Shaker Ruler signed by Sister Mary Frances Dahm
Watervliet, NY | 19th century
Birdseye maple
Original stain and varnish surface
11 15/16” l. x ¾” w.
Provenance: Robert & Hazel Belfit, Watertown, CT; acquired from Sister Mary Frances Dahm (1883-1965)
With proficiency and precision, Shaker craftsmen could find beauty within the most utilitarian objects. This Ruler, signed “Mary Dahm, 1922,” exemplifies this Shaker approach to craft.
Sister Mary (1883-1965) was almost a lifelong Shaker, entering the Watervliet community when she was three years old with her biological sister, Grace. When this ruler was dated in 1922, Sister Mary had become a skilled and productive member of her community. Her basket-making was exceptional and, today, some of her baskets are held in the collection of Shaker Museum Mount Lebanon.
In 1929, Sister Mary graduated from the Chicago School for Practical Nurses, having received special permission to attend nursing school so she could return to the Shakers and help care for the increasingly elderly Brethren and Sisters. A born nurturer, Sister Mary was known for caring for not only her community but also a menagerie of plants and birds. When Watervliet was consolidated in 1938, she and her sister Grace relocated to the North Family of Mount Lebanon where, in their rooms, she kept six cages of canaries, a parrot named Lorrie, a bowl full of guppies, and a verdant garden of houseplants.
In 1947, Sister Mary relocated to the Church Family at Hancock, where she became a Trustee in 1957. When that community closed in 1960, she decided to live out her remaining years in downtown Pittsfield, where many of her friends would continue to visit—including the Belfits. Over the decades of visiting Mount Lebanon and later Hancock, the Belfits and Sister Mary became close. In 1956, Sister Mary wrote a touching note to Hazel Belfit thanking her for a sweater, writing:
“you really spoil me with your many gifts. I love the color and will feel very dressed up this summer when I wear it… Thanking you again, I am yours sincerely, Mary.”
Condition note: the number “144” in black Sharpie marker was written in the 1980s by Robert “Bob” Belfit Jr. as part of an inventory of his parents’ collection. Though this may be considered a misstep today, Bob’s efforts preserved much of the information related to the provenance of the Robert & Hazel Belfit Shaker Collection and we are indebted to his work.
To inquire about this piece,
contact us by phone:
914-763-8144
Or, you can reach us by email: jkr@jkrantiques.com