Utopia: William Morris and the Kelmscott Press

Feb 2, 2015 | Videos

William Morris’s marked-up copy for printing the Kelmscott Press edition of Utopia, published 1893.

A fascinating insight into the working methods of Morris and the Kelmscott Press.

William Morris’s printer’s copy with pencil notes and markings in his hand throughout and his cut signature in ink mounted on front pastedown, also with annotations in ink by the editor F. S. Ellis and his note at end “Read for the press after the old copy by F. S. Ellis & imprinted &c”. Subsequently Robert Proctor’s copy with his bookplate; his widow’s label “Given by Mrs. Proctor in memory of William Morris & of her son Robert Proctor” on front pastedown; and with manuscript notes in Sir Sydney Cockerell’s hand “The text from which the Kelmscott Press edition of ‘Utopia’ was set up, with pencil directions as to initials etc. in the autograph of William Morris” on the pastedown and “To the Public Library, Chelsea” on front free endpaper.

All our catalogued works by the Kelmscott Press can be viewed online here.

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