Shaker Stove c. 1937

Editor: This delicate pencil drawing is entitled "Shaker Stove" by George V. Vezolles, dating from around 1937. The stark, almost industrial design softened by the delicate medium… It feels strangely functional yet detached. What do you make of this, seeing it from your perspective? Curator: As a materialist, I’m immediately drawn to the labor and production aspects implied by the image of this Shaker stove. Consider its potential use in the domestic sphere. What social needs was the object meant to fulfill, and for whom? What does its streamlined form tell us about the industrial processes influencing even Shaker design at this time? Editor: That’s interesting. I hadn’t considered the industrial connection. The Shakers are known for valuing simplicity and handcraftsmanship, so where do you see that connection reflected in the work's materials and method of manufacture? Curator: The Shakers' embrace of functionality doesn't exclude industrial processes; it can actively incorporate them. Even this image suggests standardization and replicability in stove production of the time. The drawing reduces a rather heavy iron object into a study of form with readily reproducible methods in drawing and watercolor to disseminate practical designs for efficient, accessible household items. Is that something you pick up on here? Editor: I can see that now. It highlights a practical function but uses accessible media for sharing. It definitely makes me think about how an item’s purpose and methods for design have shifted over time. Curator: Precisely. It’s about blurring those lines – valuing labor, craft, and consumption through everyday objects presented and constructed across diverse mediums. The humble Shaker stove transforms into a lens through which we examine shifting values and materiality within a culture undergoing immense transition.