(ROYCROFT PRESS). MORRIS, William; George Bernard SHAW, et al. Hand and Brain: A Symposium of Essays on Socialism.

Fine Press and Socialist Ideals

(ROYCROFT PRESS). MORRIS, William; George Bernard SHAW, et al. Hand and Brain: A Symposium of Essays on Socialism. (East Aurora, NY: Roycrofters, 1898) 142, [2] pp. (240 x 154 mm.) No. 56 of 720 copies. Original light blue boards backed green suede, gilt lettering on upper cover, morocco label with gilt lettering.  Printed in red and black. Front pastedown and free endpaper with a few pencil markings, remnants of a sticker, and bookseller's label. Spine sunned, boards a little toned and with a couple tiny spots, corners worn; contents about fine, with just a couple leaves with minor soiling.

A beautifully printed work by the Roycroft Press, with notable essays by prominent socialist thinkers promoting the unification of manual labor (the hand) and intellectual activity (the brain).

Inspired by the Kelmscott Press, the Roycroft Press was a renowned American printing and publishing shop founded in 1895 by entrepreneur Elbert Hubbard in East Aurora, New York. It served as the foundation for the broader Roycroft community, which became the center of the Arts and Crafts Movement in the United States. ANB notes that "the printing shop attracted some of the best creative and craft talent. Hubbard allowed free experimentation and never questioned the cost throughout the shops. Designers and craftsmen could work out ideas and, if unsuccessful, just start over. There were never deadlines for the books or prohibitions on design motifs." The press quickly grew to into an entire community of craftsmen with a campus that included a bindery, workshops for furniture, metal, and leather craft, and classes to train the next generation of artisans.  (1066)