Beautiful and Useful: The Douglas Schoenherr Donation of Books Published by Kelmscott Press

The newest National Gallery of Canada Library and Archives exhibition features books and related ephemera published by Kelmscott Press, established in Hammersmith, London, in 1891 by William Morris (1834–1896) — novelist, poet and leading figure in the British Arts and Crafts Movement. These items are part of a recent donation by the late Douglas Schoenherr, Associate Curator of the Prints and Drawings Department at the National Gallery of Canada from 1986 to 1997.

Committed to the highest standards of craftsmanship throughout its relatively short life, the “typographical adventure” initiated by Morris was remarkably successful, producing some of the most beautiful books ever printed, while also reviving the idea of the book as a work of art, and giving rise to the private press movement that flourished in England during the late 1890s and early 1900s. This display of items from Douglas Schoenherr’s  generous gift offers visitors a rare opportunity to view this extraordinary legacy.