The Complete Book of Shaker Furniture
Rieman, maker of reproduction Shaker furniture and coauthor of The Shaker Chair (Univ. of Massachusetts Pr., 1992), and Burks, former curator at Canterbury Shaker Village, have created a comprehensive, well-documented guide to Shaker furniture. While most Shaker furniture books illustrate the classic "period of gospel simplicity" from 1820 to 1850, this book illustrates all periods of Shaker furniture, showing that Shaker styles actually reflected the tastes of the time, simple when neoclassical was popular and becoming more ornate as tastes changed to Victorian. Beginning with a broad description of the Shaker religion, lifestyle, and furniture-making, the book progresses to descriptions of each bishopric and its furniture and artisans. Although this book contains more information than most libraries need, it is highly recommended where there is interest.- Gayle A. Williamson, Fashion Inst. of Design & Merchandising, Los AngelesCopyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.