Elbert Hubbard

Elbert Hubbard was the author of a number of books and as leader in the Arts and Crafts Movement was an advocate of the manual arts:

"I left school at fifteen, with a fair hold on the three R's, and beyond this my education in 'manual training' had been good. I knew all the forest trees, all wild animals thereabout, every kind of fish, frog, fowl, or bird that swam, ran or flew. I knew every kind of grain or vegetable, and its comparable value. I knew the different breeds of cattle, horse, sheep and swine. I could teach wild cows to stand while being milked, break horse to saddle or harness; could sow, plow and reap; knew the mysteries of apple-butter, pumpkin pie, pickled beef, smoked side-meat and could make lye at a leach and formulate soft soap.

"That is to say, I was a bright, strong, active country boy, who had been brought up to help his father and mother get a living for a large family. "I was not so densely ignorant--don't feel sorry for country boys; God is often on their side."

Elbert Hubbard is best known as founder of the Roycroft Shops. The Roycroft Creed was taken from John Ruskin: "A belief in working with the head, hand and heart and mixing enough play with the work so that every task is pleasurable and makes for health and happiness"."