Preface

The personal life of William Morris is already known to us through Mr. Mackail’s admirable biography as fully, probably, as we shall ever know it. My own endeavour has been to present a picture of Morris’s busy career perhaps not less vivid for the absence of much detail, and showing only the man and his work as they appeared to the outer public.

I have used as a basis for my narrative, the volumes by Mr. Mackail; William Morris, his Art, his Writings, and his Public Life, by Aymer Vallance; The Books of William Morris, by H. Buxton Forman; numerous articles in periodicals, and Morris’s own varied works.

I wish to express my indebtedness to Mr. Bulkley of 42 East 14th Street, New York City, for permission to reproduce a number of Morris patterns in his possession, notably a fragment of the St. James’s wall-paper.

Much material for the letter-press and for the illustrations I have obtained through the Boston Public Library. The Froissart pages were found there and most of the Kelmscott publications from which I have quoted.

The bibliography is that prepared by Mr. S. C. Cockerell for the last volume of Mr. Morris issued by the Kelmscott Press, under the title of A Note by William Morris on His Aims in Founding the Kelmscott Press. To the Cockerell bibliography have been added a few notes of my own.

E. L. C.

Brooklyn, Sept. 10, 1902.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER PAGE

I.— Boyhood

II.— Oxford Life

III.— From Rossetti to the Red House

IV.— Morris and Company

V.— From the Red House to Kelmscott

VI.— Poetry

VII.— Public Life and Socialism

VIII.— Public Life and Socialism (Continued)

IX.— Literature of the Socialist Period

X.— The Kelmscott Press

XI.— Later Writings

XII.— The End

Bibliography

Index

ILLUSTRATIONS.

Page

William Morris
From Life. Frontispiece

Title-page of “The Oxford and Cambridge Magazine”

Portrait of Rossetti
By Watts.

Portrait of Jane Burden (Mrs. Morris)
By Rossetti

Wall-Paper and Cotton-Print Designs

“Acanthus” Wall-Paper

“Pimpernel” Wall-Paper

“African Marigold” Cotton-Print

“These designs must not be taken as exact as to colour afterwards
used, Mr. Morris using the colours to his hand and afterwards
superintending the actual colouring in the course of manufacture,
in most cases many experimental trials being made before the
desired colouring was actually decided upon.”

Reproduced from examples obtained by courtesy of Mr. A. E. Bulkley.

The Morris designs in this book were reproduced by
permission of Messrs. Morris & Company.

“The Strawberry Thief” Design for Cotton-Print

Tulip Design for Axminster Carpet

Peacock Design for Coarse Wool Hangings

Painted Wall Decoration Designed by Morris

Painted Wall Decoration Designed by Morris

Design for St. James’s Palace Wall-Paper
Reproduced from sample obtained through courtesy of Mr. Bulkley.

Early Design for Morris Wall-Paper “Daisy and Columbine”

Chrysanthemum Design for Wall-Paper

Anemone Pattern for Silk and Wool Curtain Material

Portion of Hammersmith Carpet

Secretary Designed by the Morris Co.
In possession of Mr. Bulkley.

Sofa Designed by the Morris Co.
In possession of Mr. Bulkley.

Kelmscott Manor House. Two views

Design by Rossetti for Window Executed by Morris & Co. (“The Parable of
the Vineyard”)

Design by Rossetti for Stained-Glass Window Executed by the Morris Co.
(“The Parable of the Vineyard”)

Morris’s Bed, with Hangings Designed by Himself and Embroidered by his
Daughter

Kelmscott Manor House from the Orchard

Portrait of Edward Burne-Jones
By Watts.

William Morris

Picture by Rossetti in which the Children’s Faces are Portraits of May Morris

Honeysuckle Design for Linen

Washing Cloth at the Merton Abbey Works

Merton Abbey Works

Portrait of Mrs. Morris
By Rossetti.

Study of Mrs. Morris
Made by Rossetti for picture called “The Day Dream.”

Kelmscott Types

Page from Kelmscott “Chaucer.” Illustration by Burne-Jones. Border and
Initial Letter by Morris

Title-page of the Kelmscott “Chaucer”

The Smaller Kelmscott Press-Mark

The Larger Kelmscott Press-Mark

Drawing by Morris of the Letter “h” for Kelmscott Type, with Notes and
Corrections

Specimen Page from the Kelmscott “Froissart”
Projected Edition