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Quality books for the masses: William Morris and the Kelmscott Press
You may know William Morris as the 19th century designer and political commentator, and even spotted some of his wallpapers around Winterbourne House. But are you aware of his printing press? We have been researching what inspired Morris to establish the Kelmscott Press, and how it significantly impacted the printing industry. Portrait of William Morris
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Object of the month: Rubber alphabet set
Sometimes objects from the past can remind us of processes that we take for granted. Before the days of word processing, or even photocopiers, printing was a very ‘hands-on’ business. Small letterpress printshops provided a service if you needed multiple copies of something, but what if you needed a one-off item on the spot? This
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Object of the month: Vane & Schofield plaque
Sometimes objects literally come out of the woodwork. During a clear-out of one of the workshops a few years ago, this little brass plaque was discovered. Nobody knew where it had come from. When we started to investigate, we realised that it could be a relic from the time of John Nicolson, Winterbourne’s last private
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Creating a growing legacy
For the past 80 years, Winterbourne’s garden has been in the hands of University of Birmingham. Before then, it was lovingly tended to by Winterbourne’s last private owner, John Nicolson. Head Gardener Dan reflects on how Nicolson’s impact has shaped the garden into the one so beloved by all who tread its paths today. I
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The last man behind Winterbourne: the life of John Nicolson
John Macdonald Nicolson (1869 – 1944) was a passionate gardener, and it was likely the extensive garden that attracted him to Winterbourne when it came up for sale in 1925. He was responsible for some of the garden’s most popular features, including the Japanese bridge and tea house, and the pergola. In this article, archives