William Morris

William Morris was an English designer who lived 1834 to 1896. Morris was a man of diverse interests. His contributions extend, or perhaps were an extension of, his design work. He was a textile designer, artist and writer. The central theme for Morris’ designs was derived from ancient and medieval texts. From this influence we would write poetry and poetry as well as translate ancient texts. His best known work was The Earthly Paradise.  Morris also had a deep interest in textile design, as well as all thing related to textiles. Here too his medieval influence was evident. Morris wished to design in the old ways. He wanted to create tapestries in the medieval ways, which he called "the noblest of the weaving arts." Morris founded the Kelmscott Press in 1891 with the mission to print limited edition books in medieval fashion. He personally designed many of the aspects of the books, including the typeface. He created three typefaces, Golden, Troy and Chaucer. One of Morris’ most renowned works was his publication of The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer.  The Kelmscott Press printed 425 copies in paper and another 13 copies in vellum.

Page from an illuminated manuscript
of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam,
 watercolor, bodycolor and gold leaf. Calligraphy
 and ornamentation by William Morris

The Kelmscott Press version of The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer
 published by William Morris

The McCune collection website http://www.mccunecollection.org/kelmscott_chaucer.html

Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Morris#Morris.2C_Marshall.2C_Faulkner_.26_Co.