Medieval and Early Modern Inspiration

This exhibit also surveys some of the medieval and early modern inspirations of the Kelmscott Press. The inspiration Morris took from medieval and early modern books is especially evident in his use of decorative borders and woodcut initials. Though Morris’s border patterns sometimes seem to be derived from his textile designs, the use of decorative borders can be traced back to medieval manuscripts and incunabula. This is also true for decorative initials, which were hand-painted in medieval manuscripts and some incunabula and eventually printed using woodblocks in other early printed books. Unlike medieval initials, however, the Kelmscott initials were hand-engraved on woodblocks and subsequently electrotyped for use in books. The electrotyping process involved making a copper reproduction of the woodblock carving so that it could be used alongside moveable type when printing the book.