William Morris – A short History

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In November of 1865 Morris and his family moved from the Red House to the Firm’s headquarters at 26 Queen Square. Morris was never to visit the Red House again because, as Mackail wrote, `the sight of it would be more than he could bear.’

After leaving Red House, Morris’ professional life became wide-ranging, encompassing a huge range of interests.

Morris became a designer of carpets, tiles, stained glass, wallpapers, and fabrics. He taught himself to weave tapestries. A man of prodigious energy, Morris was also a painter, and a respected poet who was asked to be England’s poet laureate by Queen Victoria, an honour he declined. Morris’ other talents included designing and weaving tapestries and carpets, designing furniture and designing the typography for his own books.

He was both a businessman and a socialist, speaking at meetings and rallies. His visionary writings in his book News from Nowhere described a future Britain where art, peace, decency and harmony with nature have triumphed. Morris also founded the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, which continues Morris’ work today. |

Morris and the Firm had a good client list. In 1866 they were working on the interiors of St. James’s Palace in London, and they again worked on the interiors in 1880-81, when they produced, among other designs, “St. James’s Damask” a silk weave used for both wall coverings and curtains.