WILLIAM MORRIS AND THE PRINTED PAGE:
ENGLISH INFLUENCE ON AMERICAN BOOK DESIGN

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EXHIBITION AT CRAFTSMAN FARMS, PARSIPANNY, NJ
8 SEPTEMBER - 27 OCTOBER 1996

Twenty choice books from Kelmscott Press and other Arts & Crafts publishers in England and America will be on view in the exhibit "William Morris and the Printed Page: English Influence on American Book Design," which opens September 8 and continues through October 27, 1996, at Craftsman Farms in Parsippany, NJ.

William Morris's books have been called "pocket cathedrals" because of their exquisite craftsmanship both inside and out, notes David W. Lowden, guest curator of the exhibit. "Like cathedrals, these printed books can be splendiferous venues to wile away the hours in reverie and contemplation," he says. "The joy of reading is enhanced when the printed word is treated with the care that Morris and his many disciples display." Visitors to Craftsman Farms, a National Historic Landmark, can enjoy a close-up look at such books in the upstairs rooms of the Farms, the home of the American Arts & Crafts designer Gustav Stickley from 1910 to 1917.

William Morris (1834-1896) was a major proponent of the Arts & Crafts movement in England. His art and ideas inspired and influenced American designers, architects, and artists, including Gustav Stickley - from 1895 to 1920, when the Arts & Crafts movement flourished in the United States.

Morris was a man of many talents. In the design field, he was a master of textiles, stained glass, furniture, and architecture. He was also one of England's leading poets and socialist political thinkers. For many Americans, his re-establishment of printing as an art and craft was his most endearing and influential activity. While his politics never caught on and his poetry is not now known in common circles, his decorative designs remain influential and his impact in revitalizing the art of printing is permanent.

In the late 1800s, the technological processes in printing books and other material had been greatly improved, making books more affordable. The care with which books were produced, however, generally declined; Morris himself had never been happy with how his many books had been printed. Inspired by a lecture on old letters, he took steps to return the printing process to the artistry found in its infancy, when Gutenberg and his counterparts melded the technology of movable type with the beauty of illuminated manuscripts. In typical Morris fashion, he embraced this project in a big way. He established his own printing press (Kelmscott Press), designed his own fonts, improved the paper on which books were printed and devised enduring design precepts for the layout and printing of books.

"William Morris and the Printed Page" includes several Kelmscott Press books: History of Reynard the Fox, printed in red and black with foliated borders; Laudes Beatae Mariae Virginis, a large quarto in black, red and blue; A Dream of John Ball and a King's Lesson, a socialist tale of old England with a famous frontispiece by artist Edward Burne-Jones entitled "When Adam Delved and Eve Span Who Was Then the Gentleman"; and a bifolium on vellum of Froissart's Chronicles, a work that Morris intended to publish but that was only produced in proof-page format after his death.

Although there were others in the printing world at that time who cared for the quality of the printed page, Morris's involvement served as a spark that ignited a bonfire of activity. His influence not only extended to other private presses in England, on the continent and in America, it also caused a keen interest in design integrity from influential members of the trade press. "William Morris and the Printed Page" includes English counterpoints to the Morris style, with representative works of the Doves Press, Eragny Press, Caradoc Press, Essex House Press, Vale Press and Ashendene Press, all contemporary or successor private presses.

To show how Morris's influences were felt in the United State, the exhibit features many books of American private presses: New York's Elston Press and Roycroft Press; Boston's Copeland & Day and the Craftsman Guild; Maine's Mosher Press; New Hampshire's Monadnock Press; Michigan's Cranbrook Press; and the Village Press (at various times in Illinois, New York and Massachusetts).

This year, 1996, marks the centenary of the death of William Morris. His passing, however, did not mark the end of an era. His influence only increased among his English countrymen and, even more so, among American converts to the ideals of the Arts & Crafts movement. Morris's "pocket cathedrals" remain as elegant and eloquent testimony to his influence on American Arts & Crafts book design.

RELATED EVENTS

In conjunction with the exhibition, guest curator David W. Lowden will lead a tour through the exhibition on Sunday, September 8, at 2 p.m. And on Sunday, September 29, at 2 p.m., Bruce Bradbury of Bradbury & Bradbury Art Wallpapers, a California company that reproduces Morris wallpaper designs, will give a talk on using color and pattern in the Arts & Crafts home. The tour and talk are free with museum admission.

Craftsman Farms is located in Parsippany, New Jersey on Route 10 three miles west of I-287. The museum is open on Thursdays (12-3pm), Saturdays (1-4pm) and Sundays (1-4pm).

Contact: Lynn Leeb, The Craftsman Farms Foundation, Inc., 2352 Rt. 10-W, Box 5, Morris Plains, NJ 07950; Tel. (201) 540-1165.