William Morris Society Holding New Exhibition on the Kelmscott Press
Explores Hammersmith connections to the 'Ideal Book'
The Kelmscott Chaucer - a book described as a pocket cathedral
A new exhibition on William Morris's private printing press is taking place at The William Morris Society on the Upper Mall, Hammersmith.
The free display explores the book printing enterprise of the Victorian local resident William Morris and his quest for the ‘ideal book’. It explores Morris’s book printing enterprise and showcases several rarely seen objects from the Society’s Kelmscott Press collection, including the famous Kelmscott Chaucer.
Named after his home Kelmscott House on the Upper Mall, the Kelmscott Press was the last great artistic adventure of the 19th century designer, poet, writer, socialist and publisher.
“I began printing books with the hope of producing some which would have a definite claim to beauty, while at the same time they should be easy to read and should not dazzle the eye” wrote Morris in 1895.
With the help of his friend and neighbour Emery Walker, Morris established a book printing operation a few doors away from his home on the Upper Mall. He sought to show that by adding “beautiful ornament and pictures, printed books might once again illustrate that a work of utility also be a work of art”.
Kelmscott House in Hammersmith. Picture: Google Streetview
His respect for traditional craftsmanship, search for perfection in design and love of literature come together in the works produced by the Kelmscott Press. Morris’s quest for the ‘ideal book’ culminated in the production of the full works of Geoffrey Chaucer - the magnificent Kelmscott Chaucer - in 1896, mere months before his death. Described by his collaborator in the project the painter Edward Burne-Jones as “like a pocket cathedral”, it embodies Morris’s highest ideals of book design.
The legacy of the Kelmscott Press has been vast, inspiring book design and private printing press movements around the world. Morris’s last Albion printing press in the UK - used in the production of the Kelmscott Chaucer – is on display in the exhibition as well as a large collection of Kelmscott Press books and ephemera.
The Ideal Book: William Morris and the Kelmscott Press runs until 2 April 2023 in the Coach House, Kelmscott House, 26 Upper Mall, Hammersmith, (W6 9TA).
It is open Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays 2 – 5pm. Free admission.
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. |
November 8, 2022