The William Morris Society was
established in 1955. The Society is based at Kelmscott House,
Hammersmith, overlooking the Thames, which was Morris’s London home for
the last eighteen years of his life.
Two
years ago the Society were delighted to receive a donation from a local
resident of two padded wooden boxes labelled ‘Costume and Jewellery’.
The boxes contained glass lantern slides which it is believed were
prepared for a lecture given by May Morris. May was the youngest daughter of William Morris.
Amongst
the lantern slides of exquisite jewellery and embroidery are a number
of family photographs including images of William Morris’s homes at Kelmscott Manor and the Red House in
Bexleyheath. May Morris lived in the shadow of her illustrious father
but was a very talented lady and an important figure in her own right
within the Arts & Crafts Movement. Her love affair with George
Bernard Shaw was said to have led to a divorce from her husband Henry Halliday Sparling; the secretary of the Socialist League in 1894.
The personal photographs in this collection include an original photographic negative of William Morris’s wife Jane Morris. This picture was taken in July 1865 in the garden of the famous artist Dante Gabriel Rossetti in
Cheyne Walk, London. The photograph was taken by the photographer John
Parsons but closely directed by Rossetti. Jane Morris became closely
attached to Rossetti, becoming a favourite muse and the inspiration for
many of his paintings. Their relationship is reputed to have started around 1865 and lasted on differing levels until his death in 1882.
Max
is very pleased to be able to digitise these compelling set of original
photographs which provide such a unique insight in the life of William
Morris.
