Maple and pine, in original yellow painted finish, four fingers, filled with shavings from Dr. McCue's workshop, copper tacks, wooden pegged bottom, "...it does resemble plate 16 of Andrews Shaker Furniture" (J.J.G. McCue), 5 1/4" h, 11 1/2" dia.
Provenance:
J. Gillies, Lenox, MA, 1952, $4.50 (Dr. McCue's Journal Entry #203)
Butternut, original varnish finish, rectangular form, brass hinged lid, finely dovetailed, symmetrically "T"-head nailed bottom board, New Lebanon or Hancock origin, c. 1840-1850, 2 1/2" h, 13 1/2" w, 5 1/2" d.
Provenance:
J. Gillies, Lenox, MA, 1950, $10 (Dr. McCue's Journal Entry #126)
Broom with finely turned maple handle, in original red stained varnish finish, with looped string cord for hanging, 16" l, 6 1/2" w; Tin Shaker dust pan with flared sides, and attached handle with ring and leather cord for hanging, 9 1/2" h, 8" w.
Note:
Dr. McCue called the broom "a hearth brush", (Journal Entry #209)
Provenance:
Sabbathday Lake, Maine, Shakers, 1952, $2.50
Exhibited:
Cary Memorial Library, Lexington, MA, 1965
Two pairs of eyeglasses with cases: wooden case with hinged lid and half-frame reading glasses, 5 1/4" l; and a steel case and round frame glasses with aqua blue tinted lenses, 5" l.
Exhibited:
Cary Memorial Library, Lexington, MA, 1965
Pine, maple and chestnut, original green painted finish, signed in white chalk in script on back of lift up lid by Alfred Merrick Collier (1823-1884), made for Elder Grove Blanchard, 1861, Harvard Shaker Community (two Shaker communities comprised Harvard, the Bishopric seat, and Shirley), a quote from Collier's journal for July 4, 1861 "...I went over to the South Family and got my desk I made for Elder Grove.", 48" h, 31" w, 25 1/4" d.
Provenance:
Edna Greenwood; Purchased by Dr. McCue at her estate auction at Time Stone Farm, September 30, 1973.
Illustrated:
The Complete Book of Shaker Furniture, Rieman, T. and Burks, J., p. 198
Shaker Furniture Makers, Grant, Jerry V. and Allen, Douglas R., 1989, p. 122.
Exhibited:
The Katonah Gallery, Katonah, New York, November 20, 1983 - January 8, 1984.
Maple, original varnish finish, hand-stamped numerals, both measuring 24".
Note:
1/8" increments are on the top of one rule and on the bottom of the other rule, both have rectangular paper labels on the back side and are marked "25 cts" and ".25", and were purchased at a Shaker Antique Shop at Canterbury, NH in 1948.
Provenance:
Canterbury, NH
Paper covered cardboard, thin blue paper edge around top, bright yellow papered interior, bottom covered in hand-stenciled leaf and diamond design wallpaper, Canterbury, NH, c. 1890-1910, 4 3/4" h, 7 1/2" w, 7 3/4" d.
Floral sprig decoration, red and blue flowers with yellow centers, marked in black on bottom "U.P.W." and eagles head holding an "S" in its beak, as well as a yellow stamp "Union Porcelain Works, Greenpoint, N.Y. 12-86", and a paper label "Mt. Lebanon Shaker, A004 23.50 #1", 8" l, 6" w, 2" d.
Birch, original red stained varnish finish, three with original green braided string loops, all with small rectangular yellow paper labels with black printed initials "AR", "EJ" and "Amy Reed", graceful graduated curving form, all hangers are stamped with the initials "AR" and "EJ", 12 1/2" l, 1/2" thick.
Exhibited:
Cary Memorial Library, Lexington, MA, 1965
Birch and pine, original red painted finish, single board top with rounded edges, deep apron skirt with ogee-shaped corners on all sides, three drawers (two smaller drawers on one end, one larger on the other end), all with thumbnail molded lips on three sides, and the bottom molding flush with the drawer bottom, all with original small turned pulls, symmetrically measured nailed drawer construction, chamfered and squared tapering leg, Canterbury, NH, c. 1830-1840, 26" h, 32" l, 22" w.
Note:
"birch not walnut, and definitely made by Shakers at Canterbury, NH in 1830-1840", Dr. McCue's Journal Entry #191.
Provenance:
Purchased from Alta McKerley (Concord, NH) in 1951 for $75.
Literature:
A letter from Scott Swank, former Director of Canterbury Shaker Village, to Dr. McCue, draws attention to the similarities of a signed James Daniels Canterbury table in the Canterbury Shaker Village collection.
Illustrated:
The Encyclopedia of Shaker Furniture, Rieman, T. and Burks, J., p. 406, Fig. 617; as well as p. 408, Figs. 620 and 621, in the same volume.
Pincushion, blue velvet top, white kid leather edges, light mauve silk ribbon tie, brown stripe wallpaper bottom, 2" dia; Rectangular poplar box, kid leather edging, light green silk hinged lid, green silk interior, floral wallpaper bottom, mother-of-pearl button on front for closure, includes an inserted tag "Poplar Boxes" from a Shaker exhibit, 1 3/4" h, 4 1/2" w; Fancy Work poplar box, trimmed in kid leather, beige silk ribbon ties, hinges and interior lining, mother-of-pearl button on front for closure, floral wallpaper bottom, "Genuine Shaker Box" on small sheet of paper inside, 5 1/2" sq.
Exhibited:
Cary Memorial Library, Lexington, MA, 1965
Pine and maple, original dark yellow painted finish, five fingers, "fitted flatter and maybe thinner than many Maine boxes, but they are short, as was the Maine custom" (Dr. McCue's Journal Entry #210), 4 1/2" h, 10 15/16" l (top), 7 7/8" w (top).
Provenance:
Purchased at Sabbathday Lake in 1952 for $3.00
Maple, pine bottom, hickory handle, original yellow painted finish, finely shaped fixed handle with five symmetrically placed copper tacks on front and back, four elegantly shaped fingers, each secured with four small symmetrically placed copper tacks, lightly penciled "M" on the bottom in script, 4" h to top of rim, 9" h to top of handle, 11" l, 8" d.
Provenance:
Canterbury Shakers
Purchased at the George and Gladys Jordan Shaker Collection Auction, Concord, NH, September 27, 1968, Frank D. Greene, Jr. Auctioneer. Lot 183 Oval Sewing Basket with Fingers, handled and in yellow stain, (C). [for Canterbury].
Paper covered cardboard, light green exterior with a purple covered edging, silk ribbon attached to interior so that the lid is supported, blue patterned interior, reddish pink bottom paper, interior note in black ink "Made by Sister R. Mildred Barker - Sabbathday Lake Maine. Presented to M. McCue December 1958.", 1 3/4" h, 4 1/4" l, 3" d; together with a glass top paper covered box, in a black pebbled surface over a bright green edging, and a fitted lid with rectangular glass top, interior lined in bright pink paper, bottom covered in a light blue paper with a rectangular yellow label "Sarah S. Woods, Canterbury, N.H.", interior with a card attached "Sarah S. Woods, Born May 9, 1821, Admitted Mar. 31, 1849, Died Oct. 9, 1904" in the handwriting of Sister Bertha Lindsey, 3" h, 7 1/4" l, 4 1/2" d.
Pine, original salmon red painted finish, original yellow stained finish interior, cupboard with inset panel door top over cupboard with inset panel door bottom, original turned hardwood pulls, mitered and canted foot, 86 3/4" h, 34" w, 15" d.
Note:
This elegant Shaker cupboard in original finish was one of the first pieces purchased by Dr. McCue from the Andrews Barn in 1946 when he travelled to Richmond, Mass. with Edna Greenwood).
"It came from the Nurse Shop, Church Family, New Lebanon, N.Y." (Dr. McCue's Journal Entry #1)
Provenance:
Purchased in 1946 from Dr. Edward D. and Faith Andrews for $125.
Exhibited:
"The Furnishings of Shaker Dwellings and Shops", The Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, MA, October 10-30, 1932, (small blue label on the back of the piece)
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, 1964
Pine, original natural finish, c. 1850, Shaker reinforced hole for peg at top with Shaker inserted arched steel and wire, three cross bars shaped as clothes hangers, 24" h, 14" w.
Note:
Dr. McCue referred to the hanger "as a shoulder board", Journal Entry #171.
Provenance:
Purchased in 1951 from A. Hamilton for $2.50
Poplar and maple, two small pairs of tall sock dryers are naturally finished, both with red and white paper labels, "size 10 1/2, price .25", and "price .50, size 10 1/2", 18" h; Smaller pair, maple, dark stain, each with five drilled holes, stamped "10 1/2", (one dryer missing a piece of top corner), 10" h, with a tied manila tag attached and written in pen by Dr. McCue "...made in quantity at Canterbury Shakers for sale to World (.50 pair in 1950)".
Maple and cherry, original red stained finish, tapered flat maple holder with two peg holes at the top, 18" l, with a cupped and molded cherry board at base attached with three screws in the back, 11 1/2" w, supporting the original cherry mirror with finely shaped half round molding secured to holder with string at top, (re-tacked at mirror base), hand planed and slightly chamfered backboard, symmetrically tacked to frame.
Provenance:
Purchased in 1950 from Mrs. Brothers for $20 (Dr. McCue's Journal Entry #122)
Exhibited:
The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MA, 1964
Flared sides with rolled top rim, steel bail handle, 5 1/4" h to rim, 7 3/4" dia at top, 5 1/2" dia at base, made and sold at Canterbury, NH, with Canterbury "star" tag, "1.50" attached with string to handle, and another rectangular tag written by Eldress Bertha Lindsey "Pail Shaker made by James S. Kaime...By Trade a Tinsmith, Shaker Trustee"; together with a Canterbury Shaker tin scoop with rolled edges and hollow formed handle, 12 1/2" l.
Provenance:
The scoop was given to James Brown by Mary Dahm. Given to Miriam McCue by James Brown in 1951
(Dr. McCue's Journal Entry #144)
Pine, original yellow painted finish, breadboarded lid, open box, interior with fully extended corner blocks through the base and becoming the turned legs (9" h), dovetailed case, 30 3/4" h, 25 3/4" w (case), 17 3/4" d.
Notes:
Dr. McCue's Journal Entry #240: "...Sister Mildred (Barker) first saw this box in the Second Family at Alfred,... It was taken along and moved to Sabbathday Lake in 1931, and was in the care of Eldress Harriet Coolbroth who had been Eldress at Alfred (1864- )."
This exceptional yellow wood box was used between the beds in the large master bedroom. Dr. McCue built a hidden compartment (not built in of course) in the bottom of the case with a lift lid for hiding valuable papers, etc. It was covered over with extra pillows and coverlets. It has since been removed but is available to the successful bidder.
Provenance:
Purchased at Sabbathday Lake in 1954 for $30.