William Morris Gallery

           We were a bit skeptical of the William Morris Gallery once we realized what a trek it would be to get there. We hopped on our usual tube stop, Queensway, and rode the central line to Oxford Circus. We then switched to the perpetually crowded Victoria line and rode it to Blackhorse Road. Very ominous, indeed. From there, we hopped on a bus which delivered us right to the gallery’s entrance. Upon arrival we were pleasantly surprised. The building and surrounding gardens were gorgeous, and spring had sprung in the form of yellow and pink tulips. Quite honestly, entering the museum and gallery we knew very literally of William Morris. We knew he was an early artisan and socialist and an important designer in 19^th century England, but that was about it. By the time we left, coincidentally around the same time news of the Westminster attacks were surfacing, we were all experts on William Morris.

          Morris was a man of various talents. He was, again, a designer but also a poet, a craftsman, and a social activist. His ultimate goal was to transform and beautify the Victorian age. He loathed the effects of industrialization and saw the pollution, disease, and dilapidation that came with it as an assault to the potential beauty of his world. He also used his arts and crafts to further his dreams of socialism. He was, indeed, a socialist in the most traditional sense of the word. The house that now acts as a museum about him was his teenage home and now features some of his designs, and several of his most poignant quotes (my favorite part). I’ve included a few below.

          For the most part, these quotes encapsulate William Morris. Beauty was his first priority and ensuring that beauty as well as education, freedom, and health were accessible to all was a close second. A system which allowed the property-owning of society to benefit from the labor of working-class people infuriated Morris. He wanted revolution, not a gradual, pain-staking process, in order to transform the system and to ensure the distribution of goods and services did not lie solely in the hands of the powerful. He also cared about the environment. His dislike of industrialization extended to this end as well. He really had an opinion about every issue, but he’s known today most for his craftsmanship, his poetry, and his unrelenting love and fight for beauty. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT WILLIAM MORRIS:

https://www.william-morris.co.uk/

A site still selling the crafts of the original Morris & Co. and educating the masses on Morris’s legacy.

http://www.vam.ac.uk/page/w/william-morris/

The Victoria and Albert Museum’s exploration of William Morris

http://www.morrissociety.org/

The William Morris Society’s base in the United States advertising opportunities for involvement. Also representative of the man’s reach and influence.