11.08.26: Broom bristles

‍A number of years ago we spent a couple of nights at Shaker Village of Pleasant Hill, Ky. The village, near Harrodsburg, Ky., is the site of a Shaker religious community that was active from 1805 to 1910. Many of the structures in the village have been restored and are now used as an inn for lodging.

‍The site, a National Historic Landmark, features unique Shaker architecture.

‍Every structure in the village provides a lesson in history and architectural ingenuity as well as an opportunity for photo hobbyists to capture interesting images.

‍There’s a lot of activity in the village. Local craftsmen and women, dressed in clothing suitable for the period and using tools available in the 19th century, create furniture and other items while visitors watch. The items are sold in the shop at Shaker Village, with proceeds from sales used to help sustain the historic village.

‍I spent much of our time at the village photographing examples of the balanced design in Shaker architecture that includes separate, identical, side-by-side doors and staircases — one for men, one for women. 

‍But I also encountered some scenes that caught my eye, like this photo of handmade brooms on display in the shop. It’s not the type of scene that would typically grab my attention, but as I walked past the display I was drawn to the mix of shades, textures and shapes. I took a couple of quick photos, one vertical and one horizontal, before moving on.

‍When I returned home a few days later and started going through the variety of architecture photos I had taken, the two broom shots jumped out. One reason was that the close-up photo was such a contrast to all the other Shaker Village photos I had on my computer screen.  But I also liked how the lack of variation in color forced the eye to focus on textures and details.

‍It’s been almost 20 years since we visited Shaker Village. I hope to find time on a future trip to Central Kentucky to visit the village again, this time spending time photographing the people and their work.

‍The website for Shaker Village that includes information for visitors is http://www.shakervillageky.org.