View the Burns Library Exhibit: Dreams of Art & Glory

Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) founded Roycroft, a reformist community of craftspeople and artists in East Aurora, New York in 1895. Unable to find a publisher for his work, Hubbard founded a private press to print the book himself. Influenced by the ideas of English designer, printer, and Socialist William Morris, Hubbard expanded his Roycrofters community to include other craftspeople, such as furniture makers, metalsmiths, leathersmiths, and other artisans. This exhibition at the John J. Burns Library focuses on the work of the bookbinding and printing shops, and features holdings from the Boston College Libraries that highlight Roycrofter artisan designs, including the modest Little Journeys pamphlet series, beautifully printed and hand decorated text blocks, and books in stunning modelled leather bindings.

The exhibit is co-curated by Barbara Adams Hebard, Conservator, and Andrew Isidoro, Reading Room Assistant.