Syr Perecyvelle of Gales

Morris was fascinated by the possibility of adding hand-drawn details to a printed text, and he experimented with hand-illumination in a select few of his books. He commissioned the Swiss artist Edmond G. Reuter to illuminate one paper copy and one vellum copy of Syr Perecyvelle of Gales in 1895.

While this Special Collections copy does not feature Reuter’s illuminations, it still contains many ornate printed ornaments and details. The beginning of the book features a beautiful illustration by Edward Burne-Jones depicting the titular Percival being embraced by his mother as he says farewell to her.

Another page shows a novel use of a side-border, composed of creeping vines and flowers. Notably, this copy was later bound by Ellen G. Starr, co-founder of the Hull Settlement House in Chicago. Starr was trained by T.J. Cobden-Sanderson, the founder of Doves Bindery and Doves Press, who was also closely associated with the Arts and Crafts Movement alongside Morris. This book uses Chaucer type.