Dedicated to the life and work of
William Morris
Founded in 1971, the William Morris Society in the United States is a group of scholars and enthusiasts brought together in fellowship by our shared interest in the life and works of the nineteenth-century writer, designer, and political thinker William Morris.
Images: Portrait of William Morris by Frederick Hollyer, 1884. William Morris, Jasmine, wallpaper, 1872. Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The William Morris Society in the United States has no involvement with the recently-announced collaboration between British fashion brand Warehouse and the William Morris Society in the United Kingdom.
Announcements
Call for Submissions: Useful & Beautiful
Useful and Beautiful: The Journal of the William Morris Society in the United States solicits submissions for peer-reviewed articles, magazine content, and book reviews. U&B is a lively multi-disciplinary publication that explores the full range of the life, work,...
Call for Session Proposals: CAA 2025
The William Morris Society in the United States (WMS-US) invites session proposals for the CAA 2025 conference, which is scheduled for February 12–15 in New York. We welcome proposals for sessions that are open to a range of time periods, geographic regions, and...
Useful and Beautiful, Spring 2023
The spring 2023 issue of Useful and Beautiful, the magazine of the William Morris Society in the United States, is now available as a PDF for all readers. Download here. WMS-US members receive a physical copy of the magazine and immediate access to the PDF. Find out...
A brief introduction to
William Morris
William Morris (1834–1896) is remembered for his contributions to literature, political and social thought, historic preservation, and the history of art and design.
Widely recognized as the leader of the Arts and Crafts movement, Morris advocated for the importance of craft. Believing that art was the expression of ‘pleasure in labour’, Morris’s passion for the arts of everyday life and abhorrence of Victorian industrial society led him to political activism. Influenced by Marxism, anarchism and revolutionary socialism, Morris co-founded the Socialist League, campaigned for workers’ rights, and lectured widely on art, labor, and politics.
Morris was himself a prolific designer in a variety of media. His printed textiles, tapestries, carpets, tiles, and wallpapers transformed Victorian interiors. As founder of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, Morris has had a lasting impact in the field of heritage preservation. Towards the end of his life, his creative energies were focused on book printing.
Morris’s legacies survive today in myriad forms—in his poetry and prose, in his widely reproduced pattern designs, and in artistic, environmental, and political activism inspired by his life and work.
Image: William Morris, “Woodpecker” tapestry. Morris & Co., 1885.
join the society
membership
The William Morris Society in the United States is open to all residents of the US.
Members of the William Morris Society US are also members of the William Morris Society in the UK. They receive our magazine, Useful and Beautiful, and the Journal of William Morris Studies.
We hope you’ll join our community of engaged enthusiasts and scholars.
Upcoming
Events
Members Event: Visit to Delaware Art Museum and University of Delaware Library
On December 2nd, 2023, join fellow members of the William Morris Society in the United States for two special events in Delaware on the same day! In the morning at 11:00 am, we will visit "The Rossettis" exhibition at the Delaware Art Museum with a tour given by...
Event with Miriam Pugliese of Nido di Seta
On November 1st, 2023, the William Morris Society US and the Decorative Arts, Craft, and Design group of the Art Libraries Society will host a virtual presentation with Miriam Pugliese of Nido di Seta (Silk Nest), an Italian group dedicated to sustainable textile...
Member Event: Textile Museum Tour at The George Washington University
Calling all those who love textiles! Join us for a visit to the Textile Museum in Washington, DC on September 23, 2023 from 10am - 12pm. We will meet with the museum's staff members Tracy Meserve, librarian of the Arthur D. Jenkins Library and WMS-US board member, and...
Image: William Morris, Fruit, wallpaper, c. 1866. Victoria and Albert Museum.
Follow Us On Social Media