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Roycroft Blog / Modeled Leather

Another art form practiced at the original Roycroft was leatherwork. In an article titled “Roycroft Ripples” in a February 1907 issue of the East Aurora Advertiser, it was noted that “Fred Kranz is finishing up a $800 leather frieze for a rich Cleveland banker. It is a beauty. Visitors who know say Kranz turns out the finest modeled leather goods in the country.” A modeled leather frieze also decorated Alice Hubbard's Roycroft office. 

Picture frames, jewel boxes, bookends, table mats, handbags, wastebaskets, upholstery on chairs and of course book covers, are some of the many objects enhanced with decorative modeled designs by the artisans of the Roycroft leather department. 

Samples of leather work by leather department head George ScheideMantel are on display at the Elbert Hubbard Museum in East Aurora. This bungalow museum was the ScheideMantel home, built by Roycrofters. For more information go to the website for the Aurora Historical Society.  

- Sue 

Roycroft Blog / Roycroft Alum Has Shop in N.Y.C.

    Many talented people were part of Hubbard’s Roycroft. One such individual was Karl Kipp. He began in the bindery, and later found his calling in the Copper Shop. He became a master metal worker and eventually left the Roycroft in May of 1912 to devote  time to his private enterprise, the Tookay Shop.

    By the end of January 1914, he was well established and the East Aurora Advertiser reported, “Karl Kipp now has a branch shop in N.Y.C. This shop is located in the new Craftsman Homebuilders Exposition Building which runs through the entire block between 38th and 39th Streets three doors from 5th Avenue. This beautiful 12 story building was built by Gustav Stickley, publisher of the Craftsman magazine, and is devoted to the permanent exhibitions and sales rooms of such manufacturers as Mr. Stickley may consider worthy of such exposition.” You can see a photo of the Stickley Craftsman Building in a blog from the Dallas Museum of Art: www.uncrated.wordpress.com/2010/09/17/ideatoexhibit/  Karl Kipp’s work can be seen at www.roycroftcopper.com/kipp.htm. 

    Today you don’t need to travel to N.Y.C. to find such precious hand wrought goods. Exquisite artisan wares in metal work, ceramics, jewelry, cabinetry, and fiber arts are all available at the Copper Shop Gallery on Campus. Come see what today’s craftsmen have to offer. 

 

• Sue

Roycroft Blog / December 8, 1898

As reported on December 8, 1898 in the East Aurora Advertiser, “Last Saturday evening, the Roycroft Shop distributed 4 hundred dollars in cash, as Christmas presents among its employees. The “Shop” has paid out for wages an average of $1,200 a month since last July, and before another Christmas comes this amt. will doubtless be much increased.”

In 1898, the number of Roycroft staff would have been about 50, so if the bonus was distributed equally, it would have amounted to 8 dollars each. That is $228.56 in today’s dollars. A tidy sum in the days when few businesses gave bonuses. 

- Sue

Roycroft Blog / Business is Booming

    In the November 3rd Roycroft Blog, I mentioned the never-ending expenses of operating the Roycroft enterprise in 1907. Here are a few details of Campus expenses which were listed in The Advertiser on November 14, 1907:

“At the Shop

"10,000 worth of Italian paper was purchased this week. Ripamontei, the representative from the factories at Fabrino Italy, states that only for the Roycroft business is his tour to America necessary.

“A new $5,000 two-color Harris Rotary Press has been installed. Business is booming.

“Cy Rosen has his eye on a new 7,000 electrotype plant.

“2,500 packages are sent out every day. This will continue until Christmas time. There are yet 200,000 books and calendars to be mailed.”

 

Big business was booming in the heart of rural East Aurora.  

- Sue

Another Hubbard Wedding October 1904

Bert married his sweetheart Alta Fattey on October 12, 1904. Alta’s association with the Roycroft began years before their marriage. She is pictured in this photo to the left, painting china in the Roycroft Print Shop with Bert’s mother, Bertha Hubbard, c. 1899. Alta later assisted with book illumination as well. A little more than ten and a half years after their marriage, Bert and Alta took over the management of the Roycroft Inn and Shops after Elbert and Alice perished on the Lusitania. 

- Sue

 

Photo source: The Roycroft Campus by Robert Rust and Kitty Turgeon, for sale at the Roycroft Copper Shop. 

Ali Baba has Always been “Public” in East Aurora

Say “Ali Baba” on the Roycroft Campus and it means something entirely different than what investors are talking about these days on Wall Street (Alibaba Stocks). Ali Baba was the original Roycroft Campus handyman. His real name was Anson Blackman, but he was dubbed Ali Baba by W.W. Denslow because he allegedly would steal his tobacco (hence, Ali Baba and his 40 thieves). Elbert Hubbard often attributed “rustic”, off-color quotes and mottos to him, thereby protecting his own reputation. Anson’s house still stands at the southeast corner of Oakwood and South Grove. The drawing shown here of Ali Baba was done by Denslow for the Philistine.

 - Sue