William Morris Research

I have spent the last couple of days undertaking some background research into William Morris and the Kelmscott Press. I have never visited either Kelmscott Manor or the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow - despite my mother's family coming from the area.

Kelmscott Manor sits on the banks of the Thames near Lechlade Oxfordshire and was Morris's utopia.

Taking photos inside the house was not easy as there were many visitors milling about in all the small 16th century rooms. Things of note however where the original fabric wall hangings and the simplicity of the attic rooms in particular.

I also loved the little place mats which May Morris made to help raise funds to build the Memorial Hall in the Village. Apparently she sold them for a pound each.

Kelmscott village itself is tiny, but also has many references to Morris and his family. They are all buried in the churchyard and the vilage hall was built by May Morris as a memorial to her father.

I was very impressed with the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow. One whole room was dedicated to the Kelmscott Press. I also thought this simple display very neatly demonstrated the difference between standard Victorian design and that of the Arts and Crafts movement.

Lastly I went to Kelmscott House in Hammersmith. This was Morris's London home which he named after the Oxford Manor. The William Morris Society are now based there. Although there are renovations in progress and I couldn't see the original Albion press which was used to print the Kelmscott Chaucer, there were still many interesting exhibits, including the original drawing for the Honeysuckle wallpaper designed by May Morris that I saw at Walthamstow.

I am particularly interested in the honeysuckle motif as I think it features in the plaster borders in the hallway at Winterbourne.

Second Winterbourne lino underway at last!

I have finally got the studio at the new house sufficiently organised to make a start on the second lino. I have to get a move on now, as I have lost so much time over the last 6 months or so. This lino is about Margaret's return from the West Indies and the terrible news that awaits her.

Printing the first Winterbourne Lino

After finally finishing cutting the first of the Winterbourne linos, I was able to pop into Margaret Street today to proof it. This seemed appropriate as the print features the front entrance of the School of Art. It's an exciting thing to ink up a lino that you have been working on for such a long time. You finally see it as you have been imagining it to look - and hoping you don't spot any mistakes!

I wanted to use cotton based papers to emulate the Kelmscott Press works that I have seen. After having sort advice from the lovely folks at John Purcell Papers, I decided to try Velim Arches and a Zerkall paper. I tried the Velim both damp and dry using the Columbia Press. I also hand burnished onto Tosa Washi.

I'm pretty pleased with these first proofs.

Update on Winterbourne Project

I had to shelve the Winterbourne project for a few months due to a family illness, but I have recently started cutting the first lino again and I'm aiming to try and get this first one proofed by the end of this month.

Cadbury Research Library

I have not been able to blog much of the material that I have sourced during my research for the Winterbourne Project as I am only allowed to photograph for my own purposes. This has included the letters, diaries and photographs of the Nettlefold family in Winterbourne's own archives. Yesterday I visited the Cadbury Research Library at Birmingham University to look at their extensive collection of books published by William Morris's Kelmscott Press. Although it wasn't possible to photograph the books on this occasion I wanted to record my thoughts on seeing them 'in the flesh'. The images here are sourced from a google search.

What struck me most was the intensity of the ink, the beautiful texture of the handmade rag paper and the impression made on the back of each page by the relief print. The use of spot red was very noticeable throughout the books - a device used in religious books from previous centuries. The binding of the books was also of great interest to me. Many were encased in limp vellum with ribbon ties- again another technique inspired by medieval bookbinders.

 I also saw publications inspired by the Kelmscott Press. Arthur Gaskin, an artist and jewellery designer from Birmingham,  illustrated 'Good King Wenceslas' for Cornish Bros. of New Street.

'Winterbourne Stories' - first drawing

These aren't great photos, but they show the first drawing for the linos that I am doing for the 'Winterbourne Stories' project. There will be approximately 10 A2 sized lino prints inspired by the Kelmscott Chaucer in style. Each one will illustrate an episode in the life of the Nettlefolds, which helped form Winterbourne House as it is today.

This first drawing onto tracing paper shows Margaret Chamberlain, before she married John Nettlefold, on her first day at Birmingham School of Art. She wrote in her diary of 1890 about the classes she attended at the Margaret Street building, which would have been opened about 15 years by this time. It was designed by John Henry Chamberlain (no relation) who had also designed Highbury Hall (the home of Margaret's uncle Joseph). The floral decorative detail was influenced by the writing of John Ruskin -  champion of the Arts and Crafts Movement.

The image has been drawn from recent photographs I took of Margaret Street and an archive image of a young woman from around 1890.

The design of the illuminated border will be based on lilies, as these feature heavily in the decoration of the Art School's facade. There is a large stone carved roundel and terracotta panels that all show various kinds of lilies. I also feel the lilies are appropriate to Margaret's unmarried status at this time.