Columbia County Historical Society
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D U R A B L E     B E A U T Y
 SHAKER BASKETS FROM 
SHAKER MUSEUM | mOUNT lEBANON

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Baskets in particular are coveted for their simple, utilitarian forms and durable construction
“All work done… ought to be faithfully and well done,
but plain and without superfluity.”                                         

                                                                        —Father Joseph Meacham, First American-born leader of the Shaker Society                                    

Shaker craftsmen were highly skilled and their products were an expression of their worldview. Labor was a form of worship and it was the duty of each believer to live purely and to strive for perfection in everything they did.

Baskets in particular are coveted for their simple, utilitarian forms and durable construction. Shakers manufactured both utility baskets and “fancy-work” baskets; fancy baskets were sold in their shops alongside other everyday items such as brooms, bonnets, and chairs.

At its peak in 1867, Mount Lebanon produced 3,866 baskets in a single year. Basketmaking began to decline towards the end of the 19th century. The last basket woven by Shaker hands was made in 1958.

Today, basketmakers carry on the tradition of practical simplicity embodied in the Shaker style.

 
All baskets loaned courtesy of the Shaker Museum | Mount Lebanon

   

Photos  ©2018 CCHS and ©2018 Shaker Museum | Mount Lebanon, All Rights Reserved. 
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CCHS serves residents of all eighteen towns and the City of Hudson. In addition to a research library and permanent collection of more than 15,000 objects, CCHS owns and maintains the Columbia County Historical Society Museum & Library and three additional historic properties: the National Historic Landmark Luykas Van Alen House (1737); James Vanderpoel ‘House of History’ (c.1820); and Ichabod Crane Schoolhouse (c.1850).
Columbia County Historical Society is a 501(c)(3) cultural education organization founded in 1916 and chartered by the NYS Department of Education Board of Regents to collect, preserve, interpret and present the history, heritage and culture of Columbia County, New York, for its residents and visitors. 
The Columbia County  Historical Society
is ​a private 501 (c )(3) nonprofit organization
Chartered by the  Board of Regents
State Education Department, The University of the State of New York

Copyright © 2022,  Columbia County Historical Society
PO Box 311, Five Albany Avenue,  Kinderhook, New York  12106
​ 518 758 9265   |  ops @ cchsny.org
The Columbia County Historical Society is supported in part by the County of Columbia, New York
with the support of Matt Murell, Chairman of the Board at the Columbia County Board of Supervisors.
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Museum Association of New York
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