The William Morris Society
Tuesday: -
Wednesday: -
Thursday: 12:00 - 17:00
Friday: -
Saturday: 12:00 - 17:00
Sunday: 12:00 - 17:00
About The William Morris Society
"I do not want art for a few, anymore than education for a few, or freedom for a few. " William Morris 1879.
The William Morris Society Description
The William Morris Society is a charitable organisation whose aim is to promote the life and work of designer, writer and socialist William Morris, one of the most outstanding figures of the nineteenth century whose influence and ideas remain as important today as they were in his own lifetime. Membership to the Society includes a number of benefits such as a quarterly newsletter, the Journal of William Morris Studies and a range of talks and events relating to Morris's life and works. We also run a small museum at our premises in Hammersmith, London, in the basement and Coach House of Morris's last home.
THE MUSEUM (FREE ENTRY)
Kelmscott House dates from the 1780s and Morris lived here from 1878 until his death in 1896. The Coach House, Library and Basement rooms are open to the public on Thursday and Saturday afternoons from 2-5pm. There are frequent demonstrations on Morris's printing press, and a well stocked shop.
MORRIS AT KELMSCOTT HOUSE
Soon after moving into Kelmscott House, Morris began experiments with weaving. He set up a tapestry loom in his ground floor bedroom and carpet looms in the Coach House. The latter were moved to his new works at Merton Abbey in 1881. The small rugs and carpets made here are known as Hammersmith rugs and bear the woven device of a hammer in the border.
During the 1870s Morris had become increasingly active in politics. In 1883 he joined the Socialist Democratic Federation and established a branch which met in the Coach House. When he left the Federation in 1885 to form the Socialist League the meetings continued with many distinguished speakers such as Lucy Parsons, Peter Kropotkin and Annie Besant. This tradition continues today with speakers most weekends including Tony Benn.
In his last years Morris embarked upon printing by establishing the Kelmscott Press in nearby properties. The Chaucer, the press's greatest book, was completed shortly before he died and one of the proofing presses used in its printing is now on permanent display.
THE COLLECTION
We hold the archive of the Kelmscott Fellowship and the Women’s Guild of Arts. Founded in 1918 by May Morris, Emery Walker and AH Verstage, the Kelmscott Fellowship was the forerunner of the William Morris Society, and they merged in 1966. With May Morris at its first President, the Fellowship aimed to keep Morris legacy alive through a series of events and exhibitions, and through an active membership which included Walter Crane, Georgiana Burne-Jones and Emery Walker. The Women’s Guild of Arts was established in 1904 as a reaction to the lack of professional art organisations willing to admit women. May Morris was responsible for organising the may lectures and events that appealed to a wide range of craftswomen. The archive includes minutes of meetings, accounts and membership lists.
The collection contains a number of Kelmscott Press titles and working proofs as well as the only printing press used by Morris left in the country. Dating from c1835 it is fully operational and used on a regular basis by our artist in residence. The Society has a comprehensive collection of Morris and Company wallpapers, watercolour designs, and a selection of textiles, ranging from a Hammersmith rug and woven hangings to printed cottons, silks and embroideries.
EDUCATION
As a writer, designer, printer, passionate socialist and pioneer of the Arts and Crafts Movement William Morris remains an influential and inspirational figure. The Society offers many ways to learn about and enjoy the work of this eminent Victorian.
Learning Outside the Classroom
Visits from schools and local children are vital in strengthening the Society’s links to the community. Over the past 10 years, curator Helen Elletson has been working hard to expand our programme of educational activities. We particularly welcome pupils from Years 5 and 6 who are studying the Victorian period. You can choose between programmes on art, literacy and history and we tailor the learning to suit your needs.
Learn about the Arts and Crafts Movement with an up-close look at fascinating artefacts including original textile designs, wallpaper samples, furniture, embroidery and Pre-Raphaelite drawings. Ten and eleven-year-olds can have a go at textile designing, weaving and painting on acetate to create their own “stained glass”. The success of these visits shows that traditional crafts that take their inspiration from Nature can still have a role in the lives of today’s gadget-obsessed kids.
Citizenship Programme for Key Stage 2 and 3
Kelmscott House is now offering an innovative Citizenship programme with cross-curricular links to English and History for Key Stage 2 and 3. Teachers, go to the citizenship page to read more about the programme, how you can book your class to take part at the museum, or download the resources to carry out the workshops offsite.
http://www. williammorrissociety.org. uk /citizenship. shtml
ALSO Keep an eye out for FREE half-term and summer break drop in workshops!
Here is just a small selection of quotes from the thank-you letters Helen received from the pupils of Year 6, Forty Hill Primary School, Enfield, who visited Kelmscott House in December 2008.
“I didn’t know that he used a presser to produce his work plus he used stamps to put words in his books (wow that must have took a long time). ” Pervin
“William Morris is my favourite artist. ” Sonny
Reviews
Yale University Press is pleased to offer members of the William Morris Society a special discount price for the book The Pre-Raphaelites and Science by John Holmes.
Order online at www.yalebooks.co.uk and enter code Y2037 at checkout. Your discount will then be applied. RRP: £35.00 | Discount Price: £30.00
... UK orders only. Code valid from 01/11/2019 to 31/12/2019.
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Join us for a talk by Professor John Holmes about The Pre-Raphaelites and Science on Saturday 16 November, 2.15pm in the Coach House of Kelmscott House, Hammersmith.
Tickets available here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lecture-th e-pre-raphaelites-…
... In their manifestos written in the early 1850s, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood argued that art should model itself on science, aiming to achieve the same standards of rigour, precision and truth. In this lecture, John Holmes will explore how they put this ideal into practice in their early painting, poetry and sculpture, showing how it changes how we see Pre-Raphaelite art if we look at it in this light. He will show how scientific attention to nature, experiments in art, and collaboration with scientists and architects in Oxford helped to shape Morris' work and values.
John Holmes is Professor of Victorian Literature and Culture at the University of Birmingham. His book The Pre-Raphaelites and Science won the British Society for Literature and Science book prize for the best book on literature and science published in 2018.
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Many thanks to reader Carlo who sent us this photo of our WMS organic cotton tote bag doing the rounds in Leuca, South Apulia, in the heel of beautiful Italy.
Bags available here: https://www.williammorrissocietyshop.com/ …/classic-cotton-t…
... These handsome tote bags have The William Morris Society's logo on one side and the logo of our Hammersmith neighbour Emery Walker's House on the other. The bags are made from sustainable and ethically produced heavyweight cotton.
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Be sure to purchase a beautiful 2020 May Morris calendar featuring images from the V & A from our online shop before they sell out again. Stocks won't last long... we ship worldwide. Available to purchase here:
https://www.williammorrissocietyshop.com/ …/may-morris-calen…
Every purchase from our shop helps support our educational programmes, conserve our unique collection and keep our museum open free to the public. Thank you for your support.
We still have a few places left for our symposium about Morris & Co interiors on Wednesday 6th November at the Art Workers Guild in London....
Tickets available here: https://williammorrissociety.org/…/symp osium-morris-co-int…/
... The Morris & Co. interior is an instantly recognisable aesthetic, devised to bring art into the everyday, and give joy to both maker and user. This symposium will explore the different types of Morris & Co. interiors; private and public commissions, ranging from decorative schemes designed by the Firm to interiors created by customers, and the artist homes of William Morris and his close associates.
Domestic interiors are designed to be lived in and changes are inevitable. Tracing their development, especially when transition from private use to a publicly accessible space takes place, raises the question of authenticity. What then defines a Morris & Co. interior and what relevance do they hold in the 21st century?
Organised by Standen House & Garden, National Trust, East Grinstead, RH19 4 NE in partnership with the William Morris Society. We are grateful to our sponsor, the Decorative Arts Society, Art and Design 1850 to the Present.
This symposium is organised to coincide with the exhibition Morris & Co: Inspired by Nature at Standen House and Garden, June-November 2019.
We hope to publish a selection of conference papers in a peer-reviewed journal or as an edited collection after the conference.
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Front of house volunteers needed please... Kelmscott House, former home of William Morris on the Thames in Hammersmith, celebrates his love of art, design, craftsmanship and fellowship. Our museum holds a programme of exhibitions, talks and workshops as well as guided tours and school visits thanks to our excellent team of dedicated volunteers.
We are looking to recruit more volunteers to the team to undertake a variety of front of house roles when we are open to the public o...n Thursdays and Saturdays from 2 - 5 pm...
Front of house: to welcome visitors to WMS, supervise temporary exhibitions, serve customers and manage stock in our gift shop. This role would suit anyone who enjoys working with people and is eager to share their enthusiasm for Morris and his legacy.
Tour guides: to give tours to special interest groups.
For more information please contact:
societymanager@williammorrissociety. org.uk or tel. 020 8741 3735
Thank you - please forward this information to anyone who you think may have an interest.
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Our colleagues at The William Morris Society in the United States are calling for applications for the 2020 Joseph R. Dunlap Memorial Fellowship. The deadline is December 1, 2019. Applications are judged by committee, and the decision will be announced by January 15, 2020.
More information in their post below...
William Morris's design for Windrush (1883) from our museum Collection is featured in The Oxfordshire Museum's exhibition 'An Earthly Paradise: William Morris' which runs until Sunday 10th November. The exhibition was created by the River & Rowing Museum in Henley on Thames.
'An Earthly Paradise' explores how the River Thames flowed through William Morris' life and work and can be identified in several of his most famous designs. Featuring loans from national collections.
M...ore information here: https://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/…/earthl y-paradise-william-m…
In the early 1880s Morris created a series of textile designs each inspired by a tributary of the Thames – Kennet, Loden, Wandle, Evenlode, Windrush and Medway. For this series he used a primary colour palette, not much seen in the Victorian period, with strong repeating elements and using traditional dyes such as indigo. The exhibition includes Morris’ original hand drawn watercolour designs, as well as the fabrics themselves and a pair of the hand carved blocks used to print them.
The exhibition also features personal items such as a Kelmscott Press edition of ‘News from Nowhere’, signed by Morris to his daughter, May, and skeins of wool hand-dyed by Morris. His fishing pouch and weights are a reminder of Morris’ life long passion for angling and his tiny glasses and pipe provide a direct connection to the man himself.
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Today marks National Mentoring Day. William Morris was a mentor of sorts to John Henry Dearle who took over as Art Director of Morris & Co. after the death of Morris in 1896.
John Henry Dearle (1859 – 1932) began his long employment with Morris & Co working as a teenager in the firm's Oxford Street shop. William Morris took him under his wing and trained him to work firstly in the stain glass studio in Queens Square and then as his tapestry assistant.
By the early 1880s, Dea...rle was responsible for training tapestry assistants for the firm. His natural aptitude for design then lead him to becoming, alongside May Morris, the key designer for embroidery patterns at Morris & Co. After the death of William Morris, Dearle became Art Director of Morris & Co. The 30 repeat patterns he created were greatly influenced by his former employer and included the famous Golden Lily, Seaweed, Compton, Sweet Briar, Anemone, Artichoke, Daffodil and Iris. According to Sanderson, who now own Morris & Co., Golden Lily is the firm's second most popular design after Willow Bough.
Dearle was devoted to his mentor and friend, William Morris, recalling after the great man's death, "his impetuous and curious" nature, "his kind eyes", that he was "generous minded to a fault and respected by all who worked for him". Also, that it was a "privilege to have experienced his friendship".
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If you weren't able to visit our exhibition that closes today about the history of Kelmscott House then you can still learn more about Morris's beloved Hammersmith home by purchasing a copy of our book about the house which also serviced as the exhibition catalogue:
'A History of Kelmscott House', written by our Curator Helen Elletson, is available from our on-line shop where we ship worldwide:
https://www.williammorrissocietyshop.com/ …/a-history-of-kel…
... The publication is £6 + postage.
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Last chance tomorrow to see our acclaimed exhibition 'The Dear Warp and Weft at Hammersmith' in the Coach House at Kelmscott House. The exhibition closes on Saturday 26 October.
Featured in Country Life and Chiswick magazines, this exhibition tells the story of Kelmscott House and its famous residents, including inventor Sir Francis Ronalds, writer George MacDonald and of course, Morris himself. Have you visited it yet? Find more information here:
https://williammorrissoci...ety.org/…/c oming-soon-the-dear-wa…/
The exhibition is open Thursdays an Saturdays 2 - 5 pm with free admission.
If you can't make the exhibition the book/catalogue accompanying the exhibition, The History of Kelmscott House, written by Society curator Helen Elletson, is available in our online shop for just £6. Available here:
https://www.williammorrissocietyshop.com/ …/a-history-of-kel…
Richly illustrated with photographs of the interior of the house during Morris’s time and images of textiles, wallpapers and other items from our collection, it gives a wonderful insight into this special place.
Exhibition sponsored by William Morris & Co
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Bring your group for a private tour to Kelmscott House, Hammersmith to learn more about the life and works of William Morris and discover items from our museum collection with one of our expert guides. We can also arrange a combined tour of our premises and the nearby Emery Walker House, home of Emery Walker, printer, photographer and friend of Morris and his family.
For more information email or call: admin@williammorrissociety.org.uk 020 8741 3735
... Please note: the majority of Kelmcott House itself is privately owned and not open to the public. The Society is based in the Coach House and basement rooms of the property.
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William Morris Gallery new exhibition is now open...
In partnership with Standen, National Trust we are co-hosting a symposium about Morris & Co. interiors on Wednesday 6th November, 9.30 - 5 pm at the Arts Workers Guild, Bloomsbury. More information and tickets here:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/symposium- morris-co-interior…
The Morris & Co. interior is an instantly recognisable aesthetic, devised to bring art into the everyday, and give joy to both maker and user. This symposium on Wednesday 6 November 2019 at the Art Work...ers' Guild in London will explore the different types of Morris & Co. interiors; private and public commissions, ranging from decorative schemes designed by the Firm to interiors created by customers, and the artist homes of William Morris and his close associates.
Domestic interiors are designed to be lived in and changes are inevitable. Tracing their development, especially when transition from private use to a publicly accessible space takes place, raises the question of authenticity. What then defines a Morris & Co. interior and what relevance do they hold in the 21st century?
Organised by the National Trust in partnership with the William Morris Society. We are grateful to our sponsor, Decorative Arts Society OC Art and Design 1850 to the Present.
This symposium is organised to coincide with the exhibition Morris & Co: Inspired by Nature at Standen House and Garden, June-November 2019.
We hope to publish a selection of conference papers in a peer-reviewed journal or as an edited collection after the conference.
See More
Have you thought about supporting the Society by becoming a member? We have a worldwide membership across 22 countries. Members receive our glossy colour Magazine three times a year and our respected Journal twice a year. Members receive discounts on tickets for events and activities and a discount in the museum shop.
You can find out more about membership here and can also give membership as a gift: https://williammorrissociety.org/membersh ip/
... One of the benefits of membership of The William Morris Society is exclusive members' events and visits to places of interest. Last week, members enjoyed a visit to the archives of Morris & Co. at Style Library where they saw historic material such as logbooks, textiles and wallpapers, as well as learning about the inspiration for the latest Morris & Co. collection, Melsetter.
Membership subscriptions support the work of the Society to bring Morris and his works to a wider audience, conserve and make available our unique collection and keep our museum open free to the public.
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More about The William Morris Society
Tuesday: -
Wednesday: -
Thursday: 12:00 - 17:00
Friday: -
Saturday: 12:00 - 17:00
Sunday: 12:00 - 17:00