Review: <i>Shaker Fever: America’s Twentieth-Century Fascination with a Communitarian Sect</i>, by William D. Moore

Targeted at fellow historians and American Studies scholars, as well interdisciplinary students of material culture the decorative performing arts, William D. Moore’s Shaker Fever: America’s Twentieth-Century Fascination with a Communitarian Sect serves both historiography interpretation life case study in how cultural entrepreneurs have imagined mythologized subcultural group existing outside dominant society. Moore focuses on manifestations community—a celibate, egalitarian Christian religious society origins eighteenth-century England United Society Believers Christ’s Second Appearing. Mother Ann Lee transplanted faith to colonial North America soon before Revolution. Shakers lived communally an emphasis gender equity, aiming for utopian perfection separate from world. Rather than populating through childbirth, they recruited new believers public worship services. In twenty-first century, less handful aging individuals continued practice faith. Although is clearly versed faith’s tenets, he centers his work many non-Shaker who interpreted outpouring throughout twentieth promoting marketing simplified consumable version culture. doing so explores fascination this reflects various contexts twentieth-century culture.Moore argues that mid-century appeal reveals distinct way which certain set white, well-educated, pedigreed Americans understood nationalism modernism within Cold War-era context. abstractly crediting swirling social currents, however, emphasizes agency individual movers shakers (no pun intended) shaped ordinary perceived group, monetary value its furniture other goods. short, demonstrates assumption are well-versed: any historical context time period it emerged much tells us something about subject under analysis, what late sociologist/historian James Loewen calls “a tale two eras.”1Moore’s approach takes broad multidisciplinary view history encompasses more historic villages opened tourism sites 1950s 1960s. He analyzes performances plays, dances, musical pieces centered life, typically produced by avant-garde women attracted Shakers’ values emphasizing dancing—an embodied quivering shaking—which was integral part services (and origin sect’s name derived “Shaking Quakers”). also recounts New Deal entrepreneurs’ production—spare seemingly modern furniture, modest simple dress, utilitarian wooden tools read sculpture, woven patchwork textiles—which figured prominently Federal Art Project’s Index Design, relief program employing artists painstakingly paint watercolor renderings works folk art effort celebrate design traditions inspire future artists.2 Further demonstrating reach fever, showcases prevalence Shaker-inspired consumer forms, including advertisements womenswear drawing explicitly outpourings. His perspective evidence base reminds readers history—a term not common parlance during analyzes—includes forms popular beyond museums comprise field’s base.Collectors connoisseurs arts will know outsized influence Edward Faith Andrews scholarship, museum acquisition, market The couple began buying selling materials 1920s, publishing articles turn folk-art these goods, process characterizes exuding “an air refined salesmanship” (33). analysis critiques Andrews’ self-interest while de-centering their importance showing workers photographers, curators, authors, antiques dealers, collectors, artists, musicians, theater professionals contributed understandings This important reminder interpretations do simply emerge ether but result deliberate actions nebulous shifting network each personal agendas.Although all may be well-versed nuances culture, thick description engaging writing interested considering processes becomes canonized. Illustrations color black white showcase visual resulting fever. Readers can imagine themselves victims disease swoon over early spare photography interiors, trompe l'oeil garments domestic objects magazine modernist living room schemes described “thoroughly Shaker,” stills playbills theatrical productions.Like previous studies illuminating Americans’ tendencies toward appropriation mythmaking service marketplace—for examples see Jane Becker’s Selling Tradition: Appalachia Construction Folk, 1930-1940 (1996), Leah Dilworth’s Imagining Indians Southwest: Persistent Visions Primitive Past David Weaver-Zercher’s Amish Imagination (2001)—Moore individuals’ search authenticity identity myopic interpretations. describes such evocative detail were enamored production, shows problems too often inherent outsiders’ promotion subculture unlike own. ways, reading cautionary historians, revealing competing “out-interpret” one another created legacy quiet, communal sect wanted only follow God’s simply, self-sufficiently, separately