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MORRIS & FRIENDS

MORRIS & FRIENDS
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MORRIS & FRIENDS

Product catalog summary
Overview
This document provides a comprehensive timeline and overview of the design works associated with Morris & Co., originally known as Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co., established in 1861. It highlights the contributions of various artists and designers, including William Morris, J.H. Dearle, Edward Godwin, May Morris, Kate Faulkner, and Kathleen Kersey, among others. The document celebrates the rich history of design spanning over 160 years, focusing on wallpaper and fabric designs.
Key Designers and Their Works
  • William Morris (1834-1896): Known for designs such as Daisy (1864), Fruit (1864), and Acanthus (1875). His works often feature intricate floral and foliage patterns.
  • J.H. Dearle (1859-1932): Notable for designs like Golden Lily (1899) and Meadow Sweet (1904), Dearle's works are characterized by their detailed and structured floral motifs.
  • Edward Godwin (1833-1886): Created the Bamboo design in 1872, influenced by Japanese aesthetics.
  • May Morris (1862-1938): Known for Honeysuckle (1883), she contributed significantly to embroidery and wallpaper design.
  • Kate Faulkner (1841-1898): Designed Bramble (1879), showcasing her talent in botanical motifs.
  • Kathleen Kersey: Known for the Arbutus design in 1914.
Design Characteristics and Innovations
  • Floral and Foliage Patterns: Many designs feature intricate and symmetrical floral motifs, often inspired by nature and medieval art.
  • Use of Colour: Designs are available in various colourways, allowing for versatility in application.
  • Historical and Cultural Influences: The designs draw inspiration from medieval, Persian, Turkish, and Japanese art, reflecting a global appreciation of design styles.
  • Adaptation and Reimagining: Many historical designs have been adapted for modern use, such as converting fabric designs into wallpaper.
Significance and Legacy
The document underscores the enduring legacy of Morris & Co. and its designers, highlighting their influence on the Arts & Crafts movement and their continued relevance in contemporary design. The works of these designers are celebrated for their artistic beauty, technical skill, and cultural significance.
Key Sections
  • Sweet Briar: A fabric based on a carpet design by John Henry Dearle from the 1890s, featuring Persian flowers in a trailing pattern, suitable for upholstery.
  • Montreal Velvet: A fabric design depicting underwater plant movement in Art Nouveau style, originally designed by J.H. Dearle in 1901, available in jewel-like colorways.
  • Mary Isobel: An ornate design by John Henry Dearle, originally an embroidery kit, now available as wallpaper with symmetrical plant motifs.
  • Meadow Sweet: A wallpaper design by J.H. Dearle from 1904, featuring plant motifs in light and rich colorways.
  • Forest and Kelmscott Tree: Inspired by Kelmscott Manor, this design features trees and wildlife, adapted by Alison Gee from original curtains designed by May Morris.
  • Chrysanthemum Toile: A wallpaper inspired by the embossed Chrysanthemum wallpaper from the 1880s, highlighted with metallic inks.
  • Honeysuckle: Designed by May Morris in 1883, this wallpaper features a realistic arrangement of honeysuckle flowers and leaves.
  • Arbutus: A wallpaper reworked from Kathleen Kersey's original design, featuring stems, leaves, and berries in rich and neutral colorways.
Showroom Locations
The document lists various showroom locations in London, New York, Chicago, Paris, Netherlands, and Germany, providing contact details for each.
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Catalog excerpts

MORRIS & FRIENDS-2

A Timeline of Design Morris & Co., or Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. as it was first known in 1861, has always been home to some of the brightest creative talents of the age. Paying homage to a creative stream that spans over 160 years, Morris & Friends features wallpaper and fabric designs drawn from the portfolios of icons such as J.H. Dearle (1859-1932) and Edward Godwin (1833-1886) Morris and Friends celebrates the under-recognised work of 19th century women artists such as Kate Faulkner (1841-1898) May Morris (1862-1938) and Kathleen Kersey, active in the early 20th century. William Morris...

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Fruit An abundance of ripened pomegranates hangs temptingly from the branches of an overflowing tree, growing amongst the flora. Printed over fine branches in the background to give the design greater depth, Fruit is one of the first William Morris designs, produced in 1864, demonstrating early on its creator’s skill as a pattern maker. MORRIS & FRIENDS

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Honeysuckle & Tulip First produced in 1876, Honeysuckle & Tulip was an early Morris fabric design depicting entwined foliage and floral motifs in a mirrored pattern repeat. The effect is of a trellis circling large multi-petalled tulips and stylised honeysuckle. This beautifully symmetrical design comes in a range of colourways. MORRIS & FRIENDS

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Marigold Marigold is a tranquil monotone design created by William Morris in 1875 as one of the few he intended for both wallpaper and fabric. The warm, neutral tones and charming climbing pattern make Marigold a versatile choice. MORRIS & FRIENDS

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Swirling, tendrils bowed in the wind, is William Morris’s 1876 design, Pimpernel. Still beloved today for its potent energy and tender floral form, it was once the design of choice for William Morris himself when wallpapering his own dining room in Kelmscott Manor, Oxfordshire. MORRIS & FRIENDS

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Bamboo Newly reimagined from the fabric original for wallpaper, Bamboo has been adapted from a design by E.W. Godwin in 1872. Like Morris, Godwin was dedicated to beautifying the home, with Oscar Wilde referring to him as “one of the most artistic spirits of this century in England.” Godwin was also highly influenced by Japanese design and often used bamboo motifs in his work. MORRIS & FRIEND

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Bramble Two brand-new colourways with warming, botanical base tones transform Kate Faulkner’s 1879 design into an ideal fabric solution for contemporary upholstery. Faulkner, a talented designer in her own right, was the sister of Charlie Faulkner, one of the founding members of Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co. (later known as simply ‘Morris & Co.’) in 1861. MORRIS & FRIE

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Leicester Inspired by an earlier design (Bachelors Button, 1892) this evocative design encapsulates the romance of the medieval past that so inspired Morris and was designed by John Henry Dearle in 1912. Gracefully arching leaves punctuated by mid-scale blooms. MORRIS & FRIENDS

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Dearle’s vision for Helena, designed in 1891 as a woven jacquard, reflects his profound fascination with the detailed textiles of Persia and Turkey, which held his gaze during his peak as a designer. The intricate pattern of the design seamlessly blends artichoke flowers against a backdrop of acanthus leaves and fritillaries. MORRIS & FRIENDS

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Meadow Sweet Whimsical and full of nostalgic charm, symmetrical plant motifs are arranged in a formal design over this wallpaper, typical of the Arts & Crafts style. Originally designed by J.H. Dearle in 1904, this wallpaper takes beautifully to its light, airy colourways, but truly stands out with colour-rich Blush and Mineral Blue colourways. MORRIS & FRIENDS

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Honeysuckle Honeysuckle, designed by May Morris in 1883, is a realistic arrangement of the climbing scented flower, complete with captivating entwining leaves. Although best known for her work with embroidery (May took over the embroidery department of Morris & Co. when she was only 23!), Morris’s youngest daughter also designed several wallpapers. Honeysuckle is reimagined based on samples in the Morris & Co. archive and is here made new in a warm, green colourway. MORRIS & FRIENDS

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This much-loved design from 1875 marked the beginning of a period in which Morris created large-scale designs for wallpaper. Replete with twists, turns, and all the depth and energy synonymous with a William Morris pattern, we’ve adapted Acanthus from a wallpaper into a fabric and tapestry weave. With complex layering and vigorous curves, the scrolling acanthus foliage produces a three-dimensional effect and is available in diverse colourways. ARTICHOKE EMBROIDERY FABRIC The Artichoke Embroidery is a tenderly embroidered silk, based on William Morris’s Artichoke from 1877. Featuring large, traditional...

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MORRIS & FRIENDS-14

An abundance of ripened pomegranates hangs temptingly from the branches of an overflowing tree, growing amongst the abundant flora. Printed over fine branches in the background to give the design greater depth, Fruit is one of the first William Morris designs, produced in 1864, demonstrating early on its creator’s skill as a pattern maker. Based on an elaborately woven silk velvet brocade designed and produced by Morris in 1884 Granada incorporates pomegranate motifs and ornate trellis reminiscent of the mediaeval textiles which inspired the design. Today, Granada is printed on a heavy textured...

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MORRIS & FRIENDS-15

LODDEN FABRIC An archetypally Morris & Co. pattern, where scrolling flowers and foliage cover this 100% cotton upholstery fabric, originally 1883. First printed by the painstaking Indigo-Discharge method at Merton Abbey, great care has been taken to maintain the marks, textures and colours of the hand block-printed fabric. Lodden is well suited to uses such as blinds, cushions draped and upholstery, whilst the light and dark contrasting colour stories add another layer of versatility. Marigold is a tranquil monotone design created by William Morris in 1875 as one of the few he intended for both...

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