Did the Shakers Celebrate Halloween?

The air is cooler, the leaves are changing, and there’s a palpable magic in the air… it must be getting close to Halloween! People are always curious about whether or

A Piece of Mother Ann: Material Culture and Ann Lee – Part 3

Ed. Note: This is part 3 of a 4 part series. To read part one, please click here. To read part two, click here.  The next category of artifacts that

The Believers: Portraits of a Small Sample of Visitors from the World’s People

For a true depiction of the social nature of the Shakers, it is helpful to examine the accounts of the very diverse people who visited Shaker communities. Countless documents were

A Piece of Mother Ann Lee: Material Culture and Ann Lee – Part 2

This is the second part of a four part series that will appear throughout the year on the blog. Please click here to read part 1. Ann Lee was British, and therefore