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Page 18 The Antique Shoppe February, 2017
Arts & Crafts Furniture

The Roycroft Way

By Larry LeMasters

LeMasters' Antique News Service Roycroft “Tree of Life”
magazine stand. The
If you collect Arts & Craft furniture Hubbard began the Roycroft Roycroft is considered some simple lines of Roycroft
furniture makes it perfect
or accessory pieces, then you need Arts Colony by opening his own of America’s finest Arts & Crafts for any home.
to be in Asheville, NC, February 17-19, book printing company. The name furniture. And, thanks to Bert
when the Grove Park Inn presents “Roycroft,” which means “king’s Hubbard, Elbert’s son, who
its 30 National Arts & Crafts house,” was chosen by Hubbard sold Roycroft furniture through
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Conference. as tribute to Samuel and Thomas Sears & Roebuck stores
Built in 1913, at the height of the Roycroft, who were book printers in following his father’s death,
th
Arts & Craft movement, the Grove London in the late 17 century. The there are still many quality
Park Inn was originally decorated original Roycroft logo, trademarked Roycroft pieces to choose
with Roycroft furniture, copper by Hubbard in 1906, was inspired by from.
lighting, and Old Hickory rockers. a symbol monks used in the Middle The rarest, actually unique
Today, it is still decorated with the Ages, which signified, “The Best I since only one was made,
largest collection of Arts & Crafts Can Do Dedicated to God.” Roycroft furniture piece is
pieces found in America. Hubbard championed artisans the Roycroft grandfather
Included in the Conference will be who sought the simple and visually clock located at the Grove
the Grove Park Inn’s annual Antiques appealing Arts & Crafts approach, Park Inn. Custom-made in
Show, depicting one of the largest forming a highly successful art 1913, the clock still stands
selections of Arts & Crafts furniture community of printers, furniture at the Grove Park. In 1996, Roycroft
and furnishings in the world. One makers, metal smiths, leather Stickley reproduced this Arts & Crafts
artisan that is fully represented smiths, bookbinders, and others. All clock in a limited edition paperweight;
$175.
here is Elbert sold their products under the of 50 pieces, using quarter-
Hubbard. Roycroft name. sawn oak and original hardware.
Hubbard The Roycroft creed, These reproductions sold new for
founded the which all artisans, known as about $17,000, but one was recently
Roycroft Arts “Roycrofters,” were expected offered on eBay for a mere $13,500.
Community in to follow was, “A belief in All Roycroft furniture has the
East Aurora, working with the head, hand simple, artistic styling of Arts &
New York, in and heart and mixing enough Crafts or Mission furniture, which
1895. Roycroft play with the work so that is one of the reasons repairing or
was a reformist every task is pleasurable refinishing Roycroft furniture is so
community of and makes for health and easy. Most refinishing jobs only
craft workers happiness.” require stripper, steel wool, and
and artisans, Roycroft also had its own elbow grease. Arts & Crafts furniture with housewives), candlesticks,
who produced record label. Considered by also seems to go great with any inkwells, porringer bowls, and, again,
some of the some collectors to be the Holy other furniture, making it easy to so much more. Roycroft copper
finest examples Grail of Roycroft collecting, accessorize your home. pieces have quaintness to them
of handcrafted records on the Roycroft Roycroft pottery and hammered since they depict household items
furniture, record label, 1927-1930, were copper pieces are things of beauty. no longer used in homes. If you have
books, lamps, manufactured in New York Pottery pieces to watch for include some Roycroft copper pieces and
and metal City and distributed by paperweights (make sure they are want to know more about them (as
work of the Wise & Company. signed “Roycroft Potters”), vases in “how much are they worth?”),
Arts & Crafts These records (one was recently offered on eBay you might want to look at www.
movement. were high for $10,000), fulpers, plates, tiles, roycroftcopper.com. It is an in depth
Historians production 78s, and so much more—all in stunning online pricing guide for Roycroft
have long featuring mostly Arts & Crafts colors and matte copper.
debated The English Singers finishes. Copper pieces include Sadly, in 1915 Hubbard and
whether all Roycroft products performing sacred bookends, crumb trays (once popular his wife, Alice Moore Hubbard,
were hand made. Wendy and secular English died when the RMS Lusitania was
Kaplan (The Art that is Life: choral pieces. torpedoed and sunk at the opening
The Arts and Crafts Movement Roycroft Records of WWI. Following Hubbard’s death,
in America) stated, “The also produced the Roycroft community went into a
presence of machinery in some of the only known gradual decline.
the shops, the number of unskilled recordings of the The Grove Park Conference is
laborers employed, and the high Cheerio radio expected to draw 130 exhibitors
volume of output suggests some program. Today, Roycroft records are and artisans from across the United
degree of mass production.” highly sought after cross-collectibles. States. I have attended this show,
Mass-produced or handcrafted, Above: Reproduction Stickley clock, and the beauty of the inn, its Arts
Roycroft furniture and accessories celebrating Roycroft’s 100 anniversary; & Crafts collection, and the fine
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led the United States during the $13,500. examples of Roycroft furniture (and
Arts & Crafts Movement, and it was Signed Roycroft “Tabourette” stand, “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens, other Arts & Crafts furniture) will
Hubbard who led Roycroft. circa 1920; $1,550. published with a suede cover by Roycroft astound you.
in 1902; $24.