In 1774 an illiterate, pious and fervent young woman from Manchester England, led a handful of followers to the New World to seek religious freedom and freedom from persecution. Her name was Ann Lee and she founded a new Protestant sect that later became known as The Shakers. In their day, there were thousands of Shakers and many communities throughout NY and New England. Now there are 3. That's 3 people not communities. They lived communally and prided themselves on their hard work and piousness. The Shakers became known for their magnificent design of objects: Shaker furniture, baskets and boxes are highly collectible.  Even today, Shaker is one of the most popular kitchen cabinet styles.

Cindy Dickinson, Education Director  at Shaker Hancock Village in the Berkshires of MA, joins me for a conversation about the Shakers. We dive into the Shaker colors, how they were used and what makes them so arresting.