AN ORIGINAL BOOK LABEL PRINTED AT THE KELMSCOTT PRESS "FROM THE LIBRARY / OF WILLIAM MORRIS / KELMSCOTT HOUSE / HAMMERSMITH".

London: The Kelmscott Press, 1896. First Printing. Printed paper book label, 1 inch by 2 ½ inches, “FROM THE LIBRARY / OF WILLIAM MORRIS / KELMSCOTT HOUSE / HAMMERSMITH". Printed in Golden Type on Batchelor paper by the Kelmscott Press in November, 1896 while negotiations for the sale of Morris's library were being carried on by his executors, Sydney Cockerell and F. S. Ellis. The labels were printed at the press shortly after Morris's death and and used to identify books from his library. A fine unused example. While Morris had several thousand books in his library, unused copies of his bookplate are rarely encountered. Peterson, A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE KELMSCOTT PRESS, Item D10.1.

¶ William Morris died on 3 October, 1896. In addition to his work in design and bookmaking with the Kelmscott Press, he also was an avid book collector and held many volumes in his personal library, from medieval manuscripts and incunabula to contemporary nineteenth century works. Though some of his books remained within the family, his executors arranged for a private sale of the bulk of the library to Richard Bennett, a Manchester collector. Many of the books from Morris's library were furnished with a copy of this Kelmscott Press book label, but certainly not all. Richard Bennett rather rapidly disposed of quite a large number of items that offered at auction in London by Sotheby’s in December 1898.