Drawing for 'When Adam Delved and Eve Span'

This original drawing was used for the etched frontispiece to the 1888 edition of Morris's book 'A Dream of John Ball' published by Reeves and Turner. The story had previously been published in serial form in 'The Commonweal' in 1887. The same design, this time a woodcut, was used with a border and capital lettering for the frontispiece of the Kelmscott Press edition of 'A Dream of John Ball' printed 1892, and for a leaflet for the Ancloats Brotherhood, printed by the Press in 1894.

The illustration was again reproduced in the 'Daily Chronicle' in 1895 as part of a collection of 24 illustrations by nearly all the well-known artists of the day, assembled by Joseph Pennell with the object of furthering the cause of the Reform Party. The title on this occasion was 'Labour' set in modern typeface and it was purported that the illustration had been specially drawn for the 'Daily Chronicle'.