to his ability to sell himself as an "artist." Now you're asking yourself "Self, if Joe dislikes the guy so much, then why did he buy the book?" Well I bought the book before I knew what it or he was all about, so I went in blind. I bought the book, hated it, and put it aside. Years later I saw the name Moser being touted as the next great thing in Shaker furniture and remembered the book. I had to check twice to make sure they were talking about the same guy. Oh well, it's amazing what a good marketing agent can do for a career. So let me break down this book chapter by chapter and show you why I hate it.

Chapter 1 starts with a paragraph titled "The Creative Process." A more truthful title would be "Philosophical Egotistic Bullcr@p." (PEB) Here's a hint for you readers - when a how-to book opens with a quote from Ulysses you just need to close the cover and walk away. Anyhow, that paragraph is followed by about 14 pages - mostly stock photos - on the history of the Shakers. It is the same information found in just about every other book on the Shakers, and every single website devoted to the Shakers. Now there's nothing wrong with background, but there's nothing special about what he gives us in this chapter.

Chapter 2 is "Materials" it too starts with some PEB titled "A Covenant with Wood" where he attempts, and fails miserably, at channeling Krenov. But that mindless rambling is just a prologue to the rest of this disaster of a chapter - an agonizing 10 pages where he describes the difference between hardwoods and softwoods, lumber grading, a description of common wood species, and how it is cut and dried. (Yes the exact same information that is found in chapter 2 of every woodworking book ever printed since the invention of the printing press.) There was a glimmer of hope when a page with nothing but drawings of shaker pegs popped up. I thought we might be getting somewhere, but no. Those pegs stood alone with little explanation, and were followed by more pages describing the different types and grits of sandpaper. That is followed by more generic drawings in case you don't know what a hinge looks like or you don't know the all-important differences between a common and a finish nail. Yes. He actually devoted space for a drawing of two nails. At this point you think you've hit rock bottom but you've still got pages and pages of pictures showing you what circular saws (and blades), shaper cutters, rasps, jigsaws, routers, power drills and other tools look like.By page 65 we hit the line drawings explaining what a lap-joint or a dado is, and a picture with caption on how to use a panel clamp. Then it's back to the tools as we learn how to safely make a cut on a tablesaw. It's important to note that there is no "How To" in this chapter. You don't learn how to make a lap joint on the tablesaw, you just see a picture of each one so in the future if you're walking down the street and a runaway tablesaw flies by with a board on top of it you can point to it and loudly exclaim "Look. That's a Tablesaw. And that board has part of a lap joint on it!". My not-so-humble advice to would-be builders of shaker furniture is this: If you don't know what a circular saw is, or what a butt-joint is, then you probably should start with something simpler, like maybe a pop-up book with 2-3 words per page. (And then the saw says "buzz buzz" And then the drill says "whirrl whirrl.") And instead of a Shaker washstand, maybe set your sites on one of those napkin holders, the kind with a board and four dowels sticking out of it.

But the final insult to our intelligence comes in the final chapter when Mr. Moser finally gets to the actual "How To Build Shaker Furniture." Remember those measured drawing books I mentioned in episode 1, the ones that were printed in 1973? Well here they come again. They looked so alike I put the books next to each other and had a hard time finding any differences. I guess since the author of the first series was dead and couldn't sue him, the author of this book thought he could "borrow" a few pages and nobody would notice. To that original measured drawing he added a couple rough sketches of some joints with a vague caption of what it's supposed to look like if he'd have hired a professional to draw them. And then he throws in a stock black and white photo from a museum so you will know what it's supposed to look like if he had told you how to make it.

So that's my opinion on this book. I give it zero splinters out of ten. If you are looking for a book on the history or philosophy of the Shakers, then any other book with Shaker in the title will provide you with better information (except for maybe a book titled "Wooden Salt Shakers from 15th Century Albania, a Pictorial Journey")
Final note: If you are looking for basic woodworking how-to information, how-to use a certain power tool, how to tell the difference between wood, oak, or dried mashed potatoes, then there are 27 million better books on the subject. If you are looking to actually build a piece of furniture in the Shaker style then this book will NOT help you do that. If you are looking for an example of how a well-timed publication, no matter how poorly written, can propel you to woodworking stardom, then you might find some insight here.

Really Final Note: There is a "revised" edition of this book. I haven't read it. Based on my experience with the first book, and what I know now about the author, I am of the opinion that any revision or reprint is merely an attempt to keep his name fresh in the buying public's mind. And unless it comes with an apology and a refund check for the first book, there is nothing that he can present on the topic that isn't covered elsewhere.

Next, and last, I'll be talking about a book on Shakers that I actually enjoyed and would recommend. Yes, it does exist!
 
#9 ·
Saving the best book for last.

And finally we come to volume 3 in my multi-blog review of Shaker books. So far we've had the good, the mediocre, and the very very bad. Let me finish with a recommendation for a book I think is the book on Shaker furniture.

Now this book has no plans. If you're looking for step-by-step instructions for a project you're better off tracking down any of the million or so magazine articles that are out there.

There is no special dialogue about the wondrous nature of wood, the bond a craftsman feels to nature when working by hand, or any flowery prose declaring the Shaker beliefs to be a panacea for all of today's ills or that the Shaker furniture is the only true way to channel those miraculous healing powers. If you want philosophical BS like that, well I just can't help you.

What it is is this:
Rectangle Font Handwriting Parallel Drawing


The Book of Shaker Furniture by John Kassay. First published in 1980, it's still being printed today. You can get a new copy at Highland Woodworking but the smart money will find one of the readily available used copies.

John Kassay, the author, is trained in furniture design and construction (as well as photography and drafting). Despite this, you won't find any condescending chapters, not even a paragraph, telling you what a saw is, or what the end-grain of walnut looks like compared to cherry or oak. He doesn't try to teach you 7th grade woodshop skills either - no little pictures of butt joints, no tails vs pins debate on dovetails. After a description of the different shaker communities and an explanation of how their craftsmen worked, it is all Shaker furniture. He researched thousands of pieces of authentic Shaker furniture and picked multiple examples of each piece - beds, shelves, boxes, baskets, bins, dressers, sideboards, chairs, racks, screens, tables of every type and more. If a shaker built something, he's got a couple examples in his book. The book flows from one section to the next and each section focuses on one particular type of furniture and follows the same genral pattern. For example, he starts with beds.

The bed section has a half dozen different styles of shaker beds. Each one has a clear photograph, a description of where he found it, who built it (if known) and when, what it's made of (and a lot of the pieces used multiple types of wood in just one piece) and measurements. Next he's chosen the one bed (some sections he chooses one piece, others he chooses a few) and gone into greater detail. He shows incredibly detailed draftings from different profiles and detailed measurements of each piece with a special focus on any tapered or curved pieces wherehe leaves no guesswork as to what radius a cove or bead might be, or what taper a leg is. If there is any joinery that he found noteworthy he includes a detailed sketch of it. If you want to build a shaker-style bed there is enough information from these six beds to take and scale the designs up or down, fill your need but still keep the proper elements. And if a particular type of joinery or building method consistently failed - like he found cracks in the same place every time - he points that out too so you know not to make the same mistakes they made. For sections like wardrobes or free-standing closets he even gives a detailed parts list for the pieces he chooses to highlight.

After the last chapter (tables) he has a very short appendix where he lists the breakdown of types of wood used in the different Shaker communities. I found it interesting that although the majority of the magazine articles on Shaker projects call for cherry, cherry was actually the least used wood. For the eastern Shakers the most common was spruce, and for the western communities it was hickory.
And in the same appendix he also provides a list of all the museums and communities from which he gathered his information so if you want to continue with your own research you have a guide to point you to the real stuff, and won't be stuck relying on all of the misinformation that has been printed on the subject in order to make a quick buck (see blog #2 in this series).

And that's my review of the Shaker books in my collection. The opinions expressed are mine but you are free to feel the same way because I am never wrong!

PS: I went looking for pics of the inside and stumbled upon this guys book review where he too thinks this is a great book. And he's got more info on the author John Kassay. It turns out he was in WW2 and earned a purple heart and bronze star!
 

Attachments

#10 ·
Saving the best book for last.

And finally we come to volume 3 in my multi-blog review of Shaker books. So far we've had the good, the mediocre, and the very very bad. Let me finish with a recommendation for a book I think is the book on Shaker furniture.

Now this book has no plans. If you're looking for step-by-step instructions for a project you're better off tracking down any of the million or so magazine articles that are out there.

There is no special dialogue about the wondrous nature of wood, the bond a craftsman feels to nature when working by hand, or any flowery prose declaring the Shaker beliefs to be a panacea for all of today's ills or that the Shaker furniture is the only true way to channel those miraculous healing powers. If you want philosophical BS like that, well I just can't help you.

What it is is this:
Rectangle Font Handwriting Parallel Drawing


The Book of Shaker Furniture by John Kassay. First published in 1980, it's still being printed today. You can get a new copy at Highland Woodworking but the smart money will find one of the readily available used copies.

John Kassay, the author, is trained in furniture design and construction (as well as photography and drafting). Despite this, you won't find any condescending chapters, not even a paragraph, telling you what a saw is, or what the end-grain of walnut looks like compared to cherry or oak. He doesn't try to teach you 7th grade woodshop skills either - no little pictures of butt joints, no tails vs pins debate on dovetails. After a description of the different shaker communities and an explanation of how their craftsmen worked, it is all Shaker furniture. He researched thousands of pieces of authentic Shaker furniture and picked multiple examples of each piece - beds, shelves, boxes, baskets, bins, dressers, sideboards, chairs, racks, screens, tables of every type and more. If a shaker built something, he's got a couple examples in his book. The book flows from one section to the next and each section focuses on one particular type of furniture and follows the same genral pattern. For example, he starts with beds.

The bed section has a half dozen different styles of shaker beds. Each one has a clear photograph, a description of where he found it, who built it (if known) and when, what it's made of (and a lot of the pieces used multiple types of wood in just one piece) and measurements. Next he's chosen the one bed (some sections he chooses one piece, others he chooses a few) and gone into greater detail. He shows incredibly detailed draftings from different profiles and detailed measurements of each piece with a special focus on any tapered or curved pieces wherehe leaves no guesswork as to what radius a cove or bead might be, or what taper a leg is. If there is any joinery that he found noteworthy he includes a detailed sketch of it. If you want to build a shaker-style bed there is enough information from these six beds to take and scale the designs up or down, fill your need but still keep the proper elements. And if a particular type of joinery or building method consistently failed - like he found cracks in the same place every time - he points that out too so you know not to make the same mistakes they made. For sections like wardrobes or free-standing closets he even gives a detailed parts list for the pieces he chooses to highlight.

After the last chapter (tables) he has a very short appendix where he lists the breakdown of types of wood used in the different Shaker communities. I found it interesting that although the majority of the magazine articles on Shaker projects call for cherry, cherry was actually the least used wood. For the eastern Shakers the most common was spruce, and for the western communities it was hickory.
And in the same appendix he also provides a list of all the museums and communities from which he gathered his information so if you want to continue with your own research you have a guide to point you to the real stuff, and won't be stuck relying on all of the misinformation that has been printed on the subject in order to make a quick buck (see blog #2 in this series).

And that's my review of the Shaker books in my collection. The opinions expressed are mine but you are free to feel the same way because I am never wrong!

PS: I went looking for pics of the inside and stumbled upon this guys book review where he too thinks this is a great book. And he's got more info on the author John Kassay. It turns out he was in WW2 and earned a purple heart and bronze star!
Thanks for the interesting blog.
 

Attachments

This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top