William Morris
and the
 Kelmscott Press

William Morris (1834-1896), was apoet, social reformer, and a leading designer of decorative
arts. Rebelling against the joyless uniformity
of the machine age, he sought to elevate both
the craft and the beauty of the hand-made
object.  Consistent with his ideals, Morris
founded the Kelmscott Press in 1891. 

Morris insisted on controlling every aspect of
the Press. Not only did he write many of the
books himself , he either created or
commissioned their artwork. In operation only between 1891 and 1898, the Kelmscott Press still managed to produce some 65 books of
unsurpassed brilliance. Morris’ model was the
plain and simple 15^th century book, which he
held was "always beautiful by force of the mere typography."

Ironically, Morris’ masterpiece is this sump-
tuous Chaucer, the most lavishly decorated
of all Kelmscott Press books.  “A pocket
cathedral”,  it is a work of the finest art, a breathtaking triumph of the principles of
unified design and of careful and proud workmanship.  Finished only months before
his death, it established a standard against
which printers and designers still measure their
own craft.