Cherry wood, original dark varnish stain, delicately turned handle with circular disk base, with 16 tall carved maple, slender pegs for holding spools, 3 1/2" h, 4" dia; spools in multiple sizes and colored woods including cherry, maple and other fruitwoods, and many with Sister's initials ("E.R.S." and "S.C.U.") on paper labels and in pencil ranging in size from 6/16" to 1" h.

According to Dr. McCue's journal, "the initialed spools "E.R.S." belonged to Eldress Eliza Rebecca Smith (1831-1899)...brought up at East Canterbury, N.H. ...sister of Elder Benjamin Smith of that society..."

This small elegant Sister's spool holder was treasured by all the Sisters who made use of it. The tiny spools are bursting with color in their finishes and their threads.

Purchased from Sister Mildred Barker at Sabbathday Lake in 1955 for $15 (Dr. McCue's Journal Entry #250)

Oak and pine, original yellow painted finish, four fingers, Sabbathday Lake, ME, c. 1840-1860, written in pencil on lid "Silk Pieces", 4 1/4" h, 11 1/2" l, 8 3/4" w.

Raw silk woven by the Shakers, red and blue becoming purple, 36" sq fabric piece used for Sister's silk bertha's or half cape, (see p. 170-175, Shaker Textile Arts, Gordon, Beverly, University Press of N.E., Hanover, N.H., 1980); loose mounted on foam core.

Silk worms were raised by the Kentucky Shakers from the 1820's through the Civil War, "Brother Elisha raised both kinds of Mulberry Trees necessary to the cultivation of silk" at North Union, KY, in 1838, (Piercy, Catherine B., Valley of God's Pleasure, N.Y., Stratford House, 1951, p. 41).

Maple, light green and cream taped seat and back, South Family, New Lebanon, NY, probably made as a special order at Brother Robert Wagon's Shaker Chair Factory, "Very few ever made. Andrews has never seen another. Not before 1870." (Dr. McCue's Journal Entry #18), 35" h, 15" seat h, 37" w.

This is possibly the only rocking bench in existence made by the Shakers

Birch, original brown stained finish with exceptional patina, Alfred, ME, c. 1820, from the scribe lines on the back posts, the chair was originally designed to have four slats, however, the maker decided to combine the form of a worldly bannister back and the Shaker ladderback with four half-round vertical pieces fitted into a top slat and in the upside down carved slat on the bottom with an arched Shaker style ladder below, flattened and beveled scrolled arms, finely turned armed support as part of heavier front posts, double shaped stretchers on three sides, rockers slid into the posts and wooden pinned, (what appears to be the original rare leather seat filled with horsehair is still intact), 15 1/2" seat h, 45" overall h, 22 1/2" w (at the seat).

"The attribution to Alfred is supported by Sister Mildred Barker (1898-1990) who lived in Alfred before moving to Sabbathday Lake and documented this chair was in the "boys house at Alfred."" Rieman, Timothy and Burks, Jean, The Complete Book of Shaker Furniture, p. 288, illus. 260.

Pine and butternut, unique grain painted finish, light ochre yellow faux-wood finish on the upper chest portion and also the sides, and a red stained finish to the drawer fronts, beveled lift lid, three drawers tall with split top drawers, all with original turned fruitwood pulls, cut and slightly arched canted feet, c. 1840, 43 1/2" h, 37" w, 17" d.

Attributed to Grove Wright (1789-1861)

Purchased from A. Hamilton, Sheffield, MA, in 1949 for $65 (Dr. McCue's Journal Entry #85)

Straw, palm leaf, cotton and paper, woven straw and palm leaf shaped on a wooden mold and sewn together, brown cotton print cape attached to the bottom with a flat piece 1 1/2" over the top and cotton ties sewn to the sides, a gathered paper lining sewn into the crown and stenciled number "14." in black, c. 1850, (see p. 180 Shaker Textile Arts, Gordon, Beverly, Union Press of N.E., Hanover, N.H.,1980), 11" l, 11" cape.

Maple, original yellow stained finishes, used for winding and stretching skeins of yarn, top slats are expandable for the stretching process, bottom section secures to a table top with a turned wooden screw, top section freely turns and is adjustable, wooden cup at top held the ball of wool; these three sizes were offered for sale to the outside world at Hancock and were found in three different places by Dr. McCue; small swift with attached price tag which reads "$65", 18" h; medum swift with attached manila tag "bought at Best's Antiques in or near Old Chatham (April 1967) for $34.00", 21" h; large swift purchased from Eldress Emma King in 1951 at Canterbury, NH for $4 (Dr. McCue's Journal Entry #159), 24" h.

The largest swift is also signed in pencil on one of the slats "SH, Sophia".

Fir, older oil finish, "From the Family at New Lebanon.", single board top, full-length shaped supporting brace under the top and through the center of the arched end boards, (see plate 35, Shaker Furniture, Andrews, Yale University Press, 1937), 4' 6" l, 9 3/4" w.

Red and blue dyed silk changing to a purple in the light, rare 1/4" multicolor binding around the edges on one side, "rarely seen even by Shakers", 32 1/2" sq.

It was given to the McCue's, "Shaker" folded and tucked into a cotton cloth pinned envelope which accompanies the kerchief. Dr. McCue had said that the Shakers were invited to stay at his home in Lexington on their trips to Boston, as they were selling their fancy goods and sewing pieces for the Christmas season at the YMCA.

Gift from Eldress Gertrude Soule who visited the McCue's on Hancock Street in Lexington, MA, in October of 1959

Butternut and poplar, original red stain with varnish finish, Mt. Lebanon, NY, c. 1800-1810, attributed to Elder Timothy Hubbard (1742-1814), one board top, beveled and rounded underneath, full drawer, dovetailed, chamfered bottom board, small original brass pull, square tapered legs with inside beveled edge, rare box stretcher with very thin stock mortised into the legs 7 1/2-8 1/2" from the ground, 26 1/2" h, 20 1/2" w (top), 18 3/4" d.

This small work table is almost a duplicate of Fig. 213, p. 168 of The Encyclopedia of Shaker Furniture, Rieman, T. and Burks, J., which was signed in pencil Timothy Hubbard, and from the collection of Suzanne Courcier and Robert W. Wilkins.

Maple, ash and pine, original light stained varnish finish, tall fixed hoop handle, three fingers finely shaped and beveled, two sizes of copper tacks used to secure fingers and bottom, 4 3/4" h (to rim), 9" h (to top of handle), 10" l, 7 1/2" w.

Maple and tiger maple, early varnish finish, excellent patina, small acorn style finials, four graduated slats, top two slats are wooden pegged into back stiles, flat tiger maple curvilinear arms wooden pegged into back stiles and pegged into tapered tiger maple arm supports developing into the front stiles, two shades of light green taped seat, double stretchers on three sides, wooden pegged shaped rockers, New Lebanon, NY, c. 1830-1840, 14" seat h, 42 1/2" overall h.

The chair was reseated with tape by Dr. McCue years after he purchased it

Purchased from James Brown, Lee, MA, in 1949 for $30

Maple and pine, original light ochre natural varnished stain, four fingers, copper tacks, bottom of inside shows dark staining, possibly New Lebanon, NY, c. 1830-1840, top is secured very tightly, 4 1/4" h, 13 1/2" top, 9 1/2" w.

Butternut, cherry and white wood, original varnish finish, double door cupboard top opening to two adjustable shelves, numbered on small paper labels, 1, 2 & 3 (numbering continues to the central cubbyholes and to the two adjustable drawers on the bottom section), over a fall front, hinged writing surface, with 17 symmetrically aligned shelves and cubbyholes for papers and writing materials flanked by a dovetailed drawer on either side, all over two inset paneled doors, 78" h, 48" w, 11 3/4" d.

According to a postcard Dr. McCue received in December of 1955 from Sister Frances Hall, "The Bookcase Desk was used by Elder Walter Shepard at the North Family at New Lebanon, N.Y...."