1996 William Morris Centenary Events in the United States Compiled by the William Morris Society in the United States Exhibitions Talks, lectures, and conferences Exhibitions 15 January through 23 February William Morris' Kelmscott Press and the Birth of Modern Fine Printing, 1891-1896 Exhibition on Morris's influence on contemporary fine printing including Clare Van Vliet and Ron King at Denison Library, Scripps College, Claremont, CA. Contact: Carrie Marsh, Tel. (909) 607-3951. 15 January through 14 March William Morris Makes the Ideal Book Exhibition at Kalamazoo College Library, Kalamazoo, MI. Contact: Susan M. Allen, Director of Libraries and Media Services, Kalamazoo College Library, 1200 Academy Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49006, Tel. (616) 337-7149, fax (616) 337-7143, sallen@kzoo.edu. 26 January to 2 March William Morris and Frank Lloyd Wright Exhibition at Kelmscott Gallery, Chicago, IL. Contact: Scott Elliott, Kelmscott Gallery, 4611 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625, Tel. (312) 784-2559, fax (312) 784-5026. 12 February through 16 August William Morris and his Circle Exhibition at Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX. A Web version is available, and there was an associated talk by Colin Franklin. Contact: HRHRC, P.O. Drawer 7219, Austin, TX 78713-7219, Tel. (512) 417-9119, fax (512) 471-2899, roram@mail.utexas.edu. 1 April to 30 June William Morris and the Kelmscott Press Exhibition at Charles E. Shain Library, Connecticut College, New London, CT. Eighteen Kelmscott Press titles (including the Chaucer) displayed with other books by and about Morris. Contact: Brian Rogers, Special Collections Librarian, Charles E. Shain Library, Connecticut College, New London, CT 06320, Tel. (203) 439-2654, Bdrog@conncoll.edu. 12 April to 12 July William Morris: The Flowering of Design Exhibition at Henry B. Plant Museum, Tampa, FL. Contact: Amy Lagar, Henry B. Plant Museum, 401 W. Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33606, Tel. (813) 254-1891, ext. 23. 8 May through 1 September Being William Morris, Morris's Medieval Manuscripts, and Pre-Raphaelite Drawings: The Art of the Book and Beyond Three concurrent and connected exhibitions--the first is the largest--at the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York. Click here for an online review by GraceAnne A. DeCandido [WilsonWeb]. Contact: Pierpont Morgan Library, 29 East 36th St., New York, NY 10016, Tel. (212) 685-0008. 28 June through 6 September William Morris and the Kelmscott Chaucer Exhibition at Harvard University's Houghton Library centering on the Kelmscott Chaucer but also including additional Kelmscott books and examples of Morris's other works. Note that only Harvard's vellum copy of the Chaucer is on view at Houghton itself; the rest of the display is shown in the Rotunda in nearby Widener Library . Contact: The Houghton Library, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, Tel. (617) 495-2441, E-mail to Julie Mellby. 8 September to 27 October William Morris and the Printed Page: English Influence on American Book Design Exhibition at Craftsman Farms, Parsippany, NJ, of Arts and Crafts books honoring the centenary of Morris's death. Shows examples from the Kelmscott Press as well as American books inspired by Morris. Related events have been announced. Hours: Thursdays, 12 noon to 3pm; Saturdays, 1-4pm; Sundays, 1-4pm; and by appointment. Contact: Craftsman Farms, 2359 Route 10-West, Box 5, Morris Plains, NJ 07950 (mailing address), Tel. (201) 540-1165. 9 September - 2 November Pursuing the Ideal: The Life and Work of William Morris Exhibition at Special Collection Library, Hatcher Graduate Library,University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI. Hours: 10-5 M-F; 10-noon Sat, free. Exhibit includes examples of Morris's work as a poet, artist, printer, and socialist. Contact: Kathryn Beam, Special Collections Library, 711 Harlan Hatcher Graduate Library, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, Tel. (313) 764-9377, fax: (313) 763-5080. NEW 13 February 2003: the URL for the exhibition catalogue is http://www.lib.umich.edu/spec-coll/morris/. 10 September to 20 November Kelmscott and Beyond: William Morris & Modern Fine Printing An exhibit highlighting William Morris's Kelmscott Press as well as his influence on modern fine & private presses will be on display at the San Francisco Public Library, in the Book Arts and Special Collections Center, 6th Floor, New Main Library, Civic Center. It will include Kelmscott Press books along with works from other presses influenced by Morris, among them Doves, Ashendene, Grabhorn, Eragny, Vale, John Henry Nash, and the Roycrofters. A checklist is available. Contact: Book Arts and Special Collections Center, Tel. (415) 557-4560. 10 September through November William Morris (1834-96): A Tribute Exhibition at Arizona State University, Special Collections, Tempe, AZ. Includes wallpaper and fabric samples; examples of books from the Kelmscott press, and books about Morris's designs for wallpaper, furniture, stained glass and tapestry. Open Monday through Friday, 8am - 5pm, closed holidays. Contact: Carol Moore, Special Collections, Hayden Library, Arizona State University, P. O. Box 871006, Tempe, AZ 85287 (no street number), (602) 965-6519, icclm@ASUVM.inre.asu.edu. 1 through 31 October The Centennial of William Morris Exhibition at the Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN. Contact: Heather Munro, Lilly Library, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, Tel. (812) 855-2452, fax (812) 855-3143, liblilly@indiana.edu. 3 October to 18 December The Kelmscott Press and Its Legacy Exhibitor at Bridwell Library, Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX. All four of the library's copies of the Kelmscott Chaucer, including the vellum copy inscribed by Morris to Burne-Jones and the paper copy inscribed with a presentation by Burne-Jones to his daughter, along with books from the Ashendene (as well as materials from the Ashendene Archives), Vale, Eragny, Essex House, and Doves presses. Contact: David J. Lawrence, Bridwell Library, Perkins School of Theology, SMU, Dallas, TX 75275, Tel. (214) 768-4293, dlawrenc@post.cis.smu.edu. 16 October to 15 January 1997 The Kelmscott Press Exhibition at Pequot Library, Southport, CT, curated by Morris Society member Danielle Carriera. Includes the Kelmscott Chaucer and a number of books with interesting provenance. A catalogue will be available. Contact: Danielle Carriera, Adult Services Librarian, Pequot Library, 720 Pequot Avenue, Southport, CT 06490, Tel. (203) 259-0346. 25 October through 5 January 1997 Celebrating William Morris: Selected Works from the Sanford and Helen Berger Collection Exhibition from the unrivaled private collection of Sanford and Helen Berger at Huntington Library Art Gallery, San Marino, CA, featuring designs and decorative art objects by Morris and the artisans of Morris & Co., as well as a rich selection of books and manuscripts from the Kelmscott Press. The Morris show coincides with the reopening of a new installation of decorative arts designed by Charles and Henry Greene in the Scott Gallery's Dorothy Collins Brown exhibition hall. A related conference is planned for Saturday, 14 December 1996. Contact: The Huntington Library, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108, Tel. (818) 405-2147. November through December William Morris: Writer, Artist, Activist, 1834-1896 Exhibition at Chapin Library, Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Drawn entirely from the Chapin Library's extensive holdings, includes examples of Morris's poetry, his translations from the Greek and Icelandic, and his tracts promoting the decorative arts and Socialism; two items from his personal library; and eight books from his Kelmscott Press, the renowned Chaucer among them. A 16-page handlist is available from the Chapin Library for $1.00. Chapin Library is located on the second floor of Stetson Hall on the Williams campus. Open weekdays, 10am to 12 noon and 1 to 5pm. Admission is free. Contact: Tel. (413) 597-2462 during library hours, or write to P.O. Box 426, Williamstown, MA 01267. 11 December through 15 February 1997 William Morris: The Collector as Creator Exhibition at the Grolier Club, 47 East 60th Street, New York, NY. See below for co-ordinated conference, William Morris in Our Time. Organized with assistance of the William Morris Society. Free. Contact: Nancy Houghton, The Grolier Club, 47 East 60th Street, New York, NY 10022, Tel. (212) 838-6690, nsh@grolierclb.com. Talks, Lectures, and Conferences Thursday, 15 February, 7.30pm A Return to William Morris Talk by Colin Franklin, author of Printing and the Mind of Morris. The Carl and Lily Pforzheimer Lecture at the Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, University of Texas, Austin, TX. Held in conjunction with their exhibition, William Morris and His Circle. Thursday, 21 March Friends in Deed: Edward Burne-Jones, William Morris, and the Kelmscott Press Talk by Debra N. Mancoff at Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ. Sponsored by the School of Art, the Department of English, and the Department of Medieval Studies. Friday, 22 March, 7pm Through English Eyes: C. R. Ashbee and The American Arts and Crafts Movement Talk by James Elliott Benjamin, design historian and vice-president of the Metropolitan Chapter of the Victorian Society of America at Chapters: A Literary Bookstore, 1512 K Street NW, Washington, DC, Tel. (202) 347-5495. Sponsored by the William Morris Society. Free. Contact: Mark Samuels Lasner, Biblio@aol.com. Monday, 25 March Friends in Deed: Edward Burne-Jones, William Morris, and the Kelmscott Press Talk by Debra N. Mancoff at Southern Methodist University, Dallas, TX. Sponsored by the Department of English and the Department of Art History. Tuesday, 16 April Young William Morris and the Pre-Raphaelites Illustrated lecture by Dr. Adela S. Rootcap (introduced by Sanford L. Berger) at the University Club, San Francisco, CA. Open to members of the University Club and their guests only. Wednesday, 17 April, 6pm The Textile Designs of William Morris: Rooted in History, Grounded in Nature, Blossoming Still Talk by Marianne Carlano at Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, New York. Part of series "Textile Designers of Influence," for which a fee is charged; single tickets may be available. Contact: Bard Graduate Center for Studies in the Decorative Arts, 18 West 86th Street, New York, NY 10024, Tel. (212) 501-3000. Sunday, 21 April, 4pm Illustrating the Kelmscott Press Books Talk by William S. Peterson, bibliographer and historian of the Kelmscott Press at Hannan Hall (the new Physics building), Catholic University of America, Washington, DC. Sponsored by the Catholic University School of Library and Information Science and the William Morris Society. Free. Contact: Mark Samuels Lasner, Biblio@aol.com. Thursday, 23 May, 6pm The Aesthetic Ideals of William Morris Lecture by Norman Kelvin, professor of English at City College and at the Graduate Center, CUNY, editor of The Collected Letters of William Morris, at Pierpont Morgan Library, New York. $10.00 ($5.00 for members of the Morgan Library), includes admission to the Morris exhibitions before the lecture. Contact: Communications Department, Pierpont Morgan Library (212) 685-0008, ext. 347. Saturday and Sunday, 8 and 9 June Tours of the Church of the Incarnation. Visit to see the Morris, Burne-Jones, and Tiffany stained glass windows in the church located across the street from the Pierpont Morgan Library. Contact: Communications Department, Pierpont Morgan Library (212) 685-0008, ext. 347. Wednesday, 5 June William Morris: The Flowering of Fine Design Lecture by Richard Mathews, curator of exhibition at Henry B. Plant Museum. 12 noon (bring lunch) at the Plant Museum, Tampa, FL. Contact: Amy Lagar, Henry B. Plant Museum, 401 W. Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33606, Tel. (813) 254-1891, ext. 23. Wednesday to Friday, 12-14 June Workshops at the Morgan Library Patterns in Glass (12 June), Wall Stencilling (13 June), and Woodblock Printing (14 June), all led by artist Mary Emery at the Pierpont Morgan Library, New York. Contact: Communications Department, Pierpont Morgan Library (212) 685-0008, ext. 347. 20 June, 5.30pm William Morris and the Old-Fashioned Home: Anglo-American Design of the 1880s-1890s Lecture by John Burrows Gibson House, 137 Beacon Street, Boston, MA. Sponsored by the Gibson Society. Time: reception from 5:30-6:15, lecture from 6:15-7:15pm. Contact: Gibson House, 137 Beacon St., Boston, MA, Tel. (617) 267-6338 for information on tickets and price. 21-24 August William Morris--Book Arts Workshop Seventh annual Book Arts Workshop at Dartmouth College, under the direction of Roderick Stinehour of the Stinehour Press. Includes practical printing and talks by William S. Peterson and Mark Samuels Lasner. Limited to 20 participants. Fee charged. Contact: Philip Cromenwett, Head of Special Collections, Dartmouth College Library, Hanover, NH 03755, Tel. (603) 646-2037. Sunday, 8 September, 2pm Exhibition tour: William Morris and the Printed Page David W. Lowden, guest curator, will lead a tour through this exhibition at Craftsman Farms, Parsippany, NJ. Free with museum admission. Contact: Lynn Leeb, The Craftsman Farms Foundation, Inc., 2352 Rt. 10-W, Box 5; Morris Plains, NJ 07950, Tel. (201) 540-1165. Friday, 20 September, 6.30pm William Morris Evening Reception and program at New England Artisans Guild, Fifth Annual Exhibit, held at parish hall of the First Unitarian Society, 1326 Washington St. (Route 16), West Newton, MA. The reception--sponsored by Old House Interiors magazine--will be followed at 7pm by talks "William Morris and the Cult of the Old-Fashioned Home" by John Burrows and "Inspiring Reform" by Marilee Meyer. A group exhibit of Artisan Guild Arts and Crafts movement furniture and designs will take place Saturday, 21 September, 10am to 6pm. Contact: J. R. Burrows and Co., Tel. (617) 982-1812. Sunday, 29 September, 2pm. Using Color and Pattern in the Arts and Crafts Home Bruce Bradbury of Bradbury & Bradbury Art Wallpapers, a California company that reproduces Morris wallpaper designs, will give a talk on this subject at Craftsman Farms, Parsippany, NJ. Free with museum admission. Contact: Lynn Leeb, The Craftsman Farms Foundation, Inc., 2352 Rt. 10-W, Box 5, Morris Plains, NJ 07950, Tel. (201) 540-1165. October to November. William Morris: Designer of Dreams Course led by Debra Mancoff at the Newberry Library, Chicago, IL. Meets Tuesday evenings, 15 October to 26 November, 5.30-7.30pm. Attendees will work with books and manuscripts in the Library's collections. Contact: Paul Keith, Newberry Library, Tel. (312) 255-3665. Wednesday, 2 October, 5pm William Morris: His Textiles and Times Lecture by Anita Jones (associate curator of textiles) and Peter Trippi (director of grants and programs) at the Baltimore Museum of Art. Preceded by a Victorian tea. Contact: Baltimore Museum of Art, Art Museum Drive, Baltimore, MD 21218, Tel. (410) 396-6314. Monday, 7 October, 6pm William Morris In Trust Lecture by Stephen Ponder, member of the executive committee of the National Trust, sponsored by Royal Oak Foundation at the Grolier Club, 47 East 60th Street, New York, NY. Discussing Morris's relations with the founders of the National Trust and an examination of Wightwick Manor, a Trust property with decorations by Morris and an exceptional collection of Pre-Raphaelite art and objects. Fee is $12.00 for members of the Royal Oak Foundation and students, $17.00 for non-members. Reservations encouraged. Contact: Royal Oak Foundation, 285 West Broadway, New York, NY 10013, Tel. (800) 913-6565, (212) 966-6565 extension 204. Monday, 7 October, 6.30pm Decorative Poems: William Morris Wallpapers in Context Leslie Hoskins, editor of The Papered Wall: The History, Patterns, and Techniques of Wallpaper, will lecture on this topic at Cooper-Hewitt Museum, New York. Fee: $10/members; $15.00/others; $5.00/students. Contact: Education department for reservations, Tel. (212) 860-7321 Tuesday, 15 October, 6pm Palaces of Art: The Pre-Raphaelites at Home Lecture by Stephen Calloway, author of Baroque, Baroque, and curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Sponsored by Metropolitan Chapter of the Victorian Society in America at Donnell Library Auditorium, 20 West 53rd Street, New York, NY (opposite the Museum of Modern Art). Contact: Victorian Society, Tel. (212) 886-3742. Thursday, 17 October William Morris and Bloomsbury Lecture by Peter Stansky, professor of history at Stanford University, at Glessner House, 1800 S. Prairie Avenue, Chicago, IL. Held in conjunction with the Glessner House exhibition "The House Beautiful: One Family's Search for the Arts and Crafts Ideal" (10 October 1996 through May 1997). Free. Contact: Janice Griffin, Prairie Avenue House Museums, 1800 S. Prairie Avenue, Chicago, IL 60616, Tel. (312) 326-1480. Friday, 18 October, 7pm Palaces of Art: The Pre-Raphaelites at Home Talk by Stephen Calloway, art historian, author, and curator at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, at Chapters: A Literary Bookstore, 1512 K Street NW, Washington, DC. 7pm, Tel. (202) 347-5495. Sponsored by the William Morris Society. Free. Contact: Mark Samuels Lasner, Biblio@aol.com. Friday to Sunday, 18-20 October RESTORATION/CHICAGO Part of the conference program associated with exhibition and sale at Navy Pier in Chicago will be dedicated to William Morris. The events are: William Morris I: "William Morris and America" (Friday Afternoon 1:00 - 2:30pm) with John Burrows and Todd D.H. Schwebel; "William Morris Tour: Morris in Chicago" (Friday Evening 5:00 - 7:00pm), lecture, tour and reception (bus transportation provided) at Glessner House, with Joan M. Hansen; William Morris II: "Morris & Company Products and Designs" (Saturday Afternoon 1:00 - 2:30pm) with Joan M. Hansen and Mary Antoine de Julio; William Morris III: "Interior Design for the Home" (Sunday Morning 10:30am - 12:00 noon) with John Burrows; Michael FitzSimmons, and Paul Duchscherer. Contact: RAI/EGI Exhibitions, Inc., 129 Park Street, North Reading, MA 01864, Tel. (508) 664-6455, Fax: (508)664-5822, show@raiegi.com Thursday, 24 October, 6.30pm William Morris's Politics: A Personal View Talk by Rt. Hon. Barbara Castle, Baroness Castle of Blackburn, Labour politician, Member of Parliament, and author. To be held at English-Speaking Union, 19 East 69th Street, New York. Sponsored by the the William Morris Society and the English-Speaking Union, New York Chapter, with the assistance of Arts and Crafts Tours. Reception to follow lecture. Admission $10.00 for ESU and William Morris Society members/$15.00 for others. Reservations are STRONGLY encouraged. Contact: English-Speaking Union, 19 East 69th Street, New York, NY 10021, Tel. (212) 879-6800. Monday, 11 November William Morris and the New Fashion of the Old-Fashioned House Talk by John Burrows at Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY. Sponsored by The Arts & Crafts Society of Central New York. Contact: Mary Ann Smith, Tel. (316) 637-5569. Friday and Saturday, 6 and 7 December William Morris in Our Time Conference at City University of New York Graduate Center and the Grolier Club, New York, NY. Featuring twelve internationally-known speakers. Organized in conjunction with the Grolier Club exhibition, William Morris: The Collector as Creator. Hosted by the Ph.D. program in English, City University of New York, and co-sponsored by the Center for the Humanities, City University of New York; the Humanities Division of City College in conjunction with the City College Fund, with the generous support of Herbert Robinson; the Robinson Center for Graphic Arts and Communication Design; the William Morris Society; and the Grolier Club. Free and open to the public. Space is limited. Contact: Mark Samuels Lasner, Biblio@aol.com. Monday, 9 December, 6:00-8:30pm. William Morris: The Revolutionary Craftsman A lecture to be given by Peter Cormack, Deputy Keeper of the William Morris Gallery in London. The lecture will be followed by a special preview and curator's introduction to the exhibition William Morris: The Collector As Creator which opens to the public on 11 December. A holiday reception will follow. The event, sponsored by the Victorian Society in America, Metropolitan Chapter, is to be held at The Grolier Club, 47 East 60th St., New York City. Tickets are $35 for Victorian Society Metropolitan Chapter members and $50 for non-members. A new membership and ticket for the event can be purchased together for $60, or $50. for seniors and students. Space is limited and advance reservations are advised. Make checks out to "Metropolitan Chapter, VSA." Contact: VSA Metropolitan Chapter, 217 East 85th Street, Suite 296, New York, NY 10028, Tel. (212) 886-3742. Saturday, 14 December William Morris Conference Occasioned by William Morris exhibition at Huntington Library Art Gallery, San Marino, CA. Contact: The Huntington Library, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108. 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