William Morris

William Morris was a British socialist organizer, poet, artist, fantasy writer, and textile designer who lived from March 24, 1834, to October 3, 1896. He was a part of the British Arts and Crafts movement. He made a big difference in bringing back traditional British textile skills and ways of making things. His writings helped create the modern fantasy genre, and in Great Britain at the end of the 1800s, he helped get people to accept socialism. Morris came from a rich middle-class family and...See more

William Morris was a British socialist organizer, poet, artist, fantasy writer, and textile designer who lived from March 24, 1834, to October 3, 1896. He was a part of the British Arts and Crafts movement. He made a big difference in bringing back traditional British textile skills and ways of making things. His writings helped create the modern fantasy genre, and in Great Britain at the end of the 1800s, he helped get people to accept socialism. Morris came from a rich middle-class family and was born in Walthamstow, Essex. Middle Ages had a big impact on him while he was studying classics at Oxford University and was a part of the Birmingham Set. After college, he married Jane Burden and became friendly with the Pre-Raphaelite artists Edward Burne-Jones and Dante Gabriel Rossetti, as well as the Neo-Gothic architect Philip Webb. Morris stayed in Red House in Kent from 1859 to 1865 before moving to Bloomsbury in central London. The house was designed by Webb and Morris. Morris started the decorative arts company Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. with Burne-Jones, Rossetti, Webb, and others in 1861. It quickly became popular and in high demand. During the Victorian era, Morris designed textiles, wallpaper, fabrics, furniture, and stained glass windows, all of which had a big impact on interior design. See less