The Ideal Book - William Morris Gallery

An open book. The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer.

The Ideal Book

Explore Morris's world of writing and poetry

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Did you know Morris wrote one of the longest narrative poems in the English language? Entitled ‘Earthly Paradise’, the poem retells classical myths and legends and explores Morris’s love for the Icelandic sagas he picked up along his travels in Iceland. In his own day, Morris was most famous as a poet, and his love for stories and books lasted a lifetime.

This gallery explores Morris’s love for writing and features many of his poems, including the Earthly Paradise. Younger visitors can dress up as characters from the Beauty and the Beast story which can be seen illustrated on a tile panel designed by Morris’s best friend, Edward Burne-Jones. In the last decade of his life, Morris set up a private press and became a book designer. Original designs as well as Kelmscott Press books are on display. A replica of the Press’ masterpiece, the Kelmscott ‘Chaucer’, is available for visitors to leaf through.

An open book. The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer.

Gallery highlights

The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, 1896. An open book on display at William Morris Gallery.

The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, 1896

'Cupid Going Away' illustration, 1868

'Cupid Going Away' illustration, 1868

Icelandic Drinking horn, 1870s

Icelandic Drinking horn, 1870s

The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer, 1896

William Morris spent the last years of his life occupied with printing this book, the ambitious Kelmscott Press edition of ‘The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer’. The project involved printing a new edition of the complete works of Geoffrey Chaucer with decorated borders and initials, a newly designed typeface and numerous illustrations. The book took over four years to complete and included eighty-seven woodcut illustrations by Burne-Jones. Shown here is the first page of a paper edition of the Kelmscott 'Chaucer'. The title page, initial letters, and border decoration were all designed by Morris. The first woodcut illustration by Burne-Jones can also be seen and depicts a portrait of Chaucer. Morris had to scale down his ‘Troy’ typeface for this work, creating the font seen here. Despite the scaled down font, the book is by far the largest produced by the Kelmscott Press. The Kelmscott 'Chaucer' was the last great project of Morris’s life and combined his passions for both literature and design. The process of printing this book saw Morris's socialist philosophy in action, through the use of woodcut illustrations, a rejection of modern mechanisation, and in the division of labour employed to create it. In total, 438 copies of the book were printed over two years; thirteen were printed on vellum and 425 on handmade paper. Forty-eight paper editions were specially bound in white pig’s skin featuring a unique design by Morris. A few months before his death, Morris was shown a copy of the specially bound edition for the first time, which he described as ‘very satisfactory’.

'Cupid Going Away' illustration, 1868

‘Cupid Going Away’ is from a series of illustrations to 'The Story of Cupid and Psyche' which was to be included in a projected edition of 'The Earthly Paradise' begun in September 1865. Morris engraved the illustrations on wood alongside his associates as well as his friends. The block used to produce this particular print was engraved by Morris’s sister-in-law, Elizabeth Burden. Edward Burne-Jones created illustrations for some of the other tales in 'The Earthly Paradise', but the Cupid and Psyche wood engravings were the most completed parts. The project was eventually abandoned in 1868 after trial pages at the Chiswick Press did not prove satisfactory. In 1881, a few copies of these sets of illustrations were produced, apparently by Morris himself. A second series numbering about 8 sets was made for Morris by Emery Walker in the 1890s. One of these sets was given to Sydney Cockerell by Jane Morris in around 1898 and is bound into a single volume now in the William Morris Gallery collection. Other sets are in the Morgan Library & Museum, New York and the Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge.

Icelandic Drinking horn, 1870s

William Morris was by no means a great Victorian explorer, and only rarely travelled outside of Great Britain. However, he found himself increasingly drawn to Iceland and in 1871 embarked upon a six-week exploration of the country. Upon his second trip in 1873 he brought back many souvenirs, including an Icelandic pony whom he named ‘Mouse’. Morris brought this drinking horn back from Iceland in either 1871 or 1873. The brass and wood stopper is engraved with his initials, ‘WM’ suggesting it may have been a gift from one of his travelling companions. During his journey around Iceland in 1871 Morris repeatedly lost his pannikin, a small metal drinking cup, as he failed to secure it correctly to his pony. This horn may well have been a humorous gift in reference to him frequently asking them to help search for his drinking vessel.

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