The Oneida community’s relationship with outsiders was an art form. Community members led visitors around the Mansion House, actively trying to dispel rumors that they were yet another sect like the Mormons, while also showcasing the affluence they…

The Endicott-Johnson Shoe Company was widely regarded as one of the largest of its era. With thousands of workers producing millions of shoes a year, Endicott-Johnson was one of the premier United States shoe manufactures throughout the early to mid…

The Roycroft Campus of East Aurora, New York, is home to beautiful buildings, sublime artwork, and iconic furniture. Finding the inn, the print shop, or the copper shop requires little effort. But the stable, which is now home to the Roycroft Inn and…

Shakers are recognized in mainstream society for a few key things: clean architectural lines, round barns, oval boxes, and their music – a distinctive art closely tied with their unique form of dance. In comparison to other communal societies who…

The importance of play to healthy childhood development is well documented in scientific literature. Children are not simply having fun, but are honing their social and physical skills while gathering and processing information about the world around…

The Roycrofter community (also known as Roycroft) of East Aurora, New York was founded in 1895 by Elbert Hubbard, a wealthy former soap executive from Buffalo, New York who was inspired by the English Arts & Crafts movement and the work of John…