International Kelmscott Day Celebration

Please join the ASU Library for the international celebration of the 125th anniversary of the Kelmscott Press 1896 publication of “The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer: Now Newly Imprinted,” thought to be one of the most beautiful books ever printed. 

In honor of this occasion, ASU’s Distinctive Collections will open the Wurzburger Reading Room in Hayden Library on Friday, June 25, for in-person exploration of a selection from the library’s complete collection of 53 works printed by the Kelmscott Press. In addition, there will be brief presentations on bookmaking, biophilia and illustrations. 

A virtual event is slated for Saturday, June 26, on International Kelmscott Day, featuring a panel of student and faculty speakers, including Julie Codell, professor of art history, on the friendship between William Morris and his longtime collaborator Edward Burne-Jones; ASU alum Jacob Robertson on the influence of Rossetti; and Daniel Mayer, director of Pyracantha Press, on the aesthetic influences of Kelmscott leading to contemporary artists books.

All events are free and open to the public.