Charles Robert Ashbee

Charles Robert Ashbee (1863–1942), English designer, architect, and writer. He was one of the major figures of the arts and crafts movement.

Ashbee based his ideas about the social function of art on the writings of fellow Englishmen William Morris and John Ruskin. In 1888 he founded the Guild and School of Handicraft in the East End of London (later moved to Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire). It aimed to achieve high standards in craftwork and quality of life, which Ashbee believed were threatened by the onset of mass production. At its peak, the guild employed more than 100 craftworkers. Ashbee later modified his views, accepting the importance of machinery and design for industry.