Description
Here is a unique Roycroft book entitled “Guests”, “printed and bound by the Roycrofters East Aurora, New York”. What makes this one special is that unlike the Guest books made for sale and taken to customer’s homes, this book is actually the one from the Benjamin Franklin room at the Roycroft Inn itself! It is packed full with comments from guests who stayed in the room between 1930 and 1943. Based on the number of pages (about 140), I estimate it contains between 200 and 300 individual comments and signatures. I can only show you a small subset. Most of them express satisfaction with the peace and comfort at the Inn, and some even have written their own poetry.
According to a 1923 Roycroft advertisement: “The sleeping-rooms of The Roycroft Inn are not numbered. Each room bears the name of one of the world’s great; and the furnishings are carried out in harmony with the character of the personages the room is named for.” While Elbert was on Campus he would call guests by the name of their room – so you could be Cleopatra or Socrates or Ruskin, et al for the duration of your stay. (https://roycroftcampuscorporation.typepad.com/roycroftcampuscorporation/2013/06/what-do-bronte-socrates-paganini-have-in-common.html)
The book exterior is in poor condition, with the suede spine perished, the remaining suede shedding, and the pages mostly separated from the covers. I will put it in an archival cover to hold it together. The pages themself and comments are in very good, perfectly legible condition. A one-of-a-kind historical goldmine!
