125 Years of the Kelmscott Chaucer To Be Marked

---

Described as the crowning glory of William Morris's book printing venture

A copy of the Kelmscott Chaucer

In 2021 it will be 125 years since the publication of the Kelmscott Chaucer, what has been described as the crowning glory of Morris’s book printing venture.

The William Morris Society is fortunate to own one of Morris’s original printing presses as well as a collection of Kelmscott Press books, original designs and proof pages.

The Kelmscott Press was Morris’s last great artistic venture. With the support of his friend and collaborator Emery Walker, Morris established a book printing operation near his home in Hammersmith. His respect for traditional craftsmanship, search for perfection in design and love of literature all came together in the books produced by the Kelmscott Press. The most ambitious of these was the complete works of Chaucer, described by Edward Burne-Jones as ‘like a pocket cathedral’. Published just months before Morris’s death, it embodies his highest design ideals.

Beginning on 20 March and throughout 2021 it will be celebrating this anniversary through a varied programme that will explore the processes, products and legacy of the Kelmscott Press, including:

· Talks and workshops designed to engage a range of audiences
· Two exhibitions exploring different facets of the Kelmscott Press
· A re-hang of the room in which Morris’s original printing press is housed
· A symposium on 6th November, dedicated to the Kelmscott Press and its legacies
· A special edition of the Journal of William Morris Studies

The programme launches on 20 March with an online talk by William Peterson, renowned authority on the Kelmscott Press, placing the Kelmscott Press books in the context of other Victorian attempts to revive the early traditions of book typography. The programme will be introduced by The William Morris Society’s President, Lord Sawyer of Darlington, and there will also be a short pre-recorded introduction to the new exhibition as well as a virtual demonstration of the Albion printing press.

The printing press in Kelmscott House

Future talks include:

17 April: The Mirror of Everyday Life: Morris’s Book Collecting and the Kelmscott Press; Dr Yuri Cowan

15 May: A Kelmscott Chaucer for our times: Creating a contemporary artistic binding for a copy of the Kelmscott Chaucer; Dominic Riley, President of the Society of Bookbinders

19 June: Emery Walker, Typographer; Simon Loxley, writer and graphic designer

The William Morris Society says that it hopes that you be able to discover more about the reasons for Morris to embark on this typographical adventure, discover the beauty of the Kelmscott Press books and contemplate the lasting legacy that the Press left on the book printing world.

Kelmscott House. Picture: Google Streetview

The William Morris Society exists to make better known the life, work and ideas of William Morris, designer, craftsman, poet and socialist. The Society’s premises are in the Coach House and basement of Kelmscott House, Morris’s Hammersmith home for the last 18 years of his life.

 

Like Reading Articles Like This? Help Us Produce More This site remains committed to providing local community news and public interest journalism. Articles such as the one above are integral to what we do. We aim to feature as much as possible on local societies, charities based in the area, fundraising efforts by residents, community-based initiatives and even helping people find missing pets. We've always done that and won't be changing, in fact we'd like to do more. However, the readership that these stories generates is often below that needed to cover the cost of producing them. Our financial resources are limited and the local media environment is intensely competitive so there is a constraint on what we can do. We are therefore asking our readers to consider offering financial support to these efforts. Any money given will help support community and public interest news and the expansion of our coverage in this area. A suggested monthly payment is £8 but we would be grateful for any amount for instance if you think this site offers the equivalent value of a subscription to a daily printed newspaper you may wish to consider £20 per month. If neither of these amounts is suitable for you then contact info@neighbournet.com and we can set up an alternative. All payments are made through a secure web site. One-off donations are also appreciated. Choose The Amount You Wish To Contribute. If you do support us in this way we'd be interested to hear what kind of articles you would like to see more of on the site – send your suggestions to the editor. For businesses we offer the chance to be a corporate sponsor of community content on the site. For £30 plus VAT per month you will be the designated sponsor of at least one article a month with your logo appearing if supplied. If there is a specific community group or initiative you'd like to support we can make sure your sponsorship is featured on related content for a one off payment of £50 plus VAT. All payments are made through a secure web site.

 

March 13, 2021