US #5896j
2024 Cupboard with Oval Boxes, Fruitlands Museum – Shaker Designs

• One of 12 stamps issued for the 250th anniversary of the arrival of the first Shakers in the United States
• Honors the Shaker communities and their unique design principles which later impacted designs of outside communities

Stamp Category: Commemorative
Set: Shaker Designs
Value: 68¢ First Class Mail Rate (Forever)
First Day of Issue: June 20, 2024
First Day City: Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Quantity Issued: 18,000,000
Printed by: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd.
Printing Method: Offset
Format: Panes of 12
Tagging: Nonphosphored Type III, Block Tagged

Why the stamp was issued: To commemorate the 250th anniversary of the arrival of the first Shakers in the United States.

About the stamp design: Pictures a photograph by Michael Freeman of a Shaker cupboard with oval boxes at Fruitlands Museum in Harvard, Massachusetts.

First Day City: The First Day of Issue Ceremony was held in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, at the site of the Hancock Shaker Village open-air museum.

About the Shaker Designs set: Includes 12 stamp designs picturing photographs of Shaker designs by Michael Freeman. The set was issued in honor of the Shaker communities and their unique design principles which later impacted designs of outside communities in the United States.

History the stamp represents: The Metropolitan Museum of Art said of Shaker communities, “[They] were largely self-sufficient: in their attempt to separate themselves from the outside world and to create a heaven-on-earth, members grew their own food, constructed their own buildings, and manufactured their own tools and household furnishings.”

Today, most people have heard of Shaker-style furniture. But what exactly is it? Shaker furniture is creative without being intricate or even unique. They used cherry, maple, or pine most of the time and crafted items without ornamentation. Instead, they scrutinized furniture of the time and adapted it to be more functional, an efficient use of space, and sturdy.

One example is the Shaker cabinet. These cabinets have so-called Shaker doors, which are flat panels with thicker frames. These cabinets also have simple wooden nobs instead of brass ones imported from other countries. Shakers rejected techniques of the outside world such as veneering and production of cheap, mass-produced items. They believed them to be deceitful practices as the furniture was not designed to last long.

Despite their simple techniques, Shakers didn’t hesitate to adopt new tools or technologies. It’s no wonder so many people chose to buy furniture from Shaker communities.