Quarter Sawn Oak, Favorite Wood of Roycrofters Not the Only Wood of Choice

          Oak, the wood most associated with Roycroft, and other Arts and Crafts cabinet makers, was not the only wood they used. Though white oak was in plentiful supply, therefore reasonably priced, and certainly sturdy, other woods were used.  The Hubbard/Roycroft Museum has some ash pieces but mahogany was also used.  This quote from Nellie Snyder Yost's book, A Man as Big as the West, in which Elbert Hubbard's son Ralph "Doc", describes an event on their trip to Europe, confirming the source of much of the mahogany the Roycrofters used.

          "In due time, we went back to Southampton, and there on the wharf was a man having a discussion with the shipping authorities, and at the dock lay a great ship with its hold wide open and derricks lifting out big slabs, planks, and logs, all mahogany.  The man was quite upset because he had invested in the load of wood, only to find when he reached England that there was no sale for it.  He was pacing around in a great state because he had found he couldn't leave the lumber on the dock, and if he couldn't sell it, he would have to reload it and take it elsewhere.

          Father bought the whole works, at a bargain price, and had the lumber reloaded.  He had it shipped to Philadelphia, from where the Pennsylvania Railroad hauled it to a small town a little way south of East Aurora.  From there, he had it hauled by horses to a local country sawmill, where it was sawed into boards.  Some were quite thick, but none of the boards were veneer, for veneered furniture was not made in those days, just solid wood things.  I still have a very nice little brass hinged chest made of that mahogany.

          We came home loaded with all of that........."

          For more about Roycroft furniture and its origin, read Nellie Yost's book A Man as Big as the West. 

         To see contemporary works of art by Roycroferts-at-Large and other artisans visit the Roycroft Campus Copper Shop, on the Roycroft Campus, South Grove Street, East Aurora, NY.

         Now open daily 10 am -5 pm , ALSO Summer Hours Wedesday and Friday until 7 pm