Kelmscott House
Encyclopedia
Kelmscott House is a historic building in Hammersmith
, the London
home of William Morris
from April 1879 to his death in October 1896.
Originally called "The Retreat", Morris renamed it after the Oxfordshire village of Kelmscott
where he had lived at Kelmscott Manor
from June 1871.
Kelmscott House is a Georgian
brick mansion at 26 Upper Mall in Hammersmith
, overlooking the River Thames
. Nearby, Morris began his "adventure in printing
" with his private press, the Kelmscott Press, which he started in 1891 at 16 Upper Mall, Hammersmith.
The building is a private house, though the basement and coach house entrance serve as headquarters of the William Morris Society, and are operated as the Kelmscott House Museum. The museum is open on Thursday and Saturday afternoons.
It was at Kelmscott House that Sir Francis Ronalds
set up a primitive telegraph in 1816. He ran eight miles of cable encased in glass tubing throughout the back garden and succeeded in getting an electrical signal along the full length. He contacted the Admiralty
, but they were not interested at that time in telegraph.
Before Morris (1867-1877), Scottish poet and novelist George MacDonald
lived in the house, which was then still known as "The Retreat".
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
, the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
home of William Morris
William Morris
William Morris 24 March 18343 October 1896 was an English textile designer, artist, writer, and socialist associated with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement...
from April 1879 to his death in October 1896.
Originally called "The Retreat", Morris renamed it after the Oxfordshire village of Kelmscott
Kelmscott
Kelmscott is a village and civil parish on the River Thames in West Oxfordshire, about east of Lechlade in neighbouring Gloucestershire.-Parish church:...
where he had lived at Kelmscott Manor
Kelmscott Manor
Kelmscott Manor is a handsome limestone manor house in the Cotswold village of Kelmscott, Oxfordshire, England. It is situated close to the River Thames, and it is frequently flooded. It dates from around 1570, with a late 17th-century wing...
from June 1871.
Kelmscott House is a Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
brick mansion at 26 Upper Mall in Hammersmith
Hammersmith
Hammersmith is an urban centre in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham in west London, England, in the United Kingdom, approximately five miles west of Charing Cross on the north bank of the River Thames...
, overlooking the River Thames
River Thames
The River Thames flows through southern England. It is the longest river entirely in England and the second longest in the United Kingdom. While it is best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows alongside several other towns and cities, including Oxford,...
. Nearby, Morris began his "adventure in printing
Printing
Printing is a process for reproducing text and image, typically with ink on paper using a printing press. It is often carried out as a large-scale industrial process, and is an essential part of publishing and transaction printing....
" with his private press, the Kelmscott Press, which he started in 1891 at 16 Upper Mall, Hammersmith.
The building is a private house, though the basement and coach house entrance serve as headquarters of the William Morris Society, and are operated as the Kelmscott House Museum. The museum is open on Thursday and Saturday afternoons.
It was at Kelmscott House that Sir Francis Ronalds
Sir Francis Ronalds
Sir Francis Ronalds was a meteorologist, an inventor and a pioneer of the electric telegraph. He was knighted in 1870 for his contributions to science.-Biography:...
set up a primitive telegraph in 1816. He ran eight miles of cable encased in glass tubing throughout the back garden and succeeded in getting an electrical signal along the full length. He contacted the Admiralty
Admiralty
The Admiralty was formerly the authority in the Kingdom of England, and later in the United Kingdom, responsible for the command of the Royal Navy...
, but they were not interested at that time in telegraph.
Before Morris (1867-1877), Scottish poet and novelist George MacDonald
George MacDonald
George MacDonald was a Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister.Known particularly for his poignant fairy tales and fantasy novels, George MacDonald inspired many authors, such as W. H. Auden, J. R. R. Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, E. Nesbit and Madeleine L'Engle. It was C.S...
lived in the house, which was then still known as "The Retreat".