Dawn Bonker
The Frank Mt Pleasant Library of Special Collections and Archives in the Leatherby Libraries is now showcasing an exhibit entitled “Elbert Hubbard and the Roycroft Press”. This exhibit was researched and curated by a Chapman student, art history major Emily Freyer ’10.
The exhibit features the many books held by Special Collections that were printed by the Roycroft Press of East Aurora, New York, and includes several handmade items from the Roycroft Shops. The Roycrofters were part of the arts and crafts movement in upstate New York from about 1895 to 1938. After a trip to England in 1894 where he met William Morris and became aware of the works of Morris’ Kelmscott Press, Elbert Hubbard returned to East Aurora where he established the Roycroft Press and Shops.
Though not held in the same esteem as Gustav Stickley, Roycroft books, handcrafts, and furniture were constructed and inspired by the philosophy espoused by John Ruskin, who held that machine-made items were “soulless” and that there was a pleasure inherent in constructing an item by hand.
For more information about the Roycroft community and movement, check out the official website:
http://www.roycroft.org/
This exhibit is now open and runs through the end of the spring semester.
Hours: Monday through Friday—9:00-noon; 1:00 to 5:00. Questions: Contact Claudia Horn at (714) 532-7739
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