The Book of Shaker Furniture - Hardcover

Kassay, John

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0870232754 ISBN 13: 9780870232756

Publisher: University of Massachusetts Press, 1980

Synopsis

Of the more than one hundred experiments in communitarian living that proliferated in America during the nineteenth century, the Untied Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing , whose adherents are best known as "Shakers," is certainly one of the most interesting, successful, and enduring. This book is a collection of furniture made by members of this remarkable American religious sect.

About this title

About the Author:

John Kassay taught industrial arts in junior and senior high schools and, for over thirty years, at San Francisco State University, where he is professor emeritus in the Department of Design and Industry. He is an accomplished draftsman, furniture maker, and photographer

Review:

"Kassay, a skilled craftsman, draftsman, and photographer, spent ten years researching his book, the most comprehensive study of the subject yet published."―Americana

"A significant contribution to the serious and methodical study necessary to understand the place of this small but distinct group of artifacts in the context of the nineteenth century. The book provides a set of accurate photographs and measured drawings of Shaker furniture for both study and reproduction . . . [that] are meticulous in their details and leave no room for error in reproduction. . . . . The book is an asset for people who are attracted to things Shaker and especially those interested in reproducing Shaker furniture for use in everyday life."―Winterthurr Portfolio

"The fullest and most elegant presentation of Shaker furniture published to date."―Choice

"If you collect Shaker furniture, deal in it, or simply admire it, drop whatever you are doing and go out and buy John Kassay's The Book of Shaker Furniture. It is undoubtedly going to become a classic in the literature about the Shakers and their artifacts, holding a place with such pioneering studies as those of Edward Deming and Faith Andrews and important modern studies such as that of Robert Meader."―The Antiques Journal

"When John Kassay began recording Shaker furniture in photographs and measured drawings more than ten years ago, he brought to his task patience, skill, and the sensitive attention to detail that was characteristic of the best Shaker cabinet makers. It was worth the wait. The Book of Shaker Furniture, which will become a standard reference work, is a tribute to his ability and to his subject."―Antiques

About this edition

• Publisher: University of Massachusetts Press
• Publication date: 1980
• ISBN 10: 0870232754
• ISBN 13: 9780870232756
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 288