Dedicated to the life and work of
William Morris
Founded in 1971, the William Morris Society in the United States is a group of scholars and enthusiasts brought together in fellowship by our shared interest in the life and works of the nineteenth-century writer, designer, and political thinker William Morris.
Images: Portrait of William Morris by Frederick Hollyer, 1884. William Morris, Jasmine, wallpaper, 1872. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Announcements
International Kelmscott Press Day Schedule
On June 26th, 2021, The William Morris Society in the United States is celebrating International Kelmscott Press Day, commemorating the 130th anniversary of the founding of the Kelmscott Press and the 125th anniversary of the publication of the Press's edition of The...
Call for Papers: ‘The Kelmscott Press and Its Legacies’ Symposium
In 2021 the William Morris Societies of the UK, US, and Canada are celebrating 125 years since the publication of the Kelmscott Chaucer, the crowning glory of Morris’s book printing venture, the Kelmscott Press. As part of this celebration, on November 6th, 2021 the...
William Morris and the Founding of the UK Building Preservation Movement
On July 10th, The William Morris Society in the United States will host a digital talk by Philip Venning, former chief executive of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB). Aymer Vallance claimed that William Morris’s “greatest and best” undertaking...
A brief introduction to
William Morris
William Morris (1834–1896) is remembered for his contributions to literature, political and social thought, historic preservation, and the history of art and design.
Widely recognized as the leader of the Arts and Crafts movement, Morris advocated for the importance of craft. Believing that art was the expression of ‘pleasure in labour’, Morris’s passion for the arts of everyday life and abhorrence of Victorian industrial society led him to political activism. Influenced by Marxism, anarchism and revolutionary socialism, Morris co-founded the Socialist League, campaigned for workers’ rights, and lectured widely on art, labor, and politics.
Morris was himself a prolific designer in a variety of media. His printed textiles, tapestries, carpets, tiles, and wallpapers transformed Victorian interiors. As founder of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, Morris has had a lasting impact in the field of heritage preservation. Towards the end of his life, his creative energies were focused on book printing.
Morris’s legacies survive today in myriad forms—in his poetry and prose, in his widely reproduced pattern designs, and in artistic, environmental, and political activism inspired by his life and work.
Image: William Morris, “Woodpecker” tapestry. Morris & Co., 1885.
join the society
membership
The William Morris Society in the United States is open to all residents of the US.
Members of the William Morris Society US are also members of the William Morris Society in the UK. They receive our magazine, Useful and Beautiful, and the Journal of William Morris Studies.
We hope you’ll join our community of engaged enthusiasts and scholars.
Upcoming
Events
International Kelmscott Press Day Schedule
On June 26th, 2021, The William Morris Society in the United States is celebrating International Kelmscott Press Day, commemorating the 130th anniversary of the founding of the Kelmscott Press and the 125th anniversary of the publication of the Press's edition of The...
William Morris and the Founding of the UK Building Preservation Movement
On July 10th, The William Morris Society in the United States will host a digital talk by Philip Venning, former chief executive of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB). Aymer Vallance claimed that William Morris’s “greatest and best” undertaking...
International Kelmscott Press Day
On June 26th, 2021, The William Morris Society in the United States is organizing International Kelmscott Press Day, a celebration commemorating the 130th anniversary of the founding of the Kelmscott Press and the 125th anniversary of the publication of the Press's...
Image: William Morris, Fruit, wallpaper, c. 1866. Victoria and Albert Museum.
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