Author: Shaker Village

Collections Intern Lauren Lieske

Walking into the collections building at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill in Harrodsburg, Kentucky, I was awestruck by the sheer number of artifacts in the concrete structure. Due to my limited professional experience, I would never have conceived of such a unique way to disguise the practicality of housing historical objects amongst nineteenth-century structures; a cinderblock building within an old tobacco barn, or the Building in a Barn (BiB). Fully climate-controlled, Shaker furniture stacked to the ceiling, rolling shelves layered with various artifacts, cabinets named after Shakers, and a limited library and archives, the BiB was a physical manifestation of how I envisioned my professional life. Under the mentorship of Rebecca Soules, Collections and Education Director, and Alli Bramel, Collections Specialist, I was provided with the incredibly valuable opportunity to analyze, handle, organize, preserve, and curate these relics of Shaker life at Pleasant Hill.

During my work-study program at Berea College, I have gained career experience working in the Hutchins Library Special Collections and Archives. Working for the project archivist, Peter Morphew, I had achieved a background in sorting, scanning, cataloging, and curating archival materials and 3D objects. When I initially joined the department, I did not intend to continue working in informational and cultural studies beyond my undergraduate career. I began to adore my projects and tasks as I became more entrenched in archival and museum work operations. From then on, I knew gaining more insight and experience into this profession was essential. Additionally, since I worked mostly with archival materials, I wanted to introduce myself to the museum works and 3D artifacts. I was introduced to Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill’s summer internship at Berea College’s Internship Fair and discovered that they offered an opportunity to explore the career questions that had recently arisen.

The first week, I was instructed to explore the Historic Center of the Village, which included most of the 34 historic structures that remained and were restored on the 3,000-acre property. Within almost every building, exhibits and demonstrations displayed exhibit labels and historical objects that told the story of the Eastern Kentucky Shakers. Once I became more knowledgeable about the Shaker Village history and layout, my supervisors began their instruction on the PastPerfect database software and their unique numbering system. Additionally, I was provided with finding aids and care manuals. Shaker Villages Collections Department’s policies, guidelines, and methods were distinct from those I had experience with at Hutchins Library. These differences in approaches and procedures presented me with an opportunity to expand my skills and challenged me with unfamiliar territory. Achieving diverse knowledge and abilities was paramount to my internship experience and future career decisions.

Once settled into the operations of the Collections Department and the Village itself, working alongside another intern, I was assigned my first project: organizing and creating a finding aid for the Flat File. I was thrilled to have the occasion to implement all that I had learned during my labor position at Berea College. However, I had never interacted with blueprints, historical maps, or large documents; most materials were in the flat file. For the finding aid, I was instructed to list each document’s title, author, number of pages, and number of copies. As far as organizing, as I continued to record the properties of each document, I decided to organize the twelve-drawer Flat File by specific categories and sub-categories. I was also taught the proper handling of such large materials without damaging the document or oneself, which most of the time required a second hand. I utilized much prior knowledge for this project, yet I encountered many moments to learn about this career’s process, functions, and appropriate procedures.

Among other duties and ventures during my time interning at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, I always worked on a project within the BiB. After I had checked my work on the Flat File, my fellow intern and I were assigned to house, organize, and document the Non-Archival Shaker Manuscript Collection in the Vertical Files. Once again, this archival project broadened my experience in library and information sciences. Most of the materials I processed were copies of Shaker correspondence, either between each other, separate villages, or the outside world. Other manuscripts, such as journals, legal documents, and financial records, were among the piles of affectionate letters and village reports. Under each category, I documented each file with its author, recipient, and date, which were commonly difficult to make out due to nineteenth-century cursive or photocopy distortions.

The Vertical File project also challenged me with new aspects of the archival and museum profession. More importantly, it reminded me why I was attracted to this career path in the first place, the interaction with not only historical materials, but also the lives of those in the past. History is worth studying because it is someone’s history, and making that accessible is a privilege for which I am grateful.

Nonetheless, not all my projects were archival, as my next project involved curating a new exhibit: Shaker Made: Photography by Carol Peachee. While I had minimal experience in curating and installing exhibits, I contributed to the Janis Ian Breaking Silence Exhibit at Hutchins Library. This third project was going on while I was working with the Non-Archival Manuscript Collection. Over a month before the exhibit’s opening, we met with Carol Peachee to discuss the theme and layout, taking room measurements, calculating the size and amount of each photograph, and setting the dates for installation and opening. Shadowing my supervisors was especially enlightening, allowing me an understanding of the discussions that occur in the initial stages of exhibit curation and installation. After obtaining the photographic prints or installing them, I was assigned to catalogue them in PastPerfect, with their Object IDs, accession numbers, titles, descriptions, dimensions, and locations. Despite the tediousness of cataloguing, I enjoy inputting information into a database.

The installation day was frustrating, invigorating, and fulfilling all at once. Each photograph was hung using fishing line, making it challenging to hang the pictures in parallel. However, once achieved, the completion of such a challenge was satisfying. On opening night, I was so pleased with what I participated in and what I had learned in the process. Due to this experience, I would like to be involved in more curation opportunities in the future.

My final project also entailed curation, which I was eager to begin. Earlier in my internship, my supervisors and I had discussed creating displays for the two Welcome Center Cases.  Once my last projects were finalized, I began to search through PastPerfect to identify potential topics, subjects, and themes. These cases obviously were limited in space, so only artifacts within their dimensions could be included, restricting my options for issues and items. With dimensions in mind, my fellow Intern and I cross-referenced our lists and decided to center our display on needlework. After collecting Object IDs and titles of artifacts in PastPerfect, I sourced and gathered the items from their designated locations in the BiB. Admittedly, I found navigating the BiB challenging, especially in locating smaller objects. However, when finding an artifact on my list, I usually found another object to include or replace the one I was searching for.

Once I had located and retrieved all necessary items, I placed them on the cases’ base perimeter cutouts. Shifting and arranging the artifacts in association was very gratifying, as I could exert creativity in assembling the cases’ layout. Moreover, deciding which objects to include involved a creative eye: comparing colors, sizes, shapes, and heights in correlation. I could express myself within my work, even in writing up the theme and object descriptions. This final project exemplified my motivations in this career path, as I interacted with historical objects and organized a presentation of them.

Behind the main projects I contributed to during my internship at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, there were other tasks to be completed. One of the first tasks was moving and assessing a new acquisition: a Pleasant Hill Shaker blanket chest. I had never handled historical furniture before, so I was taught the proper attire, precautions, and lifting of larger objects. This was beneficial instruction, and I will take the knowledge into my future career. Additionally, I was assigned to shadow two interpreters from the Program Team to gain insight into the schedules, information, and procedures of giving tours. Shadowing also helped me grasp the general history of the village as my internship was starting. I also contributed to the relaunch of the Trustee’s Restaurant by participating in a commercial for the opening. This task allowed me to interact with departments outside my own, specifically the Marketing Department. I attended many meetings, including a Historic Preservation, Collections, and Museum Committee Meeting, a monthly Marketing Meeting, a Safety Meeting, and an All-Staff Meeting. These various tasks throughout my internship provided me with an understanding of company operations and interdepartmental communications.

My summer internship at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill was an indispensable experience due to its contributions to expanding my skills, expertise, and understanding in the career field I intend to pursue. The historic site is a pleasure to work at, mainly because it is surrounded by nature and historical artifacts. However, the knowledge and experience I gained made my internship so valuable. In organizing and documenting two collections in the library, I was allowed to utilize what I had previously learned, and I was still challenged with new and difficult assignments. My supervisors involved me in installing an exhibit opening and allowed me to curate a display. I worked alongside others, whether the other interns, my supervisors, different departments, or artists, and those connections made are essential to obtaining a space within archives and museum works.  Even the daily chores around the village taught me valuable teamwork, perseverance, and problem-solving lessons. Most of all, my experience at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill provided me with introspection on my appeal to collections management, whether archival or 3D, confirming my pursuit in the informational sciences profession.

Alli Bramel, Collections Specialist

Lexington photographer Carol Peachee has photographed Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill for more than four decades. Later this month, an exhibit of selected works from her book, Shaker Made: Inside Pleasant Hill’s Shaker Village, will be on display in the Centre Family Dwelling.

We spoke with Carol over the phone about her work as an artist, her time spent photographing the collections at Pleasant Hill, and what she hopes visitors take away from her project.

Tell us about your background and how you got your start in photography. How long have you been an artist?

 I received my first camera at the age of sixteen and set up my very first dark room around the same time. In the beginning, I used my camera to document everyday moments, much like many others do. My interest in photography deepened when I spent a year in Europe through my college’s abroad program, during which I took a photography class with Janine Niépce. Janine, related to Joseph Niépce—one of photography’s pioneers—became more of a mentor than an instructor, as the class consisted of just the two of us working closely together. It was during this mentorship that I first realized photography could serve a larger purpose: to tell a story, capture a mood, and have a meaningful impact.

It wasn’t until 2005 that I was comfortable calling myself an artist, when I first received encouragement from others who viewed my work and suggested I publish it. Before then, my photographs were captured for personal satisfaction. Afterwards, while I continued to photograph for myself, I also began considering how my images could be shared publicly. I started submitting my work to art shows, won awards, and eventually published my first book in 2015.

You’ve photographed Pleasant Hill for over four decades. What was the initial thing that drew you to Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill? Why the Shakers?

My upbringing in Richmond, Virginia included frequent visits to Colonial Williamsburg and other historic locations as they were being restored for public appreciation. This early exposure sparked a lifelong interest in history and cultural sites. My connection to Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill began after I moved to Kentucky for graduate school. When I first visited Shaker Village, I was immediately struck by its atmosphere, reminiscent of Williamsburg, yet distinctly unique. My curiosity led me to learn more about the Shaker community, their beliefs, commitment to equality, and social justice values, even before such terms were used. The monastic, utopian qualities of the community resonated deeply with me and reflected many of my own values, creating a lasting connection that drew me back over the decades.

Walk us through your planning process for capturing the images that came to be included in your book Shaker Made: Inside Pleasant Hill’s Shaker Village. How was this process different from other projects you’ve worked on in the past?

This project was completely different from my past projects. In past projects, I was photographing abandoned distilleries or sites, or I was searching out and photographing historic barns.  Mostly I was alone in determining what was to be photographed, and how to interpret the site.  At Shaker Village the photographic experience was more interactive with others.  Initially, in the 1990’s, the Village was set up as living history with the collection curated as a display and people dressed in period costumes acting as interpreters.  When I photographed then I was limited by how the “set” was arranged and the area I was allowed in.  Since that time, the material collection has been maintained as a museum collection in a temperature-controlled facility. To photograph the items in the collection required I work closely with the Collections and Education Director, Becky Soules. This began a collaborative process that was very different from past projects for me.  For example, I might tell Becky that I wanted to photograph things that could be metaphorically linked to spirituality, and she would provide different options from the collection to work with.  Eventually, I started asking for specific things. I would maybe ask, “Do you have wood working tools?” and Becky would pull a representation of those types of objects from the collection.  This book wouldn’t be the book it is without Becky. It was an extremely collaborative experience between the two of us. I went from doing completely solitary photographing experiences in my other projects to an extremely collaborative experience.

A crucial aspect of your work is to bring awareness to cultural and natural heritage sites. How do you hope your photographs will impact the understanding of Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill as a cultural heritage site?

Well, there are layers to this answer.

Superficially, I like to document in a way that makes people want to look at things that are disappearing. I want to stimulate thinking about how those things reflect how we have lived in the past.  Where we came from matters. In my work as a psychotherapist, I always go back to where people come from. Where we came from and how we did things mattered. But I don’t want to just document it. I want people to pause and have an emotional response. An emotional response may make them care and think about saving these things.

Another layer is related to the shift away from living history in presentation of material goods and the availability of access to items in a collection. I want to stimulate readers to consider history in a live way. As a child at Williamsburg, I would get to stand in historic places and try and image life during those times. The interpretations helped.  That made me appreciate the connection of humanity through time.  My hope is my books can present the collections with a certain amount of interpretation that might stimulate the same consideration of history. I also hope to help stimulate an even younger generation. I actually put my books in the waiting room in my office and kids will flip through them and look at the pictures and ask questions.

Do you have a favorite grouping of photographs you captured during this project? Was there a particular artifact or building that was your favorite to capture?

There are 3 different styles of images of the Trustees’ Office staircase that are among my favorites. I have them hanging in my dining room at home. I like this grouping because there’s one that is modern and angular, one that is very soft and traditional, and one that is playful. Although it’s the same staircase, it has many different perspectives. You can come back repeatedly and see it differently each time. It’s dynamic, not static. As people look at it over time, they’ll see something different. The second photo is like a film one I took in the 1990s.

I also like the image of textile draped over the back of a chair. The textile is pink, but I have the black and white image in my house. There’s something very familiar to me about that image.

What is your editing process like taking your captured images to black-and-white? What is the process like to take those black-and-white photos back to color for this exhibit?

I process the image first in color and get it close to what I might like as a color image. I supersaturate it to then translate it into black-and-white and play with contrast and light. Knowing what will happen when you translate it helps. Knowing what red, green, or yellow will look like in black-and-white.

Then I utilize color information to desaturate and create the black-and-white rendering. This process is itself a form of artistry. Even if the same original image were provided to three different artists, their outcomes would inevitably vary.

Taking an image from color, to black-and-white, and back to color are three different processes. Sometimes, I go back to the first color image I took and work off that.  Other times I’ll start from the black-and-white photo and reprocess it back to color. At each stage, there are artistic decisions to make.

Is there anything else you’d like to share with us about your hope for this body of work and what you hope visitors will take away from this exhibit?

I hope people who look at the photos can see more than objects. I wanted to create an emotional response to how the Shakers lived. For example, I hope people see not just a pair of shoes on the floor. When people look at those shoes, I hope they can  imagine a Shaker sister sitting in the Meeting House wearing these shoes during service. Shoes of silk that might have been made of silk spun right here at Pleasant Hill. I want people to think about the people’s lives behind these objects, not just the stuff.

What’s interesting is how the Shakers’ philosophy and their lived lives became integrated into their objects. These objects were not made to be beautiful but were beautiful because they were infused with their philosophy and spirituality. The objects are beautiful not because the Shakers wanted to have pretty things, but because they made their objects for a higher power. The beauty was a biproduct.  Hands to Work Hearts to God.

The exhibition, Shaker Made: Carol Peachee’s Photography of Pleasant Hill, will open on July 19, 2025, and be included with general admission to Shaker Village through November 9, 2025. Carol Peachee will sign copies of her book Shaker Made: Inside Pleasant Hill’s Shaker Village, and copies of the book will be for sale during the opening on July 19th.

Alli Bramel, Collections Specialist

National Historic Preservation Month is celebrated in May and recognizes the nation’s heritage through historic places. At Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, we are constantly working to preserve 34 historic structures on our 3,000-acre property. To us, our buildings are seen as artifacts that are part of our permanent collection, just like the artifacts you see in our exhibits throughout the Village, and therefore it is crucial we work to maintain them for years to come.

It is fitting that National Historic Preservation Month kicks off as major rehabilitation is set to begin on one of our buildings: the East Family Wash House. Built in 1835, with an addition added in 1849, the building will be receiving needed repairs on both the building’s exterior and interior.

The work to be done will concentrate on repairing wood rot, weatherproofing, window repairs and addressing other mechanical issues.

Ahead of the scheduled work, we decided to look back at our photograph collection for images of the East Family Wash House when it was worked on following the establishment of Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill as a nonprofit, educational corporation in 1961.

Be sure to join us for our Daily Adventure program Preservation at Work to learn more details about the work being done on the building and check back on the East Family Wash House rehabilitation work over the next few months!

Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Approximately 40% of our operating budget is funded by contributions from private individuals and families. Please consider making a gift that supports historic preservation, conservation of the natural landscape, educational programming, sustainable agricultural and warm-spirted hospitality.

Alli Bramel, Collections Specialist

March 29^th marks the 102^nd anniversary of the passing of Sister Mary Settles, the last Shaker who lived at Pleasant Hill. A mother, educator, leader, and local celebrity, Sister Mary’s commitment to the Shaker faith and to the Pleasant Hill community remained a large part of her until her death.

Sister Mary Settles took on many different leadership roles during her time at Pleasant Hill, including serving as one of Pleasant Hill’s teachers. In 1874, her first class included all nineteen of the community’s school-aged girls. On a few occasions, when no male teacher was available, Sister Mary would teach the school-aged boys, as the classroom followed the Shakers’ practice of separating students based on gender.

Sister Mary would also take her students on outings outside of the classroom, such as recreational wagon rides and picnics. She would also serve as a theatrical director, coordinating several “entertainments” produced by the children she taught. Sister Mary’s students remembered her long she taught them.

Sister Mary retired from teaching in 1890. Although she retained her teaching certification for many years, even going to participate in the Harrodsburg teachers’ institute as part of the state of Kentucky’s requirement for teachers, it was deemed unnecessary to continue the school at Pleasant Hill due to there being fewer and fewer children to educate in Pleasant Hill’s population.

Sister Mary died peacefully on March 29, 1923 in Centre Family Dwelling and is buried in the cemetery at Pleasant Hill. Her legacy as an educator, leader, and well-known facet of Pleasant Hill remains true to this day.

“Sister Mary was a woman of remarkable character, and intellect. For a great many years she was at the head of the school in Shakertown, helping to shape its policies through her educational work. She loved young people and was very congenial with them.” – Harrodsburg Herald, March 30, 1923 

Alli Bramel, Collections Specialist

At Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, we are always learning about the people who called Pleasant Hill home. In celebration of International Women’s Day, we wanted take a closer look at one of Pleasant Hill’s female spiritual leaders, who not only served the Shaker community at Pleasant Hill until her death, but compiled a vital piece of material culture, offering insight into the early music of the Shakers.

Paulina Bryant served in Pleasant Hill’s ministry for 45 years, the longest tenure of any member of the community’s leadership, male or female. The ministry was ultimately responsible for Shaker spiritual leadership, including appointing elders, trustees, and deacons in each family within the community.

She was born on February 10, 1808 in Fayette County, Kentucky and came to Pleasant Hill with her parents and other family members in March 1810. Paulina served as deaconess for the Centre Family, taking charge over the temporal matters of everyday life, living, and business within the Centre Family beginning in 1834.

On June 20, 1841, Paulina was appointed as second to Sarah Jenkins within the Pleasant Hill ministry by the ministry at New Lebanon. Paulina was then appointed first Eldress and would remain in this position until her death in 1886.

As a group, the Shakers have written over 20,000 songs since the eighteenth century. Music and song were vital to Shaker life and Shaker worship. In the early decades of the Shaker West, the tunes for hymns and songs were mainly held in oral tradition. When the “Era of Manifestations” reached Pleasant Hill in the late 1830s, new music written by Shaker sisters and brethren flowed through Pleasant Hill.

However, Eldress Paulina recognized the importance of preserving the older music that had been used during Shaker worship from its founding until the beginning of the “Era of Manifestations.”

In 1854, Eldress Paulina began to compile a manuscript of “ancient songs” written and sung at Pleasant Hill, as well as songs and hymns originating at other Shaker sites. These songs served as the foundation of Pleasant Hill’s music up until 1840. This collection has been of great value to modern Shaker scholars in reconstructing earlier Shaker music both at Pleasant Hill and throughout the Shaker west. The manuscript is housed within the Library of Congress.

Eldress Paulina died on September 13, 1886 at Pleasant Hill and is buried in the Pleasant Hill cemetery. For her funeral, large bouquets of fresh flowers were gathered to decorate her coffin:

“Demise Eldress Polina [Paulina] Bryant Leading sister of the Society at Pleasant Hill & excellent pattern of Christianity….some went for flowers to decorate Eldress Polinas coffin / in PH Ministry 1841 until death, 1886, 45 yrs.”

As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we celebrate Paulina Bryant and her many contributions to the Shaker community at Pleasant Hill, along with all the sisters at Pleasant Hill that contributed to its rich history.

To learn more about the women of Pleasant Hill go behind the scenes with Shaker Village’s curator to explore Shaker Sisterhood on Saturday, March 8.