Shakers, Their Mode of Worship by D.W. Kellogg and Company

Shakers, Their Mode of Worship by D.W. Kellogg and Company

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Description
This black and white print depicts four rows of men facing four rows of women dancing inside a Shaker meeting room. Their arms are bent at waist height with hands extended as they advance towards each other and appear to be “shaking with fervor” and dancing, which was common with the group and how they got their nickname. They are all dressed simply and alike. The last row of men contains two African Americans. Cloaks and hats hang on pegs in the background.
The United Society of Believers in Christ’s Second Appearing, commonly known as the Shakers, was a Protestant sect founded in England in 1747. Ann Lee (1736-1784) was the founder and leader of the American Shakers. The Shakers practiced communal living, where all property was shared. Simplicity in dress, speech, and manner were encouraged, as was living in rural colonies away from the corrupting influences of the cities. At their height, between 1830 -1860, about 6,000 Shaker brothers and sisters lived in more than 20 communities in the Northeast, Ohio, and Kentucky.
This print is identical to an earlier print by Anthony Imbert (circa 1826-1836) titled Shakers Near Lebanon, New York State and was based on an image by John Warner Barber. This print was published by the lithographic firm of D. W. Kellogg and Company. A later copy was produced by Nathaniel Currier. Daniel Wright Kellogg (1807-1874) founded the company in Hartford, Connecticut in 1830. Even before its first retail store opened in 1834, the D.W. Kellogg & Co. lithography firm was well established and popular in United States, particularly in the South and the Southwest. As the founding member of the family company, Daniel Wright Kellogg was responsible for the initial growth and popularity of the firm. After he left the company, it continued to flourish for decades under his younger brothers and other family members.
Location
Currently not on view
Object Name
lithograph
Date made
ca 1838
maker
D.W. Kellogg and Company
place made
United States: Connecticut, Hartford
Physical Description
paper (overall material)
ink (overall material)
Measurements
image: 8 in x 13 in; 20.32 cm x 33.02 cm
ID Number
DL.60.2965
catalog number
60.2965
accession number
228146
Credit Line
Harry T. Peters "America on Stone" Lithography Collection
subject
Uniforms, fraternal
Architecture
Blacks
Dancing
Shakers
See more items in
Home and Community Life: Domestic Life
Clothing & Accessories
Religion
Peters Prints
Domestic Furnishings
Morality & Religious Prints
Data Source
National Museum of American History
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