Elbert Hubbard - Icon Profile | Alexandria
Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) was an American writer, publisher, artist, and philosopher who embodied the complex intersection of entrepreneurial spirit and artistic idealism during America's Gilded Age and Progressive Era. As the founder of the Roycroft artisan community in East Aurora, New York, Hubbard became a central figure in the American Arts and Crafts movement, though his legacy extends far beyond his artistic contributions.
Born in Bloomington, Illinois, Hubbard's early life was marked by an entrepreneurial drive that led him to become a successful soap salesman for the Larkin Company. However, it was a transformative visit to William Morris's Kelmscott Press in England that sparked his vision for what would become the Roycroft community. This encounter with Morris's artistic philosophy would profoundly shape American craft culture and publishing at the turn of the 20th century.
The establishment of the Roycroft campus in 1895 marked the beginning of Hubbard's most influential period. Under his leadership, the community grew into a thriving cooperative of artisans, producing high-quality books, furniture, metalwork, and leather goods. Hubbard's literary output was equally impressive, particularly his essay "A Message to Garcia" (1899), which achieved unprecedented circulation with over 40 million copies printed and translation into 37 languages. His series of biographical sketches, "Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great," demonstrated his gift for making historical figures accessible to contemporary audiences.
Hubbard's life came to a dramatic end aboard the RMS Lusitania in 1915, when the ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat. He and his second wife, Alice Moore Hubbard, chose to remain together on the sinking vessel, a final act that seemed to embody the romantic idealism he had championed throughout his life. The Roycroft community's influence persisted well beyond his death, inspiring numerous craft communities and contributing to the development of American design aesthetics. Today, Hubbard's legacy lives on in the restored Roycroft campus, a National Historic Landmark that continues to attract visitors seeking to understand the intersection of commerce, craftsmanship, and community that defined his unique vision of American culture.