The edition of The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer published by the Kelmscott Press in 1896 combined the talents of William Morris, one of England's greatest typographers and printers, and those of artist Sir Edward Burne-Jones, who created the 87 full-page woodcut illustrations. For students of Chaucer, English literature, English printing history, and 19th-century British art, the Kelmscott Chaucer is a unique treasure. Originally published in a limited edition of fewer than 500 copies ? hardly any of which surface on the rare book market ? this masterpiece is now available to a new generation of collectors and bibliophiles.

Geoffrey Chaucer (1343 - 1400) is widely considered the greatest English poet of the Middle Ages and The Canterbury Tales is his greatest work. At a time when French and Latin were the dominant languages of literature, Chaucer played a crucial role in bringing Middle English vernacular to the fore.Polymath William Morris (1834 - 96) was a prolific writer of novels and essays as well as a translator of medieval texts. Although best known in his lifetime as a poet and social activist, Morris is chiefly remembered today for his designs, which he issued from his highly successful decorative arts firm. He also founded the Kelmscott Press, which he dedicated to the hand-printing of a select number of beautiful books with the highest standards of typography, printing, and craftsmanship. Among the works of literature that the Kelmscott Press issued in very limited editions, and which have always been highly prized by collectors, The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer is considered the greatest masterpiece.Sir Edward Burne-Jones (1833 - 98) was an original member of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and a close friend of William Morris's from their days as Oxford undergraduates. In addition to his painting and stained glass work, Burne-Jones worked closely with Morris in the area of decorative arts and illustrations, creating the 87 full-page woodcut illustrations for The Works of Geoffrey Chaucer.