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.
The William Morris Society in the United States has no involvement with the recently-announced collaboration between British fashion brand Warehouse and the William Morris Society in the United Kingdom.
Announcements
MLA 2024 – Session Announcement
The William Morris Society in the US will host a session at the 2024 Modern Language Association Annual Convention, to be held January 4-7, 2022 in Philadelphia, PA. Rethinking William Morris for the Twenty-first Century “Technological Overstimulation and Ecological...
2023 Joseph R. Dunlap Memorial Fellowship
The William Morris Society in the United States is pleased to announce that the 2023 Joseph R. Dunlap Memorial Fellowship has been awarded to Dr. Lindsay Wells (Postdoctoral Fellow, the Getty Research Institute, Los Angeles, CA) and the 2023 William Morris Society...
Book Event: New Books on 19th-Century Interiors
A book event co-organized by the William Morris Society in the United States and the Historic Interiors Affiliate Group of the Society of Architectural Historians Friday, February 24, 1 pm EST (10 am PST, 11 am MST, 12 noon CST, 6:00 pm GMT) Register Here This...
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
Book Event: New Books on 19th-Century Interiors
A book event co-organized by the William Morris Society in the United States and the Historic Interiors Affiliate Group of the Society of Architectural Historians Friday, February 24, 1 pm EST (10 am PST, 11 am MST, 12 noon CST, 6:00 pm GMT) Register Here This...
Meet the Curators: “Althea McNish: Colour is Mine”
Register Here The William Morris Society in the United States is delighted to host an online event celebrating the exhibition Althea McNish: Colour is Mine, now showing at The Whitworth in Manchester, UK, on tour from the William Morris Gallery in London. Join us...
A Visit with Peter Stansky: “William Morris and Me”
The William Morris Society in the United States invites you to join us for an informal virtual visit with historian Peter Stansky on November 30, 2022 at at 8:30 pm Eastern (5:30 pm Pacific). Peter will share his work and involvement William Morris with us. Since...
Image: William Morris, Fruit, wallpaper, c. 1866. Victoria and Albert Museum.
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