Elbert Hubbard: An American Original

Airs Monday, November 23, 2009 at 10:30 p.m. on KPBS TV

Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) was the influential, flamboyant founder of the Roycroft artisan community in East Aurora, New York.

Credit: Courtesy of the Aurora Historical Society and the Elbert Hubbard Roycroft Museum

Above: Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) was the influential, flamboyant founder of the Roycroft artisan community in East Aurora, New York.

Thursday, November 19, 2009

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The influential, flamboyant Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) used his flair for marketing to create a distinct identity for his Roycroft artisan community in East Aurora, NewYork. The “Roycroft mark” (pictured) served as a type of logo for a variety of beautiful, handcrafted objects created there.

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Credit: Courtesy of WNED Buffalo/Toronto

Above: The influential, flamboyant Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) used his flair for marketing to create a distinct identity for his Roycroft artisan community in East Aurora, NewYork. The “Roycroft mark” (pictured) served as a type of logo for a variety of beautiful, handcrafted objects created there.

The life of Elbert Hubbard (1856-1915) is a story of love, art, passion and controversy set against the backdrop of the Arts and Crafts Movement at the turn of the 20th century.

To this “back-to-basics” artistic and cultural movement, Hubbard contributed his bold, ingenious talent and creative force. As the flamboyant founder of the Roycroft artisan community in East Aurora, New York, Hubbard was an influential national figure ― an author, publisher, lecturer and entrepreneur ― who died as dramatically as he lived.

Watch the film, bonus footage, and extended interviews online.

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