Morris, William; Cockerell, Sydney Carlyle: A note by William Morris on his aims in founding the Kelmscott Press (1898)

first containing full particulars, announces that all
paper copies are sold.
Mr. Morris began designing his first folio border
on Feb. t, 1893, but was dissatisfied with the design
and did not finish it. Three days later he began the
vine border for the firstpage,&finisheditinabout
a week, together with the initial word * Whan/
the two lines of heading, & the frame for the first
picture, and Mr. Hooper engraved the whole of
these on oneblock.Thefirstpicturewas engraved
at aboutthe same time. A specimen ofthe firstpage
(differing slightly from the same page as it appears
in the book) was shown at the Arts and Crafts
Exhibition in October and November, 1893,and
was issued to a few leading booksellers, but it was
not until August 8,1894, that the first sheet was
printed at 14, Upper Mall. On Jan. 8, 1895, an/
other press was started at 21,Upper Mall,& from
that time two presses were almost exclusively at
work on the Chaucer. By Sept. 10 the last page
of The Romaunt of the Rose was printed. In the
middle of Feb. 1896, Mr. Morris began designing
the title. It was finished on the 27th of the same
month and engraved by Mr. Hooper in March.
On May8,ayearandninemonths after the print/
ing of the first sheet, thebook was completed. On
June 2 the first two copies were delivered to Sir
Edward Burne/Jones and Mr. Morris. Mr. Mor/
ris’s copy is now at Exeter College, Oxford, with
other books printed at the Kelmscott Press.
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