International Kelmscott Press Day
On June 26th, 2021, The William Morris Society in the United States is organizing International Kelmscott Press Day, a celebration commemorating the 130th anniversary of the founding of the Kelmscott Press and the 125th anniversary of the publication of the Press’s edition of The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer.
To mark the occasion, libraries, museums, and other institutions across the world will create special digital and in-person displays and host activities such as talks and printing demonstrations.
We also encourage collectors, printers, and anyone who loves the Kelmscott Press to take part. You can follow along and join in the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #KelmscottPressDay
See below for a schedule of events on and around the day.
International Kelmscott Press Day is co-sponsored by:
Image: One of the opening pages of the Kelmscott Chaucer. The Kelmscott Press, 1896. British Library, C.43.h.19.
Digital Events
June 23rd
‘The Whole Scheme of the Book’: William Morris and the Kelmscott Press
McMaster University, William Ready Division of Archives & Research Collections
June 23rd, 12.30 pm Eastern 9:30am Pacific
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Join Myron Groover (McMaster’s Archives and Rare Books Librarian) for an exploration of the works of the Kelmscott Press. McMaster University holds a number of Kelmscott works in its collections, including a sumptuous pigskin-bound copy of the Kelmscott Chaucer. Sponsored by William Ready Division of Archives & Research Collections and McMaster University Alumni.
June 27th
Celebrating the Kelmscott Press
The William Morris Society in the United States and the Book Club of Washington
June 27th, 5:00 – 6:30pm Eastern, 2:00 – 3:30pm Pacific
Online presentations by Sandra Kroupa, Book Arts and Rare Book Curator, University of Washington, on a brief history of the Kelmscott Press and Mark Samuels Lasner, William Morris Society Board member and Senior Research Fellow at the University of Delaware, and Fran Durako, owner of the Kelmscott Bookshop, on collecting Morris.
Demonstration of the Kelmscott Goudy Press at Rochester Institute of Technology Melbert B. Cary, Jr. Graphic Arts Collection.
June 26th
Medieval Manuscripts and Private Presses: William Morris and his Followers as Collectors and Creators of Books c. 1891-1914
The Institute for English Studies, University of London and The William Morris Society (UK)
June 26th, 2:00 – 3:00 pm local (London, BST)
9:00-10:00am Eastern, 6:00-7:00am Pacific
This lecture by Laura Cleaver, Senior Lecturer in Manuscript Studies at the Institute of English Studies, University of London, will examine the debt of books produced by the Kelmscott Press and other private presses run by Morris’ followers to medieval manuscripts and explore the networks that supported both the acquisition of manuscripts and the creation of private press books from the foundation of the Kelmscott Press to the start of the First World War.
International Kelmscott Day
Arizona State University Distinctive Collections
June 26th, 2 – 4pm Eastern, 11am – 1pm local (Arizona)
Panel featuring Julie Codell, professor of art history, on the friendship between William Morris and longtime collaborator Edward Burne-Jones; ASU alum Jacob Robertson on the influence of Rossetti; and Daniel Mayer, director of Pyracantha Press, on the aesthetic influences of Kelmscott leading to contemporary artists books.
Digital Projects
Exhibitions, videos, and publications
Exhibitions
A Definite Claim to Beauty: the Kelmscott Press and the Aesthetics of the Book
San Francisco, CA, USA
The Book Club of California
June 26th – October 31st
This online exhibition surveys the Sperisen Library’s Kelmscott Press works along with other books from nearly five centuries of printing, looking at early typefaces Morris noted as influential on his own design, and later printers in the fine press tradition. Highlights include the Kelmscott Chaucer, the test-page for the Kelmscott Press’s planned volume of Froissart’s history, a 1917 “The Ideal Book” from the Studio Press, John Henry Nash’s “Life of Dante,” and a broadside printed in 1934 by the Grabhorn Press for the Book Club of California in commemoration of the centenary of Morris’s birth.
The Life and Work of William Morris
Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
Archives and Special Collections, University of Cincinnati
William Morris in Books and Leaves
Athens, Ohio, USA
Mahn Center for Archives & Special Collections, Ohio University
This online exhibition delves into a few signature items from the Ohio University rare book collection that help us understand the influence of William Morris as book collector on William Morris as creator of extraordinary books.
An in-person exhibition will also be on view from August 22nd – December 10th.
William Morris and the Kelmscott Press in Adelaide
Adelaide, Australia
University of Adelaide Special Collections
The University of Adelaide Library will be hosting physical and online displays of items connected to William Morris, the Kelmscott Press and the Arts and Crafts Movement.
The physical display will be available online via Adelaide Connect, the university’s new online special collections platform. The physical exhibition is visible on Level 1 of the Barr Smith Library outside the Special Collections reading room.
A Book with a Claim to Beauty: Marking the 125th Anniversary of the Kelmscott Chaucer
Newark, DE, USA
University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press
Digital and in-person exhibition featuring two copies of the Kelmscott Chaucer and related materials from Special Collections and the Mark Samuels Lasner Collection.
View the digital exhibition here
University of Delaware students, faculty, and staff can view the exhibition in person from June 15th – July 15th in the Lincoln Exhibition Case, located outside the Special Collections Gallery in Morris Library, Newark, DE. More information.
“A Marvelous Possession”: T.E. Lawrence’s Kelmscott Chaucer
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
W.D. Jordan Rare Books and Special Collections at Queen’s University Library
Virtual exhibition highlighting one of the Queen’s University Library’s treasures, T.E. Lawrence’s copy of the Kelmscott Chaucer.
‘The Ideal Book’: William Morris and the Kelmscott Press
London, UK
The William Morris Society, UK
This online exhibition by our partner organization in the UK was created to honor the anniversaries of the Press and the Kelmscott Chaucer.
Kelmscott Press and Victorian Medievalism
Tuscon, AZ, USA
Distinctive Collections, Arizona State University Library
Digital exhibition prepared by three ASU students and the Design Library’s Learning Services manager, highlighting how Kelmscott Press publications represent a rejection of the Victorian era’s industrialization and its turn toward a romanticized understanding of the Middle Ages.
Videos
Kelmscott Chaucer Display at Wightwick Manor
Wolverhampton, UK
Wightwick Manor, National Trust
In this short video Tim Pye, National Trust Curator of Libraries, discusses Wightwick Manor’s International Kelmscott Press Day exhibition.
William Morris & The Kelmscott Press
Iowa City, Iowa
Special Collections, University of Iowa Library
Video presentation by Florence S. Boos showing highlights from the University of Iowa Special Collections.
‘A nameless city in a distant sea’: William Morris, Arts and Crafts, and the Kelmscott Chaucer
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Rare Books and Special Collections, University of British Columbia Library
Video presentation by Dr. Gregory Mackie, Associate Professor in the Department of English and UBC Library’s Norman Colbeck Curator, discussing the Kelmscott Chaucer, other Kelmscott books, and the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement in British Columbia.
The Kelmscott Press at the Newberry Library
Chicago, IL, USA
The Newberry Library and the Caxton Club
In this video, Jill Gage, Custodian of the John M. Wing Foundation on the History of Printing and Bibliographer for British Literature and History, talks about the Newberry Library’s collection of Kelmscott Press books with a focus on the Kelmscott Chaucer and the proofs to produce Burne-Jones’s illustrations. Organized by the Caxton Club in celebration of International Kelmscott Press Day.
The Kelmscott Chaucer
Champaign, IL, USA
Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
A video conversation about the Kelmscott Chaucer and some associated items in the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Rare Book and Manuscript Library collections.
‘The Most Beautiful of All Printed Books’: William Morris’s Kelmscott Chaucer
Poughkeepsie, NY, USA
Special Collections, Vassar College
Video presentation on the Kelmscott Chaucer by Ron Patkus, Head of Special Collections and Frederick Weyerhaeuser Adjunct Associate Professor of History, Vassar College.
‘The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer’: One Copy of the Book in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Sol Rebora, Bookbinder
In this video, Sol Rebora, a designer bookbinder and teacher of bookbinding in Argentina, describes her work on a privately-owned copy of the Kelmscott Chaucer.
Blog Posts and Other Publications
130 years of the Kelmscott Press
Sydney, NSW, Australia
State Library of New South Wales
Blog post by Sarah Morley, Curator, Research and Discovery, exploring 130 years of the Kelmscott Press and showing related items in the State Library of New South Wales collection.
Kelmscott Chaucer Word Search
Leeds, UK
Leeds University Library Galleries
A digital word search themed around the Kelmscott Chaucer to celebrate International Kelmscott Press Day!
The long influence of William Morris and the Kelmscott Press
Oxford, UK
Bodleian Libraries Conservation & Collection Care and Centre for the Study of the Book
Andrew Honey and Alex Franklin of the Bodleian Library Conservation team and Center for the Study of the Book explore some of the ways that William Morris’s knowledge and love of the book arts has contributed to library collections and expertise, up to the present day.
International Kelmscott Press Day
Manchester, UK
John Rylands Research Institute and Library
To celebrate International Kelmscott Press Day, Special Collections Librarian, Julie Ramwell, takes a look at the Kelmscott Press publications in the John Rylands Research Institute and Library.
Celebrating UBC’s Kelmscott Chaucer
Vancouver, BC, Canada
Rare Books and Special Collections, University of British Columbia Library
In this blog post and short video, the University of British Columbia explores their copy of the Kelmscott Press – one of only 48 copies bound in pigskin by the Doves Binder.
Celebrating International Kelmscott Press Day
McMinnville, OR, USA
Philip J. Pirages Rare Books
To celebrate International Kelmscott Press Day, antiquarian bookseller Philip J. Pirages, author of a study on the origins of the Kelmscott Chaucer typeface and the influence of German Incunabular printers on William Morris’ design, has produced a special catalogue of books and materials associated with the Kelmscott Press.
You can also view a previously-recorded video about their limited edition leaf book, “Letters From the 15th Century: On the Origins of the Kelmscott Chaucer Typeface,” here.
International Kelmscott Press Day Blog Post
Carson, CA, USA
International Printing Museum
Blog post about the history of the Kelmscott Press and the International Printing Museum’s related collections, including a variety of Albion Presses and several Kelmscott Press books.
William Morris & the book
Cambridge, UK
Cambridge University Library Special Collections
Liam Sims, Rare Books Specialist at Cambridge University Library and PhD student in English at the University of Leicester, explores Kelmscott Press books and typographical equipment held in the Cambridge University Library Historical Printing Room collection – including original matrices and punches for the Press’s types.
Kelmscott Press
London, UK
Senate House Library, University of London
Among Senate House Library’s treasures is a full set of books from William Morris’s Kelmscott Press, founded 130 years ago by this trailblazing private press movement to restore craftsmanship to printing and to celebrate “the book beautiful.” Karen Attar, Curator of Rare Books and University Art, writes about and provides images of several titles, including the Kelmscott Chaucer.
In-Person Events
June 25th
Celebrating the Kelmscott Press
Tacoma, WA
Collins Library, University of Puget Sound
June 25th, 11:00am – 1:00pm
Display of unique materials associated with Morris and the Kelmscott Press, as well as the opportunity to visit the new Book Arts/Printing Press Studio.
Collins Librarian Jane Carlin will be giving short presentations on Morris and his books at 11:00 and 11:45.
To comply with social distancing, if you would like to join one of the presentations, please email Jane directly at: jcarlin@pugetsound.edu
International Kelmscott Day Celebration
Tempe, Arizona
Arizona State University Distinctive Collections
June 25th, 11am – 1pm
Exploration of a selection from the library’s complete collection of 53 works printed by the Kelmscott Press and brief presentations on bookmaking, biophilia, and illustrations.
Hayden Library Wurzburger Reading Room.
June 26th
Special Tour: The Kelmscott Chaucer
Mainz, Germany
Gutenberg Museum
June 26th, 2:15 p.m.
Special tour of the exhibition “Our most beautiful …: Highlights of English Letterpress Art” focused on the Kelmscott Chaucer.
International Kelmscott Press Day Open House
Winter Springs, FL, USA
Rollins College Master of Liberal Arts Program
June 26th, 12:00 – 6:00 pm
Book display with brief remarks and letterpress printing demonstrations at 1 pm, 3 pm, and 5 pm.
Private event. For more information contact Beppy Landrum Owen, bowen@rollins.edu
International Kelmscott Press Day and the Museum of Printing
Haverhill, MA, USA
Museum of Printing
June 26th, 10:00am – 4:00pm
The museum’s Kelmscott Chaucer replica will be on display along with demonstration of printing on a vintage hand press and discussions on William Morris and on the typography of the Kelmscott Press.
The Kelmscott Chaucer
Los Angeles, CA, USA
Program in the History of Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
June 26, 3:00 pm
Private event.
Display of the Kelmscott Chaucer and a discussion of its provenance and of William Morris’s founding of the Press.
For more information, contact Leon Fine: leon.fine@cshs.org
In-Person Exhibitions
Kelmscott Chaucer Display at Wightwick Manor
Wolverhampton, UK
Wightwick Manor, National Trust
June – November
The Kelmscott Chaucer is the centrepiece of a new exhibition to commemorate International Kelmscott Press Day. On display also are eight eight Kelmscott Press books – six of which were donated to Sir Geoffrey Mander by his friend Sir Sydney Cockerell, who was Morris’s Private Secretary and later his Literary executor.
The Kelmscott Press
Athens, Ohio, USA
Mahn Center for Archives & Special Collections, Ohio University
August 22nd – December 10th
A selection of Kelmscott Press original materials will be on display. Further details to be announced. More information about the Mahn Center.
The Kelmscott Chaucer
London, UK
The William Morris Society (UK), Hammersmith
June 12th – December 31st
The William Morris Society (UK)’s copy of the Kelmscott Chaucer displayed for the first time in a dedicated case, next to one of Morris’s original Albion presses (believed to be have been used to pull proof prints of the Chaucer).
More information (Opening times and Society details. Display is part of the Society’s general exhibition space.)
The 125th Anniversary of the Finest Book Ever Printed
Buffalo, NY, USA
Special Collections, Buffalo and Erie County Public Library
June 15th – July 15th
Grosvenor Room, Special Collections, Central Library of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library, Buffalo, NY
Showcasing the Kelmscott Chaucer and the rare specimen leaves for the projected Kelmscott edition of Froissart’s Chronicles, this display marks the anniversary of the Press’s greatest achievement and lets viewers consider what could have been if the Froissart came to fruition.
William Morris and the Kelmscott Press in Adelaide
Adelaide, Australia
University of Adelaide Special Collections
June 26 – August 31
The University of Adelaide Library will be hosting physical and online displays of items connected to William Morris, the Kelmscott Press and the Arts and Crafts Movement.
The physical exhibition is visible on Level 1 of the Barr Smith Library outside the Special Collections reading room.
The digital version of the exhibition can be viewed here (launching June 26)
Our Most Beautiful …: Highlights of English Letterpress Art
Mainz, Germany
Gutenberg Museum
May 28th – September 24th
“Unique monuments of book art were created in the 19th century by the British book artist William Morris (1834-1896) in his private printing house “Kelmscott Press”. A very special book is the “Kelmscott Chaucer”, an edition of the complete works of the late medieval author Geoffrey Chaucer (c. 1342/43-1400), artistically decorated with numerous ornaments. This and other exceptional books from the “Kelmscott Press” are on display in the exhibition. Tours on June 26 (Kelmscott Chaucer), July 24 (Atalanta in Calydon), and September 8 (More’s Utopia) — registration required.”
A Book with a Claim to Beauty: Marking the 125th Anniversary of the Kelmscott Chaucer
Newark, DE, USA
University of Delaware Library, Museums and Press
June 15th – July 15th
Digital and in-person exhibition featuring two copies of the Kelmscott Chaucer and related materials from Special Collections and the Mark Samuels Lasner Collection.
University of Delaware students, faculty, and staff can view the exhibition in person from June 15th – July 15th in the Lincoln Exhibition Case, located outside the Special Collections Gallery in Morris Library, Newark, DE. More information.