List of Artisanal Book Presses
(To be intermittently updated - last updated June 4, 2025)
Printed in 1896, almost every page of Morris’ Chaucer had illustrations.
I.
Kelmscott Press
A social critic and craftsman deeply embedded in the Arts and Crafts movement, William Morris founded Kelmscott Press in 1891 with a passionate belief in the power of beautiful, handmade objects. Inspired by medieval bookmaking traditions, he revived ancient techniques to create works of extraordinary beauty and integrity that celebrated human craftsmanship.
His hand-crafted books, particularly the "Kelmscott Chaucer" (1896), earned the nickname "pocket cathedrals" for their spiritual quality and meticulous attention to detail. Morris's work extended far beyond books into wallpapers, textiles, and prints, all featuring his signature botanical patterns—acanthus, willow, pomegranate—drawn from Gothic and Pre-Raphaelite traditions. His aesthetic philosophy championed the idea that beautiful, well-made objects weren't luxuries but necessities for human flourishing, essential to creating environments where people could thrive creatively and spiritually.
II.
Prosper and Martine Assouline
Their partnership began in 1993 when they visited La Colombe d'Or hotel in the South of France, one of their most beloved places. What captivated them was its intimate, family atmosphere—"a kind of family life, in a magnificent but not show off way"—and the peaceful mornings on the terrace with coffee, "quiet, with only the birds and the wind."
Inspired by this authentic elegance, they decided to create their own book about the hotel, with Prosper taking the photographs and Martine writing the text. Martine, who was born in the Ivory Coast and grew up in Peru before studying interior design in Switzerland and law in France, brought her editorial sensibility from her work as an attorney and publicist at the fashion house Rochas. Prosper, a Morocco-born Frenchman, contributed his visual storytelling instincts developed through his background as an art director in fashion and advertising. La Colombe d'Or became their first book when they launched their publishing house in 1994.
What started as a personal project celebrating a place they loved evolved into a philosophy that treats each book as a carefully crafted experience. Their work expanded beyond individual titles to include curating personal libraries, recognizing that books shape the very atmosphere of our most intimate spaces and reflect our deepest cultural connections.
III.
Thornwillow Press
The story of Thornwillow Press begins with a sixteen-year-old Luke Ives Pontifell binding books on his family's kitchen table in 1985, inspired by old volumes in his parents' library and a childhood spent in an 18th-century farmhouse surrounded by thornwillow trees. Beginning as a high schooler’s labor of love—printing a children's story for a family friend—grew when prominent authors began responding to his letters with manuscripts of their own.
Growing up with glaucoma that required multiple eye surgeries, Pontifell developed an intimate relationship with books, becoming captivated equally by stories and "the minutia of spacing and letters." This personal connection to the printed word, combined with his appreciation for "the coupling of sturdy construction and thoughtful design," became the foundation for a publishing philosophy centered on permanence and beauty.
IV.
Phaidon Press
Born from the intellectualism of the 1920s Vienna, Phaidon emerged in 1923 when Dr. Béla Horovitz and Ludwig Goldscheider founded their publishing house with a German edition of Plato's works. They named their company after Phaedo of Elis, a pupil of Socrates and speaker in Plato's dialogue on the immortality of the soul, reflecting their love of classical culture, with a logo derived from the Greek letter phi representing the golden ratio.
From the beginning, Phaidon operated on two core principles: (1) Horovitz focused on value: delivering quality books at affordable prices that could bring art into ordinary homes, while (2) Goldscheider contributed elegant layouts and beautiful production. When the Nazis forced them to flee Vienna in 1938, they re-established in London, transforming from a literary publisher into pioneers of the art book format with their 1937 breakthrough publications on Van Gogh, Botticelli, and the French Impressionists.
Their most legendary success emerged from a chance encounter when Horovitz met Ernst Gombrich on a London bus and persuaded the reluctant scholar to write a one-volume survey of art history. When Gombrich wavered, Horovitz refused to take back his advance, insisting the book deserved to be completed. That mixture of reluctance and persistence created "The Story of Art" (1950), which sold over 8 million copies and was translated into 30 languages. Today, with over 1,500 titles in print and its reach across 100 countries, Phaidon continues its mission of making art accessible without compromising on beauty or scholarship.
V.
The Folio Society
Born from youthful idealism, The Folio Society emerged in 1947 when 26 year old Charles Ede founded his publishing house with an audacious mission: to offer "editions of the world's great literature, in a format worthy of the contents, at a price within the reach of everyman." Ede later admitted that had he been older and wiser, The Folio Society would probably never have happened. His mentor Christopher Sandford of the Golden Cockerel Press doubted the viability of these "poor man's fine editions." Inspired by William Morris's Kelmscott Press and armed with training from the London School of Printing, Ede launched his first book: Tales by Tolstoy with pen-and-ink drawings, believing that only time-tested works deserved the expense of fine binding.
Beyond established classics, the Society pioneered eyewitness histories and commissioned new translations. Today, The Folio Society continues to transform timeless literature into collectible objects through exceptional typography, commissioned illustrations, and hand-sewn bindings that allow books to open flat without strain.