William Morris – A short History

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In January 1861 Rossetti wrote to William Allingham: `We are organising … a company for the production of furniture and decoration of all kinds, for the sale of which we are going to open an actual shop! The men concerned are Madox Brown, Jones, Topsy [William Morris], Webb (the architect of T[opsy]‘s house), P P Marshall, Faulkner, and myself…. We expect to start in some shape about May or June, but not to go to any expense in premises at first.’

Burne-Jones, in Mackail’s Notebooks, is recorded as saying `It was DGR’s [Rosetti's] idea; he saw money in it.’

On April 11 1861 Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. opened for business.

In 1862 The Firm took two stands at the International Exhibition held at the South Kensington Museum. They exhibited stained-glass at one stand, and furniture, tapestries and embroideries at the other, in “the style of the Middle Ages”, a harbinger for the direction of the future direction of the Firm

By early 1864 Morris’ contribution and leadership was becoming evident. He was suggesting that the Firm could move from Red Lion Square to the Red House. He also planned to build an extension to Red House for the Burne-Joneses to live in. Shortly afterwards, in February, the designs for the first Morris wallpapers were registered. ‘Trellis’ was based on the rose trellis at Red House, with Burne-Jones supplying the drawings for the birds, and Daisy, undoubtedly influenced by the flowers in the surrounding fields. Jeffery & Co, of Islington in London were contracted to print these wallpapers.