| from Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village |
The Sabbathday Lake Shakers are honored! The United States Postal Service commemorates the Shakers’ 250th anniversary of their arrival in America with the release of the Shaker Design Forever Stamps. The Shakers are deeply appreciative that their ongoing heritage and many contributions to the cultural development of United States’ have been recognized and celebrated in such a significant way!
Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village worked closely with the USPS starting nearly two years ago in anticipation of the release of this Shaker Design series. A pane of 12 images for the postal stamps were selected from the portfolio of talented photographer Michael Freeman, whose photography illustrates a popular Shaker book of the 1980s, Shaker Life, Work, and Art. His images depict iconic examples of Shaker craftsmanship as touchstones of the ways the Shakers have influenced and inspired our thinking, creativity, development, and understanding through 250 years. The Sabbathday Lake Shakers are delighted to be represented by the USPS with Michael Freeman’s beautiful photography capturing the beauty, simplicity, and intention of their Shaker forebears’ enduring philosophies, practices, and traditions.
The First Day Issue of the Shaker Design Forever Stamps was celebrated on June 20th at Hancock Shaker Village in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, where many of the featured objects are preserved.
A United States Postal Service Special Dedication Ceremony will be held at Sabbathday Lake Shaker Village on August 6, 2024 marking the 250th Anniversary of the Shakers’ Arrival Day in America. The public is welcome and encouraged to attend!
Enjoy the Shaker Design postal stamp series. They are available for purchase at your local Post Office, and other memorabilia is available here. (https://store.usps.com/store/product/shaker-design-stamps-S_581404)
— Watch a video from the Postal Service, “Shaker Design,” an overview of the Shakers’ faith, history, and culture, including their values’ effects on design, at this link: https://www.maineshakers.com/usps-shaker-stamp/
