Elbert Hubbard was a bizarre personality with diverse talents having conflict with each other. It is said that if one portions of Henry Ford and two portions of Henry David Thoreau are blended, we can get Elbert Hubbard.
He was a salesman as well as philosopher. He launched the Arts & Crafts association in the United States of America in 20th century. A new documentary “Elbert Hubbard: An American Original”, will go on air at 10 P.M. It will present different unknown aspects of his life. His hand made furniture enjoyed great demand and popularity across the globe. The collectors are still fond of his furniture items which are solid like concrete. They are still happy to spend huge sums of money for Roycroft oak furniture. The furniture has clean creases without any gaudy ornamentation. Two years back, one of 1905 Roycroft wine chest was sold at $181,000.
Born in 1856, he was an in-born businessman and made a start with a soup which brought luck for him before the aftermath of industrial revolution started disillusioning people. Then he started reading Ralph Waldo Emerson. He went to Kelmscot press in England who was an initial advocate of the Arts & Crafts. Impressed by the concept, he made his own zone of handicrafts in East Aurora in New York. He also established his own printing press and launched a magazine “The Philistine”. The magazine reflected his philosophy towards handicrafts as well as handmade products and his philosophy made him a popular figure as an advocate of nature and handmade products. He was a strong opponent of excessive wealth and capitalistic deformities. But he had contradiction within his personality as he always appreciated dumb workers who don’t complain.
Elbert Hubbard
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