Question 1

Where can I see Strawberry Thief?

Accepted Answer

The original Strawberry Thief printed cotton, designed by Morris in 1883, is in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 2RL. Because it was produced as a furnishing fabric rather than a single object, lengths and samples are also held by other museums with Morris & Co. collections, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Cleveland Museum of Art.

As with most textiles, display is rotated to limit light damage, so check the museum's collection pages before travelling if you want to see a specific piece rather than Morris's work generally.

The design was printed at the Merton Abbey works, which opened in 1881 and put dye vats and looms on one site. Morris had returned to natural dyes after his 1875 experiments with Thomas Wardle at Leek, and set up a dye house at Queen Square before Merton Abbey gave him the space to work at scale. The name comes from the thrushes that stole fruit in the garden at Kelmscott Manor, the Oxfordshire house he had taken jointly with Dante Gabriel Rossetti in 1871 and described as a jewel of a house.

For Morris's range in one place rather than this design in particular, the William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow is the better visit.

Question 2

Where is the William Morris Gallery?

Accepted Answer

The William Morris Gallery is in Lloyd Park, Walthamstow, London E17 4PP. It is a short walk from Walthamstow Central station, entry is free, and the telephone number is 020 8496 4390.

The building was the Morris family home. He was born nearby at Elm House in Walthamstow on 24 March 1834, and the family moved here while he was a boy, so the collection sits in the place he grew up rather than in a building chosen later for the purpose.

The displays cover his whole working life rather than the wallpapers alone: printed and woven textiles, wallpapers, stained glass, furniture and books from the Kelmscott Press, alongside work by the Century Guild and other designers of the Arts and Crafts movement. Tile designs are among the pieces on show.

It is the best single starting point in London for seeing his range in one visit. For the textiles in depth, the Victoria and Albert Museum on Cromwell Road holds the original Strawberry Thief printed cotton of 1883 and a substantial Morris & Co. collection. Kelmscott House in Hammersmith, his London home, gave the Kelmscott Press its name, and Kelmscott Manor in Oxfordshire was the country house he took jointly with Dante Gabriel Rossetti in 1871.

Question 3

Where can I see William Morris work in London?

Accepted Answer

Two places carry most of it. The William Morris Gallery in Lloyd Park, Walthamstow, E17 4PP, was the Morris family home and holds work across his whole range, from wallpapers and textiles to stained glass, furniture and Kelmscott Press books, alongside pieces by the Century Guild and other Arts and Crafts designers. Entry is free.

The Victoria and Albert Museum on Cromwell Road, South Kensington, SW7 2RL, holds the deeper textile collection, including the original Strawberry Thief printed cotton of 1883 and three figure studies from 1860: Woman Drinking from a Fountain, Woman Holding a Small Book and Woman Gathering Fruit. Textiles are rotated to limit light damage, so check the collection pages before travelling for a specific piece.

Kelmscott House in Hammersmith, at 26 Upper Mall, was his London home and gave the Kelmscott Press its name. The Society's premises there open to visitors on limited days, so check before going.

Outside London, Kelmscott Manor in Oxfordshire was the country house he took jointly with Dante Gabriel Rossetti in 1871 and called a jewel of a house. It is now held by the Society of Antiquaries and keeps his own textiles and furniture in place.

Question 4

What is at Kelmscott Manor?

Accepted Answer

Kelmscott Manor is a 17th-century farmhouse at Kelmscott in Oxfordshire, near Lechlade, that was the country home of William Morris. Morris and Dante Gabriel Rossetti jointly leased it in 1871. Morris called it 'a jewel of a house'. He loved it for its rural setting, the austere beauty of the Cotswold buildings, and its proximity to the River Thames.

Morris, his wife Jane, their daughters Jenny and May, and Rossetti used the house as a summer retreat. The house was simply furnished. Morris enjoyed the craftsmanship of the local architecture, the flowers and plants, and fishing. His daughter May recalled that his Willow Bough wallpaper of 1887 was inspired by the willows growing alongside the stream at Kelmscott. Several other designs reflect the inspiration of the Cotswolds: the printed cottons Evenlode and Windrush, named after local streams, and Snakeshead, inspired by the snake's head fritillary growing wild in the fields.

You can visit Kelmscott Manor at Kelmscott, near Lechlade, Gloucestershire, GL7 3HJ. In the village, you can also see cottages by Philip Webb and Ernest Gimson. Gimson also designed the Village Hall.

Question 5

Can you visit the original Morris & Co workshops?

Accepted Answer

Morris & Co. had several locations during its operation, though the original workshops are no longer open to the public. The firm, initially called Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co., was founded in 1861. Its first premises were at 8 Red Lion Square, Bloomsbury, London. This location included an office, a showroom, and workshops for crafting items such as metalwork, carpets, and stained glass.

In 1875, the firm was reconstituted as Morris & Company. In 1877, a showroom opened on Oxford Street, London. Production expanded in 1881, when the Merton Abbey works were established. These works were significant for textile production, including high warp production.

While the original Red Lion Square workshops are not accessible, other sites associated with the Arts and Crafts movement can be visited. For example, the Art Workers Guild moved to 6 Queen Square, Bloomsbury, London, in 1914. Additionally, the Mortuary Chapel in Compton, Surrey, features decoration designed and executed by Mary Seton Watts and local trainees. These locations offer insight into the broader Arts and Crafts context.

Question 6

Which V&A galleries have William Morris textiles?

Accepted Answer

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A) in South Kensington, London, holds a collection of textiles designed or manufactured by William Morris. Morris had a close relationship with the South Kensington Museum (now the V&A). In 1867, he received the commission to decorate the Green Dining Room. This space became an example of Arts and Crafts ideals; Morris created a unified, functional environment, designing the windows, lights, and wall panelling. Morris's company, Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Company, produced a range of items, including printed and woven textiles. These textiles, along with furniture, wallpaper, stained glass, and other decorative arts, contributed to Morris's unified aesthetic. The V&A's British Galleries display Arts and Crafts work, including items designed by William Morris. The William Morris Gallery, located in Lloyd Park, Walthamstow, London, also features Morris's work. This gallery is in Morris's family home and contains work by Morris, the Century Guild, and other Arts and Crafts designers.

Question 7

Are there William Morris works on display in the United States?

Accepted Answer

Yes, examples of William Morris's work can be found in several locations in the United States. Morris (1834-1896) was associated with the Pre-Raphaelites, and he began the firm Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. in 1861; it was later known as Morris & Co. from 1875. The company produced stained glass, textiles, carpets, and furniture. Morris also designed wallpaper and was involved in dyeing, weaving, woodcut engraving, printing, and architectural preservation. He lectured on dyeing and other subjects. Morris was a proponent of handicrafts, and he sought to bring art to many areas of life.

To see Morris's work, one might visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City (1000 5th Avenue, New York, NY 10028). The Art Institute of Chicago (111 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60603) also holds examples of decorative arts and textiles. Additionally, the Boston Museum of Fine Arts (Avenue of the Arts, 465 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115) has a collection of British decorative arts that may include pieces by Morris or his firm.

Question 8

What is at Kelmscott House?

Accepted Answer

Kelmscott House in Hammersmith, London, was William Morris's home during the later part of his life. In 1890, Morris established the Kelmscott Press at Kelmscott House. He designed and cast new fonts of type with the help of Emery Walker. Morris's love for Gothic forms influenced his approach to book design; he studied examples of early printed books to inform his work. Every aspect of the Kelmscott Press publications, from the paper and binding to the ink, received careful consideration, with Morris himself overseeing the manufacturing.

The first book from the Kelmscott Press appeared in 1891. All of the ornaments for the Kelmscott Press were designed by William Morris. The Kelmscott Press operated on a co-operative basis. One of the most significant achievements of the Kelmscott Press was the publication of the Chaucer. Morris started this project in the summer of 1894, and it was completed in the spring of 1896. The Chaucer featured eighty-six pictures by Edward Burne-Jones, with wood engravings by W. H. Hooper and a title page designed by Morris.

Where to See William Morris

About the artist

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