Kelmscott Press

The Kelmscott Press
The Kelmscott Press was a renowned private press founded by William Morris (the influential British designer, poet, and key figure in the Arts and Crafts movement) in collaboration with printer and typographer Emery Walker. Established in 1891 in Hammersmith, London, it operated until 1898, shortly after Morris’s death in 1896.

Named after Morris’s home, Kelmscott Manor in Oxfordshire, the press aimed to revive the beauty and craftsmanship of medieval illuminated manuscripts and early printed books (incunabula from the 15th century). Morris sought to create “the ideal book”—one that was beautiful, readable, and produced with meticulous attention to every detail: handmade paper, custom typefaces he designed (such as Golden, Troy, and Chaucer types), intricate woodcut borders, initials, ornaments (often floral and vine motifs in his signature style), and illustrations primarily by his friend Edward Burne-Jones.

The press produced only 53 books (in 66 volumes) in limited editions, but they are celebrated as masterpieces of fine printing and book design. They profoundly influenced 20th-century typography, private presses, and the broader revival of artisanal book production.

The crowning achievement was The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer (commonly called the Kelmscott Chaucer), published in 1896. This monumental volume featured:
87 woodcut illustrations by Burne-Jones
Elaborate borders and initials by Morris
Over 550 pages printed in black and red ink
A design inspired by medieval manuscripts

These books often featured dense, richly ornamented pages that integrated text, illustration, and decoration into a unified artistic whole—reflecting Morris’s belief that everyday objects (including books) should embody beauty and craftsmanship rather than industrial uniformity.

The best places to find Kelmscott Press books online are:
eBay Books

Popular Kelmscott Press Books
The Story of the Glittering Plain by William Morris (1894)
The History of Reynard the Foxe (1892, after Caxton’s edition)
The Poems of John Keats (1894)
Love is Enough by William Morris (1897)

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.

EASTON PRESS Kelmscott Press Geoffrey Chaucer #54/425

$1,195.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $1,195.00 Buy It Now on eBay

William Morris AMIS AND AMILE Kelmscott Press First Edition 1894 Wood Engravings

$2,625.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $2,625.00 Buy It Now on eBay

The Wood Beyond the World William Morris Facsimile Kelmscott Press PB Dover

$20.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $20.00 Buy It Now on eBay

William Morris GOTHIC ARCHITECTURE A LECTURE Kelmscott Press 1893

$1,875.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $1,875.00 Buy It Now on eBay

William S Peterson / Kelmscott Press History of William Morris's Typographical

$165.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $165.00 Buy It Now on eBay

William Morris and the Kelmscott Press an exhibition held in the library 1st ed

$51.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $51.00 Buy It Now on eBay

Works of Geoffrey Chaucer Now Newly Imprinted The Kelmscott Chaucer Limited 1st

$1,469.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $1,469.00 Buy It Now on eBay

WILLIAM MORRIS Golden Type 1898-1901 ALICE PATTINSON Signed Morocco Bindings

$2,350.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $2,350.00 Buy It Now on eBay

KELMSCOTT CHAUCER DELUXE LTD HUGE- Easton Press - RARE

$1,799.99   Buy It on eBay for only: $1,799.99 Buy It Now on eBay

Easton Press Works Of Geoffrey Chaucer Kelmscott William Morris Facsimile 2009ed

$700.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $700.00 Buy It Now on eBay

Kelmscott Press loose large folio leaf from the First Edition of THE WORKS OF CH

$450.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $450.00 Buy It Now on eBay

WORKS OF GEOFFREY CHAUCER- 1958- Facsimile of the William Morris Kelmscott

$120.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $120.00 Buy It Now on eBay

The Kelmscott Chaucer Folio Society Facsimile Edition Slipcase 2008

$450.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $450.00 Buy It Now on eBay

Edward Burne-Jones: Victorian Artist-Dreamer (S. Wildman, J. Christian, 1998 PB)

$26.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $26.00 Buy It Now on eBay

Huckleberry Finn Mark Twain International Collectors Library Will Morris Binding

$20.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $20.00 Buy It Now on eBay

Mother’s Bible Stories Elizabeth C. Wickersham 1910 Illustrated HC Kelmscott

$16.23   Buy It on eBay for only: $16.23 Buy It Now on eBay

Folio Society Works Of Geoffrey Chaucer - Facsimile of Kelmscott Press Edition

$485.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $485.00 Buy It Now on eBay

The Poems of John Keats 19th England Original Kelmscott Press William Morris

$10,000.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $10,000.00 Buy It Now on eBay

The Kelmscott Press and William Morris Master-Craftsman

$125.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $125.00 Buy It Now on eBay

H Halliday Sparling / Kelmscott Press and William Morris master-craftsman 1st ed

$195.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $195.00 Buy It Now on eBay

Folio Society Works Of Geoffrey Chaucer - Facsimile of Kelmscott Press Edition

$2,210.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $2,210.00 Buy It Now on eBay

Kelmscott Press William Morris & His Circle The John J Walsdorf Collection 1st

$10.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $10.00 Buy It Now on eBay

William Morris "Grapes" Kelmscott Press Arts And Crafts Filigree Picture Frame

$49.99   Buy It on eBay for only: $49.99 Buy It Now on eBay

The Love Lyrics & Songs of Proteus. Wilfrid S. Blunt. Kelmscott Press 1892

$5,800.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $5,800.00 Buy It Now on eBay

Kelmscott Chaucer William Morris Facsimile HC DJ Edward Burne Jones Omega 1985

$65.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $65.00 Buy It Now on eBay

2008 The Kelmscott Chaucer Elephant Folio Society Facsimile with Slipcase

$628.18   Buy It on eBay for only: $628.18 Buy It Now on eBay

Easton Press Kelmscott Edition Works of Geoffrey Chaucer in box NEW SEALED MM

$1,099.99   Buy It on eBay for only: $1,099.99 Buy It Now on eBay

Poems of John Keats. Kelmscott Press 1894.

$12,000.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $12,000.00 Buy It Now on eBay

The Kelmscott Chaucer William Morris Geoffrey Chaucer Hardcover Book

$950.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $950.00 Buy It Now on eBay

Beautiful, Last Ride, Robert Browning, Illuminated Anna Paine, Roycrofters, Sign

$235.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $235.00 Buy It Now on eBay

A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE KELMSCOTT PRESS (SOHO By William S. Peterson - Hardcover

$121.49   Buy It on eBay for only: $121.49 Buy It Now on eBay

Books and autographs .. fine bindings .. Kelmscott Press - J Horace Harding 1937

$25.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $25.00 Buy It Now on eBay

The Kelmscott Press and William Morris Master-craftsman, Brand New, Free ship...

$30.80   Buy It on eBay for only: $30.80 Buy It Now on eBay

Biblio Premiere Issue July-August 1996, The Kelmscott Press & William Morris

$9.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $9.00 Buy It Now on eBay

Tale Of Beowulf, William Morris (Kelmscott Press 1895) 1st Ed 1st Print 1/300

$15,500.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $15,500.00 Buy It Now on eBay

A Bibliography of the Kelmscott Press WILLIAM PETERSON ~ 1st Edition Morris 1984

$300.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $300.00 Buy It Now on eBay

The Kelmscott Press and William Morris Master-Craftsman

$200.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $200.00 Buy It Now on eBay

The Private Presses Colin Franklin -Kelmscott -Ashendene -Golden Cockerell +More

$40.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $40.00 Buy It Now on eBay

Kelmscott Chaucer 1896 Vintage Book Cover Page Glossy Photo Reprint Wall Art

$6.99   Buy It on eBay for only: $6.99 Buy It Now on eBay

Exhibition [Illustrated /rare] William Morris and Arts & Crafts Haruhiko Fujita

$95.99   Buy It on eBay for only: $95.99 Buy It Now on eBay

In Memoriam Sanford Lionel Berger William Morris Kelmscott Press Tribute

$17.49   Buy It on eBay for only: $17.49 Buy It Now on eBay

The Wood Beyond the World - William Morris - 1972 Dover Kelmscott Facsimile PB

$24.99   Buy It on eBay for only: $24.99 Buy It Now on eBay

The Kelmscott Press and William Morris Master-Craftsman

$150.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $150.00 Buy It Now on eBay

Utopia ~ SIR THOMAS MORE ~ Kelmscott Press ~ William Morris ~ Limited ~ 1893

$12,500.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $12,500.00 Buy It Now on eBay

The Golden Legend of Master William Caxton ~ Kelmscott Press (1892).

$10,500.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $10,500.00 Buy It Now on eBay

Easton Press Kelmscott WORKS OF GEOFFREY CHAUCER William Morris designed 1896 Ed

$1,850.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $1,850.00 Buy It Now on eBay

Syr Perecyvelle of Gales

$3,500.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $3,500.00 Buy It Now on eBay

2002 Works of Geoffrey Chaucer The Kelmscott Chaucer Facsimile Folio Society

$1,250.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $1,250.00 Buy It Now on eBay

Kelmscott Press loose large folio leaf from the First Edition of THE WORKS OF CH

$450.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $450.00 Buy It Now on eBay

William Morris and the Kelmscott Press 1994 Univ of Scranton Exhibit Catalog

$18.00   Buy It on eBay for only: $18.00 Buy It Now on eBay