Shaker Studies: Enfield Shaker Portraits
Former Enfield Shaker Brother Hervey Elkins offered a first-hand account of the furnishings in the Great Stone Dwelling in Fifteen Years in the Senior Order of Shakers (1853). After describing the plainness of the dwelling rooms, he wrote, “No image or portrait of anything upon the earth, or under the earth, is suffered in this holy place”. What he could not have known about was the invention in Paris in 1854 of the carte de visite–2 1/2″ wide x 3″ high photographs pasted on card stock. Soon they were available in newly-established photographic studios all over the world. Their small size made them perfect for use as mementos to be given to friends, who mounted them in specially designed albums.
Photography was introduced to the Shakers at the Enfield, New Hampshire community with the arrival of the carte de visite and, based on the number of existing examples, they were popular in all the Shaker villages. The images below were all copied from cartes de visite or slightly larger cabinet cards. It is interesting to note that most of the Shakers in these images appear to be quite serious or even a bit uncomfortable. That’s possibly because they had to sit absolutely still, without blinking, for about 15 seconds and sometimes an adjustable metal brace was placed behind their head, keeping it steady.
Enfield Shaker Museum thanks the private collectors and institutions who made these Shaker cartes de visite available for our use.
Elmira P. Allard
b. 8 April 1808 Sharon, VT
d. 30 October 1886 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Rosalinda Allard
b. 26 October 1812 Sharon, VT
d. 7 October 1887 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Cynthia C. Annis
b. 27 March 1812 Bath, NH
d. 25 January 1904 Enfield, NH
South Family
Abigail F. Appleton
b. 29 September 1868 Boston, MA
d. 2 October 1942 Concord, NH
Church Family
Flora Appleton
b. 13 November 1881 Boston, MA
d. 7 March 1962 Concord, NH
Church Family
Hiram Carlos Baker
b. 22 December 1823 Sharon, VT
d. 30 March 1906 Enfield, NH
North/Church Family
Susan B. Bartholomew
b. 29 August 1823 Hartford, VT
d. 18 March 1911 Enfield, NH
South Family
Mary M. Basford
b. 27 February 1842 St. John, NB
d. 21 Oct 1929 Canterbury, NH
Church Family
George K. H. Baxter
b. 30 October 1861 Medford, MA
d. 11 Dec 1924 Montague, MA
Church Family
Jane E. S. Blanchard
b. 12 March 1825 Norwich, VT
d. 9 July 1908 Enfield, NH
Church Family
John Bradford
b. 19 December 1823 Pomfret, VT
d. 15 July 1904 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Tryphena Bradford
b. 18 March 1833 Barnard, VT
d. 23 February 1907 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Carrie E. Briggs
b. 22 August 1831 Boston, MA
d. 27 October 1914 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Mary Ella Briggs
b. 28 September 1852 La Salle, IL
d. 27 February 1913 Enfield, NH
North/Church Family
Sally Ceeley
b. 27 Dec 1805 Tuftonboro, NH
d. 4 June 1898 Canterbury, NH
Church Family
Melissa Chase
b. 20 Feb 1828 Stanstead, PQ
d. 21 September 1902 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Nelson Chase
b. 14 July 1830 Stanstead, PQ
d. 4 June 1898 Auburn, ME
Church Family
Simeon Childs
b. 15 January 1812 Royalton, VT
d. 25 March 1895 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Mary Ann Cummings
b. 3 March 1844 Hebron, NH
d. 23 Jan 1927 Canterbury, NH
Church Family
Henry Cummings
b. 17 June 1834 Groton, NH
d. 20 October 1913 Enfield, NH
North/Church Family
John T. Cummings
b. 18 April 1829 Groton, NH
d. 2 August 1911 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Rosetta Cummings
b. 21 December 1841 Hebron, NH
d. 12 Nov 1925 Canterbury, NH
Church Family
Lizzie Curtis
b. 13 October 1844 Hartford, VT
d. 26 September 1921 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Mary Ann Curtis
b. 4 February 1822 Orford, NH
d. 9 September 1898 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Cynthia Cushman
b. 14 August 1820 Norwich, VT
d. 5 March 1907 Enfield, NH
South Family
Mary Darling
b. 5 May 1850 Whitehall, NY
d. 4 October 1922 Canterbury, NH
Church Family
Hester A. Darling
b. 17 March 1849 Whitehall, NY
d. 30 April 1910 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Sarah E. Dean
b. 15 May 1810 Strafford, VT
d. 15 September 1900 Enfield, NH
South Family
Caleb M. Dyer
b. 25 August 1800 Brunswick, VT
d. 21 July 1863 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Orville Dyer
b. 15 June 1804 Stratford, NH
d. 16 June 1882 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Almira S. Elkins
b. 8 February 1850 Andover, NH
d. 11 June 1897 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Mary Ellen Elkins
b. 28 January 1852 Andover, NH
d. 25 March 1901 Haverhill, NH
Second Family
Odilon O. B. Elkins
b. 6 January 1846 Andover, NH
d. 7 February 1884 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Annie M. Ellis
b. 9 April 1836 Bedford, NS
d. 3 August 1915 Enfield, NH
South Family
Lucinda Fairman
b. 1 July 1807 Leicester, VT
d. 4 April 1886 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Fannie Fallon
b. 12 July 1854 West Newton, MA
d. 6 February 1928 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Mary Falls
b. 30 July 1810 Thornton, NH
d. 4 May 1884 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Tamar Falls
b. 2 Dec 1808 Thornton, NH
d. 16 January 1885 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Irena George
b. 9 April 1907 Sharon, VT
d. 22 May 1898 Enfield, NH
South Family
Myra A. Green
b. 9 March 1835 Champlain, NY
d. 9 March 1942 Canterbury, NH
Church Family
Charlotte G. Hart
b. 10 Oct 1815 Charlestown, NH
d. 13 April 1899 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Betsey Hartford
b. 27 June 1807 Moultonboro, NH
d. 5 April 1886 Enfield, NH
South Family
Grace L. Holbrook
b. 21 January 1869 Boston, MA
d. 12 January 1926 Hanover, NH
Church Family
Melinda Hubbard
b. 9 August 1819 Charlestown, NH
d. 25 January 1898 Enfield, NH
South Family
Mary Ann Joslin
b. 3 October 1843 Johnson, VT
d. 12 Sep 1924 Canterbury, NH
Church Family
Marinda Keniston
b. 29 April 1848 Lennoxville, PQ
d. 6 April 1911 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Jason Kidder
b. 30 October 1781 Alstead, NH
d. 7 January 1869 Enfield, NH
South Family
Ethel A. Morse
b. 24 June 1881 Gardner, MA
d. 23 May 1911 Waterbury, VT
Church Family
Nancy Ann Morse
b. 10 January 1838 Plainfield, NH
d. 21 January 1911 Enfield, NH
Church/North Family
Gardner Nourse
b. 4 May 1830 Springfield, VT
d. 20 October 1914 Springfield, VT
Church Family
David Parker
b. 12 May 1807 Boston, MA
d. 20 Jan 1860 Canterbury, NH
Church Family
Hannah Parkhurst
b. 23 September 1812 Sharon, VT
d. 15 April 1887 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Abraham Perkins
b. 13 Oct 1807 Sanbornton, NH
d. 12 August 1900 Canterbury, NH
Church Family
Timothy J. Randlett
b. 10 Dec 1806 Meredith, NH
d. 11 November 1892 Enfield, NH
South Family
Isabella Russell
b. 22 November 1833 Hartland, VT
d. 4 March 1900 Enfield, NH
Church/North Family
James G. Russell
b. 29 July 1843 Norwich, VT
d. 3 May 1888 Enfield, NH
Church/North Family
Julia A. Russell
b. 1 March 1839 Woodstock, VT
d. 5 May 1897 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Caroline C. Slack
b. 12 July 1817 Norwich, VT
d. 4 November 1888 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Elias P. Smith
b. 14 Sep 1810 Woodstock, VT
d. 24 June 1890 Enfield, NH
North/South Family
Zelinda E. Smith
b. 30 January 1820 Mt. Morris, NY
d. 30 January 1899 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Emma A.J. Spooner
b. 10 Oct 1848 New Bedford, MA
d. 28 October 1906 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Henrietta Spooner
b. 13 Sep 1844 Pawtucket, RI
d. 1 August 1918 Enfield, NH
Church Family
Martha Wetherell
b. 19 Dec 1855 Glastonbury, CT
d. 25 Jan 1944 Mt. Lebanon, NY
North Family
Caroline Whitcher
b. 21 January 1822 Andover, NH
d. 15 March 1902 Enfield, NH
Church Family
William Wilson
b. 23 Feb 1827 Chateaugay, NY
d. 13 November 1907 Enfield, NH
South Family
Franklin Young
b. 22 October 1845 Brandon, VT
d. 21 Sep 1935 Canterbury, NH
Church Family
Enfield Shaker Museum
447 NH Rt 4A
Enfield, NH 03748
603-632-4346