William Morris (1834-1896) set up the Kelmscott Press in 1891 with the intention of creating beautiful editions of books using the processes and aesthetics of early medieval printing and binding. Morris's press is generally credited with inspiring the Private Press movement, in which presses were set up for artistic and aesthetic purposes, rather than as purely commercial ventures. The Kelmscott Press published Morris's own works, as well as editions of his favourite works of literature. Beowulf is one of these; an Old English heroic poem which follows the fortunes of the hero Beowulf as he travels the seas and fights monsters. This poem is the oldest surviving epic poem in Old English and revered by students of English Literature. This book is a first edition of the Kelmscott Press edition of Beowulf printed in 1895, translated by Morris and the Old English scholar A J White. It is a typical Kelmscott book, bound in vellum with blue ties. The text is printed in a typeface designed by Morris called 'Troy', which emulates medieval script. Each page is beautifully printed, with titles and marginal notes in red, decorative initials, and floral borders.