Skip to Content

I began printing books with the hope of producing some which would have a definite claim to beauty.
—William Morris

Private Press

The private press (or fine press) movement began in Britain in the late 19th century in direct response to the impact of the Industrial Revolution.

While mechanised printing enabled the mass production and distribution of books to broader audiences, the increased competition for sales that arose led to the use of cheaper grades of paper, inks and bindings. These practices often resulted in unattractive books that quickly deteriorated.

William Morris, the artist, writer and founder of the Arts and Crafts Movement, is credited with leading a return to the book as art object through the revival of the traditional book arts.

His Kelmscott Press, founded at his home in 1891, sought to combine the aesthetics of medieval manuscripts with the crafts of early printing. Morris designed the Kelmscott types and the books were printed on handmade papers with specially made inks. 

The Kelmscott Press lasted only six years, but it spawned an international movement that continues today. One of many examples is Wayzgoose Press that produced Dada Kampfen um leben und tod, a publication that is widely acknowledged as the finest private press book ever produced in Australia.