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Roycroft-Hubbard papers

 Collection
Identifier: D.77

Biographical / Historical note

Elbert Hubbard was born in Bloomington, Illinois in 1856, the second son and third child of Silas Hubbard, a doctor. He was educated in the district school, and at the age of 16 began selling soap for his cousin Justus Weller. In 1875 Weller split the business with his partner John Larkin, and Hubbard followed Larkin to Buffalo, where he became the junior partner in the Larkin Soap Company and was responsible for introducing the system of credit and premiums used to sell products. He married Bertha Crawford in 1881, and they had three sons and one daughter. In 1884 the Hubbard family moved to East Aurora, New York. Hubbard was very successful in business, but in 1892 he decided to leave Larkin in order to write novels. He had published his first novel in 1891, which was followed by three others in 1893 and 1894. The following year he attended Harvard University as a special student for a term, then in 1894 went to England for the summer.

In England he met William Morris and was impressed by Kelmscott printing and by Morris' ideas on design. Upon his return he wrote a series of "Little Journeys" based on places he had visited during his English trip. These were published by Putnam, at the rate of one per month. In June 1895 Hubbard began to publish "The Philistine," which was issued monthly until his death in 1915. At the same time, Hubbard began to print a book, The Song of Songs, in his barn, on a handpress. By the end of 1895 he owned a print shop, where for the next 20 years he produced The Philistine, the series of 15 "Little Journeys," and about 30 individual books. The Roycroft venture expanded rapidly into a semi-communal business with an inn for paying guests, a large force of employees, and a line of products that included handcrafts, furniture, gifts and candy. A Roycrofter's Annual Convention was held every summer.

In 1899 he published in The Philistine the essay which became his best known, A Message to Garcia, and which doubled the circulation of his periodicals. Hubbard became a public figure, and began to make lecture appearances, speaking about the Roycroft Community.

About 1889 Hubbard had met Alice Moore, an East Aurora school teacher. Their daughter Miriam was born in 1894, and in 1901 Bertha Hubbard obtained a divorce. Alice Moore and Elbert Hubbard were married in 1904, and thereafter Alice Hubbard was a partner in managing the Roycroft enterprises.

In 1908 Hubbard began to publish The Fra, which was a large format monthly magazine with a roster of contributors and regular commercial advertising pages. At about this time he became more and more identified with large business interests in his writings, and the last series of "Little Journeys" was to the Homes of Great Business Men.

Elbert and Alice Hubbard were lost on board the Lusitania, May 1915. After their deaths, Elbert Hubbard II carried on the Roycroft enterprise until the Depression. The shops were sold in 1938. Elbert Hubbard II died in 1970.

Scope and Contents

The collection consists of correspondence, manuscript essays by and about Elbert Hubbard, printed ephemera relating to Roycroft enterprises and photographs and engravings of the Hubbards, Roycroft personalities, and the subjects of "Little Journeys." The correspondence is in four series. The first consists of letters from Elbert Hubbard, Alice Hubbard and Elbert Hubbard II to various people. The second series consists of 85 letters from Lyman Chandler, who was Hubbard's secretary, to Miss Florence Irvine. The letters concern events at Roycroft, visitors and residents, as well as Hubbard himself. The third series consists of 145 letters exchanged between the Hubbards and William Morris Delsher of Reading, Pennsylvania. Delsher was an insurance agent who admired Hubbard. He arranged two speaking engagements in Reading for him. The final series consists of correspondence between George Ferrell of Liberty, Missouri, a Hubbard collector and admirer, and Elbert Hubbard II, from 1962 to 1965.

Creator

Dates

  • Creation: 1887-1965

Language of Materials

English

Extent

4 box(es) (4 boxes, 1 volume, and 1 package)

Access

The Roycroft-Hubbard Papers is open for research use. Researchers are advised to contact the Rare Books, Special Collections & Preservation Department prior to visiting. Upon arrival, researchers will also be asked to fill out a registration form and provide photo identification.

Use

In consultation with a curator, reproductions may be made upon request. Permission to publish materials from the collection must be requested from a curator. Researchers are responsible for determining any copyright questions.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Gift of Robert L. Volz, June 1977.

Purchased from The Rendells, May 19, 1978, NEH Fund.

Postcards purchased at Swann Auction, April 29, 1993, Bowerman Fund.

Preferred Citation

[Item title, item date], Roycroft-Hubbard Papers, D.77, Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation, River Campus Libraries, University of Rochester

Title
Roycroft-Hubbard papers
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid prepared by Rare Books and Special Collections staff
Date
undated
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin

Library Details

Part of the Rare Books, Special Collections, and Preservation Library

Contact:
Rochester NY 14627-0055 USA