*Please note- This site search does not include the Vic. & Tas. BMD's, Lots o' Links & Worth a Look Books
|
WILLIAM MORRIS
Poet, PAINTER & FURNISHER
1834-1896
William Morris was born on 24 March 1834 at Elm House, Walthamstow, Essex, England. He was the oldest son & third of nine children born to William and Emma Shelton Morris.
Between 1848 & 1852, he attended Marlborough School, following this, he attended Exeter College, Oxford, until 1855, with the intention of becoming a clergyman. During this time, he met artist, Edward Burne-Jones, also a first-year undergraduate. Morris' love for medieval art and architecture began to grow at that same time. His family were quite well-to-do & in 1855, at twenty-one years of age, Morris came into an annual income of £900, quite a bit in those days.
1856, sees him working in the architectural office of G.E.Street, where he met Phillip Webb. Morris had trained as an architect, but had early ambitions to be a painter & through this friendship with Burne-Jones, he came into contact with the Pre-Raphaelite painters, such as Rossetti, and others in their circle. Morris then abandoned his career in architecture, to become an artist.
Morris, Burne-Jones, Rossetti & a few others, painted the Oxford Union frescoes in 1857 & it was around this time, that Morris met one of Rossetti's models, Jane Burden. He was smitten by her beauty & in 1859, Morris married Jane & had two daughters to her. He commissioned his architect friend Philip Webb, to build them a house on land he had bought in Bexleyheath, Kent.
Morris wanted to share with his wife, a modern home of the time, yet still have a medieval spirit about it & Webb designed a house exactly in the way that the Morris' wanted, calling it 'Red House'.
Morris and his wife moved into the Red House in 1860 & spent the next two years furnishing and decorating the interior. Morris did most of the work himself, along with some help from his artist friends. The success of their efforts, motivated Morris to start their own company. In April 1861 Morris, along with associates, Marshall & Faulkner, started their business. It was established at 8 Red Lion Square in London & produced a range of original domestic furnishings, including embroidery, tableware as well as furniture, stained glass and tiles. Wallpaper was soon added to the list, as Morris, when trying to find the right wallpaper for his own home, was unable to find any that he truly liked. Between 1862 & 1867, Morris designed the first of his wallpapers for the Company, for which he would later be well known for.
Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. profoundly influenced the decoration of churches and houses, even into the early 20th century & William Morris was also a major contributor to reviving traditional textile arts and methods of production. He was one of the founders of the SPAB (Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings) now a statutory element in the preservation of historic buildings in the UK.
In the three years following, he studied Icelandic, with Eirikr Magnusson, and went on to publish translations of The Saga of Gunnlaug Worm-tongue and The Story of Grettir the Strong.
Throughout his life, Morris dabbled in quite a few things and wrote and published poetry, also fiction & translations of ancient and medieval texts . His best-known works include 'The Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems' (1858), 'The Earthly Paradise' (1868–1870), 'A Dream of John Ball' (1888) and the utopian 'News from Nowhere' (1890).
'William Morris was an important figure in the emergence of socialism in Britain, founding the Socialist League in 1884, but breaking with that organization over goals and methods by the end of the decade.
1871-1873, Morris & Rossetti became joint tenants of Kelmscott Manor, Oxfordshire. Morris Travelled to Iceland & also northern Italy with Burne-Jones.
The company of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. dissolved in 1875 & was reconstituted as Morris & Co., with Morris as sole proprietor. In 1877 Morris founded 'The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings' & in 1878, the Morris family moved into Kelmscott House in Hammersmith, the same year, being made honorary fellow of Exeter College, Oxford. In later years, becomes deeply involved in political activism, he is arrested in connection with free speech demonstrations.
In 1891, he founded the Kelmscott Press at Hammersmith, he was also offered the position of the poet laureateship, after Tennyson's death, but declined the offer.
Morris went on to publish further books & began work on the Kelmscott Chaucer, designed by Morris and illustrated by Burne-Jones, published in 1896.
William Morris devoted much of the rest of his life to the Kelmscott Press & the 1896 Kelmscott edition of the 'Works of Geoffrey Chaucer', is considered a masterpiece of book design.
Morris died on the 3rd of October 1896 & buried in St George's churchyard in Kelmscott, Oxfordshire, England. His gravestone was designed by his friend Philip Webb.
Reference
http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/b/biography-of-william-morris/
http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/morris/wmbio.html
Between 1848 & 1852, he attended Marlborough School, following this, he attended Exeter College, Oxford, until 1855, with the intention of becoming a clergyman. During this time, he met artist, Edward Burne-Jones, also a first-year undergraduate. Morris' love for medieval art and architecture began to grow at that same time. His family were quite well-to-do & in 1855, at twenty-one years of age, Morris came into an annual income of £900, quite a bit in those days.
1856, sees him working in the architectural office of G.E.Street, where he met Phillip Webb. Morris had trained as an architect, but had early ambitions to be a painter & through this friendship with Burne-Jones, he came into contact with the Pre-Raphaelite painters, such as Rossetti, and others in their circle. Morris then abandoned his career in architecture, to become an artist.
Morris, Burne-Jones, Rossetti & a few others, painted the Oxford Union frescoes in 1857 & it was around this time, that Morris met one of Rossetti's models, Jane Burden. He was smitten by her beauty & in 1859, Morris married Jane & had two daughters to her. He commissioned his architect friend Philip Webb, to build them a house on land he had bought in Bexleyheath, Kent.
Morris wanted to share with his wife, a modern home of the time, yet still have a medieval spirit about it & Webb designed a house exactly in the way that the Morris' wanted, calling it 'Red House'.
Morris and his wife moved into the Red House in 1860 & spent the next two years furnishing and decorating the interior. Morris did most of the work himself, along with some help from his artist friends. The success of their efforts, motivated Morris to start their own company. In April 1861 Morris, along with associates, Marshall & Faulkner, started their business. It was established at 8 Red Lion Square in London & produced a range of original domestic furnishings, including embroidery, tableware as well as furniture, stained glass and tiles. Wallpaper was soon added to the list, as Morris, when trying to find the right wallpaper for his own home, was unable to find any that he truly liked. Between 1862 & 1867, Morris designed the first of his wallpapers for the Company, for which he would later be well known for.
Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. profoundly influenced the decoration of churches and houses, even into the early 20th century & William Morris was also a major contributor to reviving traditional textile arts and methods of production. He was one of the founders of the SPAB (Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings) now a statutory element in the preservation of historic buildings in the UK.
In the three years following, he studied Icelandic, with Eirikr Magnusson, and went on to publish translations of The Saga of Gunnlaug Worm-tongue and The Story of Grettir the Strong.
Throughout his life, Morris dabbled in quite a few things and wrote and published poetry, also fiction & translations of ancient and medieval texts . His best-known works include 'The Defence of Guenevere and Other Poems' (1858), 'The Earthly Paradise' (1868–1870), 'A Dream of John Ball' (1888) and the utopian 'News from Nowhere' (1890).
'William Morris was an important figure in the emergence of socialism in Britain, founding the Socialist League in 1884, but breaking with that organization over goals and methods by the end of the decade.
1871-1873, Morris & Rossetti became joint tenants of Kelmscott Manor, Oxfordshire. Morris Travelled to Iceland & also northern Italy with Burne-Jones.
The company of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. dissolved in 1875 & was reconstituted as Morris & Co., with Morris as sole proprietor. In 1877 Morris founded 'The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings' & in 1878, the Morris family moved into Kelmscott House in Hammersmith, the same year, being made honorary fellow of Exeter College, Oxford. In later years, becomes deeply involved in political activism, he is arrested in connection with free speech demonstrations.
In 1891, he founded the Kelmscott Press at Hammersmith, he was also offered the position of the poet laureateship, after Tennyson's death, but declined the offer.
Morris went on to publish further books & began work on the Kelmscott Chaucer, designed by Morris and illustrated by Burne-Jones, published in 1896.
William Morris devoted much of the rest of his life to the Kelmscott Press & the 1896 Kelmscott edition of the 'Works of Geoffrey Chaucer', is considered a masterpiece of book design.
Morris died on the 3rd of October 1896 & buried in St George's churchyard in Kelmscott, Oxfordshire, England. His gravestone was designed by his friend Philip Webb.
Reference
http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/b/biography-of-william-morris/
http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/morris/wmbio.html
1. Books
2. Bexleyheath, Kent
3. Hammersmith, London
4. Walthamstow
5. Oxford Union Murals
6. Kelmscott Manor
7. Kelmscott Press
8. Poet Laureate
9. Wallpaper & Arsenic
10 Iceland
11 Socialist Legue
12 Commemorative Plaques
13 Measuring Worth
14 Morris Grave
2. Bexleyheath, Kent
3. Hammersmith, London
4. Walthamstow
5. Oxford Union Murals
6. Kelmscott Manor
7. Kelmscott Press
8. Poet Laureate
9. Wallpaper & Arsenic
10 Iceland
11 Socialist Legue
12 Commemorative Plaques
13 Measuring Worth
14 Morris Grave
Books- William Morris
Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings- Heritage Societies-Architecture
http://heritagehelp.org.uk/organisations |
Bexleyheath, Kent
St Marys Church Bexley c.1900
http://www.boroughphotos.org/bexley/themes/
http://www.boroughphotos.org/bexley/themes/
Bexleyheath once a rural area, is now a suburb of London. Less than 200 years ago Bexleyheath was a tract of rough open land, unfit for cultivation, and had a bad reputation as a haunt of Highwaymen. Through it ran the Dover Road, the main route from London to Canterbury and the Channel ports, along which up to 70 stagecoaches trundled everyday. It was a wild, deserted place.
The town now, is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. http://www.bexley.gov.uk/article/10372/The-early The Red House
|
A mural painted by Pre-Raphaelite luminaries, found
hidden behind patches of 1960s wallpaper & a wardrobe in the master bedroom of Red House http://www.thehistoryblog.com Philip Webb Centenary
https://philipwebbcentenary.com/ |
The Red House in Bexleyheath
https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/becomin |
Hammersmith, London
Hammersmith has disputed origins as a place name. Some sources suggest it derives from Hammoder's Hythe (safe haven belonging to Hammoder) others more satisfyingly, suggest it's simply a concatenation of 'hammer' & 'smithy', denoting an area important for metal working.
Read How The London Boroughs Got Their Names
http://londonist.com/2013/07/how-the-london-boroughs-got-their-names
Read How The London Boroughs Got Their Names
http://londonist.com/2013/07/how-the-london-boroughs-got-their-names
Walthamstow
Walthamstow, London
Recorded in c1075 as Wilcumestowe ("the Place of Welcome") & the Domesday Book of 1086 as
Wilcumestou. Sth-Nth through Walthamstow & nearby towns form part of an ancient route from London to Waltham Abbey. Historically in the county of Essex, it significantly increased in population as part of the suburban growth of London and was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1929 before becoming part of Greater London in 1965.
Recorded in c1075 as Wilcumestowe ("the Place of Welcome") & the Domesday Book of 1086 as
Wilcumestou. Sth-Nth through Walthamstow & nearby towns form part of an ancient route from London to Waltham Abbey. Historically in the county of Essex, it significantly increased in population as part of the suburban growth of London and was incorporated as a municipal borough in 1929 before becoming part of Greater London in 1965.
William Morris Gallery
http://www.lrb.co.uk/v34/n17/rosemary-hill/in |
449 Oxford Street, London Borough of Waltham Forest c.1898
In 1887, John Bartholomew's Gazetteer of the British Isles described Waltham Forest like this- "Waltham Forest, old name of Epping", historically in the county of Essex. The London Government Act 1963 established the borough in 1965 from the combined areas of the former Municipal Borough of Chingford, Municipal Borough of Leyton and Municipal Borough of Walthamstow, which all transferred to Greater London from the English county of Essex. (wiki) |
Edward Burne-Jones and William Morris in 1890. Frederick Hollyer photograph
http://www.lib.umd.edu/williammorris/exhibition/ The area now known as Waltham Forest experienced at least two Zeppelin raids during World War I.
Morris & Co. remained in operation in a limited fashion from World War I until its closure in 1940. The firm's designs are still sold today under licences given to Sanderson and Sons (which markets the "Morris & Co." brand) and Liberty of London. (wiki)
|
Oxford Union Murals
Dante Gabriel Rossetti (1828-1882)
was an English poet, illustrator, painter and translator. He founded the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood in 1848 with William Holman Hunt and John Everett Millais. The Rossetti Archive The Rossetti Archive aims to include high-quality digital images of every surviving documentary state of DGR's works: all the manuscripts, proofs, and original editions, as well as the drawings, paintings, and designs of various kinds, including his collaborative photographic and craft works. http://www.rossettiarchive.org/ |
The Pre-Raphaelites in Oxford: Oxford Union
9:15 Dante Gabriel Rossetti
|
Kelmscott Manor
Kelmscott Manor is a limestone manor house in the Cotswold village of Kelmscott, Oxfordshire,
England. It dates from around 1570, with a late 17th-century wing & is a Grade I listing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kelmscott_Manor |
Kelmscott Manor
7:43 Kelmscott Village
Following Jane’s death in 1914, May Morris (daughter) lived in the Kelmscott house & began orchestrating the building of some cottages in the village as a lasting memorial to her mother https://www.william-morris.co.uk/blogs/exploring |
Interior of Kelmscott Manor
Rough Guide to the Cotswolds http://www.roughguides.com/tasters/9780241236246 |
The Wolds (from old word of 'Wald' meaning forest) is a term used, in England, to describe a range of hills which consists of open country overlying a base of limestone or chalk. On the Cotswolds
borders of Oxfordshire/Warwickshire, is an historic stone circle, near the village of Little Rollright |
Kelmscott Press
The Recuyell of the Historyes of Troye and the Kelmscott Press
http://brandeisspecialcollections.blogspot.co All of William Morris' punches and matrices and some types are now with Cambridge University Press.
http://luc.devroye.org/fonts-24795.html Free William Morris (& more) font download
http://www.fontspace.com/category/william |
The books issued by the Kelmscott Press were expensive — Morris designed his own typefaces, made his own paper, and printed by hand & they were beautiful.
http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/morris/kelmscott.html The magnificent 'Works of Geoffrey Chaucer' published in 1896, is the triumph of the Kelmscott press. Its 87 wood-cut illustrations are by Edward Burne-Jones, the celebrated Victorian painter, who was a life-long friend of Morris. The illustrations were engraved by William Harcourt Hooper and printed in black, with shoulder and side titles.
View images from The Kelmscott Chaucer |
Poet Laureate
Alfred Tennyson
1809-1892 |
Poet Laureate
A poet laureate is a poet officially appointed by a government or conferring institution, who is often expected to compose poems for special events and occasions. William Morris was offered the position of poet laureateship, after Tennyson's death
but declined the offer Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson, FRS was Poet Laureate of Great Britain and Ireland during much of Queen Victoria's reign
http://www.poemhunter.com/alfred-lord |
Wallpaper & Arsenic
Not to my taste, but these designs are beautifully done & would have been in big demand during the Victorian Era. They all have lots of green in the patterns!
Poison Wallpaper
William Morris used his artistic skills, to create & design beautiful Wallpaper, the only trouble was, that to make his green more vibrant, he added Arsenic & many deaths were attributed to this. Morris knew of the claims by physicians that arsenic was toxic, but casually dismissed them. 'As to the arsenic scare', he wrote to the dyer Thomas Wardle in 1885, 'a greater folly it is hardly possible to imagine. My belief about it all is that the doctors find their patients ailing, don't know what's the matter with them, and in despair put it down to the wall papers.' http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/Issues/2011/July/ColumnThecrucib |
William Morris made poisonous wallpaper
In a damp house this Trellis pattern paper could have released toxic fumes. http://www.nature.com/news/2003/030612/ Paris Green is a common name for copper(II) acetoarsenite, or C.I. Pigment Green 21, an extremely toxic blue green chemical with four main uses:pigment, animal poison (mostly rodenticide), insecticide, and blue colourant for fireworks. Other names for the chemical are Emerald Green, Parrot Green, Schweinfurt Green, Imperial Green, Vienna Green and Mitis Green. It is almost never called Paris Green when referencing its use as a pigment. Since the use of Emerald Green as a pigment has been abandoned (around 1960), if you come across the chemical today, it is usually referred to as Paris Green.
http://theodoregray.com/periodictable/ Arsenic Can Look Like Quite an
Attractive Stone |
This Artist Painted With Poison
Morris derived the color green from a dangerous source: arsenic. His father owned the processing plant that became the major supplier of arsenic used in green pigments in 1867. Morris made his own fortune from shares in the company, Devon Great Consols, and served on the board. http://archive.wired.com/medtech/health/news/2003/06/59203 Deadly décor: a short history of arsenic poisoning in the nineteenth century
http://journals.ed.ac.uk/resmedica/article/viewFile/182/799 |
Realgar-Orpiment.
A beautiful mixture of realgar and orpiment crystals (two different crystal forms of arsenic suflide) |
Orpiment.
This is a beautiful, crystal cluster of orpiment (arsenic sulfide) from Elbrusskiy Mine, Northern Caucusus, Russia. |
Native arsenic.
This sample of native (naturally occurring) arsenic is from the Burraton Coombe Quarry, St. Stephen-by-Saltash, Cornwall,UK. |
Fowler's solution, also known as "Liquor Potassii Arenitis," Kali Arsenicosum, or Kali arseniatum, is a 1% solution of potassium arsenite, KH2AsO3. A Dr. Fowler of Stafford, England proposed its use in 1786 as a substitute for a patented medicine, "tasteless ague drop." It was prescribed in the United States until the late 1950s for a range of ailments including malaria, chorea, and syphilis. The carcinogenic nature of arsenic compounds caused numerous disastrous side effects including Cancer and Cirrhosis.
http://www.toxipedia.org/display/toxipedia/Fowler Arsenic & Old Lace
The plot revolves around the Brewster family of Brooklyn, New York, descended from the Mayflower. Portraits of their White Anglo-Saxon Protestant ancestors line the walls. Mortimer Brewster (Cary Grant) falls in love with Elaine Harper (Priscilla Lane), childhood neighbours, who marry on Halloween day. Mortimer's two Aunts and his delusional Uncle Teddy, still live in the family home & Mortimer pays them a visit, only to find a corpse hidden in a window seat and assumes that Teddy has committed murder. The Aunts explain in the most innocent terms that they have developed what Mortimer calls the "very bad habit" of ending the presumed suffering of lonely old bachelors by serving them elderberry wine spiked with arsenic, strychnine and "just a pinch of cyanide". The bodies are buried in the basement by Teddy, who believes he is digging locks for the Panama Canal and burying yellow fever victims. (wiki) |
The Brewster genealogy, 1566-1907;
A record of the descendants of William Brewster of the "Mayflower." ruling elder of the Pilgrim church which founded Plymouth colony in 1620; by Jones, Emma C. Brewster, b. 1854 https://archive.org/details/brewstergenealog190802j |
Brewster: is an occupational surname for a brewer of beer or ale
Iceland
William Morris' Diary of his
Icelandic Travels Diaries and Essays
http://morrisedition.lib.uiowa.edu/diaries.html |
Web Sources for Icelandic Genealogy
http://www.halfdan.is/vestur/refweb.htm Iceland Genealogy & History records date back to the 9th century. http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~islwgw/ Getting started with Iceland research https://familysearch.org/learn/wiki/en/Iceland_Gene The database Íslendingabók contains genealogical information about the inhabitants of Iceland, dating more than 1,200 years. The database is in Icelandic and is unfortunately not available in other languages. The genealogical database Íslendingabók is currently limited to Icelandic citizens and legal residents of Iceland who have been issued an Icelandic ID number https://www.islendingabok.is/English.jsp Surnames in the Nordic Countries http://www.nordicnames.de/wiki/Surnames Norwegian names, tips for the "online" researcher http://www.norwayheritage.com/norwegian No Family Names Icelanders don't have family names & you take on the spouse's last name when you get married. When naming a child, you have to stick to a limited list of names. http://wsimag.com/culture/2248-the-peculiarities-of |
Icelandic alphabet (íslenska stafrófið)
A aÁ áB bD dÐ ðE eÉ éF fG gH hI i aábédéeðejéeffgehái Í íJ jK kL lM mN nO oÓ óP pR rS s íjoðkáellemmennoópéerress T tU uÚ úV vX xY yÝ ýÞ þÆ æÖ ö téuúvaffexufsilon yufsilon ýþornæö Iceland Background
http://www.britannica.com/place/Iceland/Governme 1_019
555 photos taken of Iceland 1900-1910
The photographs on glass plates and photo panels, most three dimensional views / Sterio photos. About 70 photos are double or þrítökum so that the total number is considered to be 555 photos. This website does not have photo previews, making it hard to look through, so if you'd like to have a look at some of them, these are my picks- 1_019, 023, 038, 153, 154 2_011, 061, 099, 104, 111, 130, 132, 137A. A 006, 031, 045, 047, 066. B 5, 12, 20, 28, 31, 57, 59, 66, 69. C 8, 19, 25, 27, 29, 30, 31, 33, 34. D 04, 11, 14, 23, 44, 51, 53, 57, 59. F 02, 03, 05. K 11. http://atlas.lmi.is/islandskort-dana/ljosmyndir.php |
Common Phrases & Simple Greetings in Icelandic
2:20 Why is Iceland Green & Greenland Ice?
When Iceland was discovered, it was very cold & harsh, so it was given the name Iceland. Later, when the big glacial island next to it was found, the name was already taken. Greenland was reputedly so named by it's discoverer, the Viking, Eric the
Red, Vikings beings known for their sarcasm. He was exiled from Iceland for manslaughter & to make the place sound more pleasant for others to inhabit, it became known as Greenland, but to the locals, it's Kalaallit Nunaat. |
Socialist League
Founding the Socialist League in 1884, William broke away from the organization by the end of the decade. over goals and methods
His 'Socialist Diary' and his book satchel
https://www.facebook.com/The |
Commemorative Plaques
Waltham Forest
Waltham Forest
The following is a partial list identifying the sites of commemorative plaques in Waltham Forest as at
April 2011. *Vestry House Museum Vestry Road E17 – Borough of Walthamstow. Here stood the Old Watch House or “Cage”. Erected in 1765. Removed in 1912”. *Fire Station, 341/343 Forest Road E17 – “ Borough of Walthamstow. Directly opposite stood Elm House (demolished in 1898 ) in extensive grounds, the birthplace of William Morris 24 March 1834”. *William Morris Gallery, Forest Road E17 – Borough of Walthamstow. William Morris 1834-1896 lived here 1848-1856. *Edward Lloyd Publisher lived here 1857-1885”. |
Many more.........
http://www.walthamforest.gov.uk/pages/services/pla |
Measuring Worth
At 21 years of age, Morris inherited an annual salary of nine hundred pounds. When using the CPI/RPI, the (average) value in 2013 of £900 from 1840 is $99000.00. The range of values is from $64300.00 to $132000.00. https://www.measuringworth.com/calculators/excha |
Morris' Grave
Grave of William & Jane Morris St George's churchyard in Kelmscott, Oxfordshire Designed by architect friend Philip Webb