2010 William Morris Events in the United Kingdom

Unless otherwise stated events are at Kelmscott House Museum starting at 2.15 p. m. Tickets: members and seniors £6; non-members £8; students £4. All applications for tickets to William Morris Society office: Kelmscott House Museum, 26 Upper Mall, Hammersmith, London W6 9TA, marking the envelope "tickets" and enclosing a stamped addressed envelope. Please pay for visits with a separate check for each visit. For more information about any event please call the office on 020 8741 3735 or email william.morris@care4free.net.

Disclaimer: Attendees participate in events at their own risk; neither the Society, its officers, nor the organisers of any events accept any liability of any kind whatsoever, howsoever arising. The William Morris Society reserves the right to cancel, alter, or postpone events if necessary. Members are reminded that they should have adequate personal and travel insurance. No refunds unless cancelled by the Society, in which case a credit note will be given. Kindly note that the Society's premises have limited wheelchair access. The William Morris Society and Kelmscott Fellowship: Registered Charity No. 261437.

Saturday, 16 January, 2.15 p. m.
Antiscrap: A Campaign for the William Morris Gallery
Kelmscott House Museum, London
The artist Roger Huddle, who was an organiser of the campaign against the running down and threatened closure of the gallery, will talk about the campaign’s achievements and the latest developments. A short film will be shown.

Sunday, 31 January, 3.00 p. m.
Recital by Zadok Baroque Trio
Kelmscott House Museum, London
The concert will focus on Duets and Dialogues.

Saturday, 27 February, 2.15 p.m.
William Morris's Legacy Here and Now
Kelmscott House Museum
The first in a new series, to include designers, conservationists, artists, craft workers, writers and others whose work is inspired by Morris. Talk by Mohamed Ali. A contemporary artist speaks about his work, art and politics, and the influence of William Morris.

Saturday, 13 March, 2.15 p. m.
Ian Hamerton on W. A. S. Benson
Kelmscott House Museum
Morris’s friend and colleague William Arthur Smith Benson headed Morris & Co. Decorators after Morris's death. Our speaker is the leading authority on Benson's work.

Saturday, 20 March, 2.15 p. m.
William Morris and the Photography of Frederick Hollyer
Kelmscott House Museum
Ashley Givens is a curator of the V&A's department of photographs, word and image. Her talk will be illustrated with rarely- seen images from the museum's collection. The day also marks William Morris's birthday. After the talk, we will cut the cake and drink his health.

Satuesday, 20 April, 2.15 p. m.
Visit to the Wellcome Institute Library
Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine, London
Julianne Simpson, the Wellcome Institute's rare books librarian, will show us some of the two hundred volumes from William Morris's own library. This is a repeat of our previous visit in 2008. Do not apply if you came last time, as numbers are limited to 15 and we would like to give more members a chance to see the collection. Tickets £10 (members), £5 (student members). Meet at the library entrance, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE before 2.15 p. m.

Saturday, 24 April, 2.15 p. m.
Connections and Contrasts: Aspects of the Life and Work of A. W. N. Pugin
Kelmscott House Museum
Catriona Blaker is an authority on the architect and designer A. W. N. Pugin, and is a founder member and trustee of the Pugin Society.

Sunday, 2 May, 7 p. m.
The Tables Upturned
Kelmscott House Museum
We celebrate May Day with a supper party and a production of Morris's only play, performed by the New Factory of the Eccentric Actor theatre company. Tickets £15 (members), £18 (non-members), £10 (students). Price includes buffet supper and wine.

Saturday, 8 May, 2 p. m.
The 56th Annual General Meeting of the William Morris Society
Birmingham Art Gallery and Museum, off Chamberlain Square, Birmingham
After the meeting Tessa Sidey will show groups of members some of the Burne-Jones drawings in the gallery's reserve collection. No charge. Note that this event is in Birmingham, not London.

Saturday 22 May, 2.15 p. m.
William Morris's Vision, The Synthesis of Art and Politics
Kelmscott House Museum
Talk by Professor Hassan Mahamdallie, author of Crossing the "River of Fire": The Socialism of William Morris.

Sunday, 13 June, 10 a. m.–5 p. m.
Open Gardens
Kelmscott House Museum
Please come and help us! Visitors will be invited to view the gardens of Kelmscott House. We need your help with greeting people and providing refreshments. (No detailed knowledge of William Morris and/or the house is required—just enthusiasm.) Contact our Curator, Helen Elletson, at the William Morris Society Office.

Saturday, 19 June, 2.15 p. m.
The Morris Legacy: Campaigning to Save our Architectural Heritage
Kelmscott House Museum
This is the second talk in our series "William Morris's Legacy Here and Now." Ian Dungavel, Director of the Victorian Society, will talk about the protection and appropriate conservation and use of our architectural heritage.

Saturday, 24 July, 2.15 p. m.
Hugh Thackeray Turner
Kelmscott House Museum
Robin Stannard reveals new information about Hugh Thackeray Turner, Morris’s successor to the SPAB and an inventive Arts and Crafts architect.

Thursday, 5 August, 10.45 a. m.
Guided visit to the V&A Museum Reserve Collections
An opportunity to see items not normally on show, which Morris recommended to the Museum. Our guide will be Duncan Smith of ACAVA, assisted by curatorial staff. Visit begins at 10.45 a. m. and should last about two hours. Joining instructions will be given when tickets are issued.

Saturday, 11 September, 2.15 p. m.
Kelmscott House Museum
A Fantasy on Violet Gordon Woodhouse: Performance by Zadok Baroque
Violet Gordon Woodhouse, a friend of Morris, Shaw and Dolmetsch, was a virtuoso harpsichordist and clavichordist with a scandalous private life. In this fantasy she will be portrayed by Bridget Cunningham, with flautist companion Byron Mahoney. Readings from Violet’s diary, biography and poetry.

Saturday, 18 and Sunday, 19 September 2010, 1– 5 p. m.
London Open House
Kelmscott House Museum
We need your help! A detailed knowledge of William Morris and/or the house is not required. Contact Helen Elletson at the William Morris Society office.

Saturday, 25 September, 2.15 p. m.
Watts’s Symbols and Morals
Kelmscott House Museum
Talk on the art of painter George Frederick Watts by Hilary Underwood.

Saturday, 16 october, 2.15 p. m.
THE KELMSCOTT LECTURE
The Legacy of William Morris
Kelmscott House Museum
Lecture by Anthony Wedgwood Benn.

Saturday, 13 November, 2.15 p. m.
Poisonous Mines, Wallpapers and Seamstresses: William Morris and Arsenic
Kelmscott House Museum
Talk by Professor Andrew Meharg.

Sunday, 14 November, 2.15 p. m.
Recital by the Zadok Baroque Ensemble
Kelmscott House Museum

Saturday, 11 December, 2.15 p. m.
Owen Jones and the Grammar of Ornament
Kelmscott House Museum
Katherine Ferry is the leading authority on the work of the important Victorian designer and architect Owen Jones. She will consider Jones’s progressive attitude to the function and purpose of design, and the extent to which William Morris and the Arts & Crafts movement both drew upon and rejected his approach.

Sunday, 5 December, 2.30 p. m.
Celebratory Recital by Zadok Baroque Ensemble
Kelmscott House Museum

Exhibitions

Until 8 January
Mackintosh and The Glasgow School of Art
Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, Glasgow
www.hunterian.gla.ac.uk

Until 24 January
Experiments in Colour
William Morris Gallery, London
This exhibition explores the remarkable collaboration between William Morris and the Victorian textile entrepreneur, Thomas Wardle (1831–1909). Together they experimented with natural dyes and printing techniques and their interest in colour led them to a joint fascination with the textiles of India. This exhibition explores the fruits of this partnership, a unique moment in British textile history. "Experiments in Colour" is curated by Brenda King and forms part of a series of exhibitions celebrating Wardle's centenary.
www.lbwf.gov.uk

Until 28 February
Emery Walker: Man of Letters
Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire
Explores the history of lettering through the eyes of Emery Walker, from the origins of typography via the Gutenberg Bible, William Caxton, William Morris and influential small presses. The exhibition combines a selection of letters, books and archive material to highlight Walker's influence on the Arts and Crafts movement, and his role in the nineteenth-century renaissance of typography and the production of the book. Students from the University of Gloucester demonstrate how the legacy lives on through the power of type. www.cheltenham.artgallery.museum.org.uk

Until March
Aspects of the Arts and Crafts Movement
Nlackwell: The Arts and Crafts House, Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria
Displays focusing on different aspects of the Arts and Crafts movement are presented here as a prelude to the celebration of Blackwell's tenth anniversary which will culminate in the summer show, William Morris: A Sense of Place (June to October 2010).
www.blackwell.org.uk

Until 14 March
The Rise of Women Artists
Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool
The exhibition charts the progress made by women artists from the sixteen century to the present day, tracing the historical changes affecting women's status and careers. Works from the gallery's collection include paintings by Jessie MacGregor, Emma Sandys and Evelyn de Morgan, textiles, ceramics and sculpture.
www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk

Until 21 March
G. F. Watts: Victorian Visionary
Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate
(01432) 556188

June–October
William Morris: A Sense of Place
Nlackwell: The Arts and Crafts House, Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria
Exhibition celebrating Blackwell's tenth anniversary.
www.blackwell.org.uk

19 June–22 August
Calligraphic Masterpieces
William Morris Gallery, London
The William Morris Gallery summer show explores William Morris’s remarkable achievements in calligraphy and manuscript illumination. From his early—and continuous—interest in medieval manuscripts to the founding of the Kelmscott Press, Morris was enraptured by beautiful books. The exhibition focuses on the 1870s, his most intense period of calligraphic activity, often collaborating with Edward Burne-Jones on the illustrations. The exhibits demonstrate his extraordinary range of interests from the Icelandic sagas to the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Important loans from other UK institutions (including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Society of Antiquaries, the Wellcome Institute, and the Bodleian Library) the make this a must- see for all those interested in William Morris the art of writing. Morris produced in all fewer than two dozen calligraphic works and this is a rare opportunity to see many of them in a single place
www.walthamforest.gov.uk/museums-galleries

Until 21 August
Roger Fenton & Julia Margaret Cameron: Early British Photographs from the Royal Collection
Aberdeen Art Gallery, Schoolhill, Aberdeen
www.aagm.co.uk

Until 17 October
William Morris: A Sense of Place
Blackwell, The Arts & Crafts House, Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria
In celebration of Blackwell’s tenth anniversary, this exhibition demonstrates Morris’s acute sense of place, which runs like a thread through each of the facets of his life: design, writing, socialism and conservation work.
www.blackwell.org.uk

Until 15 August
Looking in Wonderland: Sir John Tenniel's illustrations to the Alice Books
Cheltenham Art Gallery and Museum, Cheltenham
www.cheltenham.artgallery.museum

Until 28 August
Wallpaper
Cuming Museum, 151 Walworth Road, London
Fine examples of Arts and Crafts wallpaper design (originally donated to the South London Gallery by Jeffrey & Co in 1902) are shown alongside contemporary designs created in response to Southwark's collection. Includes work by David Mabb based on Morris designs. www.Cuming.museum@southwark.gov.uk

Until 7 August
Objects of Affection: Pre-Raphaelite Portraits by John Brett
Fine Art Society, 148 New Bond Street, London
www.faslondon.com

25 September–27 November
Interrupted Tea Towels
Kelmscott House Museum, 26 Upper Mall, London
An exhibition of paintings by David Mabb. Thursdays and Saturdays, 2–5 p. m. only.

Until 24 October
Camille Silvy, Photographer of Modern Life, 1834–1910
National Portrait Gallery, London
Working under the patronage of Queen Victoria, this pioneer of early photography made images of royalty, aristocrats and celebrities, the country gentry and their wives, children and servants. Many of these portraits have not been exhibited since the 1860s.
www.npg.org.uk

Until 29 August
William Morris: Inspired by Nature
Royal Horticultural Society, Rosemoor Gardens, near Great Torrington, North Devon
Original Morris drawings, fabric, wallpaper samples and furniture loaned from Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery, Sandersons Fabrics, V & A, and William Morris Gallery. A few pieces of modern furniture inspired by Morris’s work are exhibited by the Devon Furniture Makers' Association.
www.rhs.org.uk/rosemoor

Talks, Lectures, Concerts, and Conferences

Saturday, 13 February, 10.30 a. m.
Idylls and Idols: Victorian and Edwardian Bronze Sculpture in the Birmingham Collection
The Undercroft of St Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham
Lecture sponsored by the Pre-Raphaelite Society. Talk by Brendan Flynn, Curator of Fine Art at Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Full details from Frances Buchanan, Events Secretary, 18 Floyd Grove, Balsall Common, Coventry, CV7 7RP, Tel. 01676 530512.
www.pre-raphaelitesociety.org

Tuesday, 23 Februar, 6 p. m.
Philip Webb: Clouds and the Souls
The Art Workers' Guild, 6 Queen Square, London
Talk by Caroline Dakers, sponsored by the Victorian Society. Full information about joining the society, regional activities and bookings is available from Victorian Society, 1 Priory Gardens, Bedford Park, London W4 ITT or events@victoriansociety.org.uk.
www.victorian-society.org.uk

Saturday, 6 March, 4.30 p. m.
A Year in the Life of C. R. Ashbee: 1910
Court Barn Museum, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire
Talk by Alan Crawford.
www.courtbarn.org.uk

Wednesday, 10 April, 7.30 p. m.
BBC World Premiere of The Earthly Paradise by Ian McQueen
Barbican Hall, Barbrican, London EC2Y 8DS
The BBC Symphony Orchestra will present the world premiere of The Earthly Paradise, a setting of prose, poetry, and sayings by William Morris composed by Ian McQueen. The program also includes Elger, In the South (Alassio) and Mendelssohn, Violin Concerto, with Sir Andrew Davis, conductor; Jennifer Pike, violin; and the BBC Symphony Chorus.
The search for the land where "none grow old" guides the twists and turns of William Morris's The Earthly Paradise. Ian McQueen's new work for chorus and large orchestra evokes the extraordinary world of the poet, surges with erotic charge and conjures up Morris's magical vision of Iceland's landscape and sagas. Jennifer Pike made headline news eight years ago as the youngest ever winner of BBC Young Musician of the Year. Tonight she applies her special artistry and élan to Mendelssohn'os evergreen Violin Concerto.
The concert is preceded by a Study Afternoon on "The Writings of William Morris," 2–4.30 p.m.
Fiona McCarthy, author of the Wolfson History Prize-winning biography of William Morris introduces Morris and his writings. Clive Wilmer, poet, editor of Morris's poetry and expert on Ruskin and his contemporaries, discusses Morris's writings and Fiona McCarthy interviews composer Ian McQueen on his use of Morris’s poetry for his new work Earthly Paradise. The afternoon ends with a roundtable discussion and an opportunity for questions from the audience. Free to ticket-holders for the evening concert but separate ticket required.
(020) 7638 8891, www.barbican.org.uk

Wednesday, 7 July, 7 p.m.
The Art of Calligraphy
William Moris Gallery, London
Professional scribe Paul Antonio lectures on Morris's achievements in calligraphy, and reflects on his relevance to contemporary artists. Tickets available from the Gallery.
www.walthamforest.gov.uk/museums-galleries

Thursday, 29 July, 6 for 6.30 p. m.
"A Magical House" by the River: William Morris and his Hammersmith Home
Blackwell, The Arts and Crafts House, Bowness-on-Windermere, Cumbria
Talk by Helen Elletson, Curator of the William Morris Society and Kelmscott House Museum www.blackwell.org.uk

Thursday, 29 July 2010, 6 p. m.
William Morris Interventions
Cuming Museum, 151 Walworth Road, London
Talk by David Mabb. William Morris thought that design had a fundamental role to play in the transformation of everyday life. This essentially political motivation—a commitment to design's radical potential—is behind his work as a designer and craftsman. Morris’s work was known to members of the Russian avant-garde, including committed communists Lissitsky, Rodchenko, Stepanova and Popova. Mabb juxtaposes their Constructivist works with Morris's wallpapers and textile designs to create art works that reinvent utopian traditions within art and design.
Cuming.museum@southwark.gov.uk

Monday, 2 August, 10.30 for 11 a. m.
"A Magical House" by the River: William Morris and his Hammersmith Home
Pre-Raphaelite Society, The Undercroft of St Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham
Talk by Helen Elletson, Curator of the William Morris Society and Kelmscott House Museum.
For further details contact Frances Buchanan, 0121 449 9078

Saturday, 4 September, 5.45 p. m.
A Biographer's Story
Court Barn Museum, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire
Fiona MacCarthy tells "A biographer's story." Tickets ^pound;5 with wine afterwards.
www.courtbarn.org.uk

Saturday, 18 September 2010, 10.30 for 11 a. m.
Pre-Raphaelite Drawings: Contexts and Controversies
Pre-Raphaelite Society, The Undercroft of St Philip's Cathedral, Birmingham
Talk by Colin Cruise, Curator of the forthcoming exhibition at Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery.
For further details contact Frances Buchanan, 0121 449 9078

Saturday, 18 and Sunday, 19 September, 2 p. m.
Open House at the William Morris Gallery
William Morris Gallery, London
Join a free guided tour of the Water House—now the William Morris Gallery—a Grade II property and find out more about its history and future. The tour includes some areas usually restricted to the public. Places limited, please book in advance to avoid disappointment.
www.walthamforest.gov.uk/museums-galleries

Wednesday, 10 November, 7 p. m.
Inspired by Morris
William Morris Gallery, London
An open discussion on Morris’s relevance to contemporary artists, led by some of the artists whose work has been selected for the Inspired by Morris exhibition. Tickets available from the Gallery.
www.walthamforest.gov.uk/museums-galleries