Design

T he Archive Collections
Celebrating 150 years of Design

The Archive Collections
150 Years of
Arts & Crafts Design

William Morris, artist, philosopher and political theorist, was one of the most outstanding and influential designers of the Arts & Crafts Movement and through his company, Morris & Co. he produced some of the most fashionable and exciting textiles and wallpapers of his era. Other designers, most notably
J.H. Dearle, who later became Artistic Director of the firm also contributed to the collections.
To mark the 150 year anniversary Morris & Co. is launching four collections; ARCHIvE pRINTS,
ARCHIvE WALLpApERS, ARCHIvE
WEAvES and ARCHIvE EMBROIDERIES. In creating these collections the design studio has revisited some of the best loved designs housed in the Morris
& Co. Archive as well as taking reference from textiles found within Morris’ homes.

Archive Wallpaper
Morris’ wallpaper designs are among the best-known examples of his work and he personally designed 46 wallpapers and 5 ceiling papers over his career. Archive
Wallpapers is a selection of 11 iconic designs from the
Morris & Co. archive, reproduced as faithfully to the originals as possible in scale and colour.

LEFT Original wallpaper documents from the Morris & Co. archive TOp FROM LEFT Branch William
Morris 1871, Garden Craft W.A.S. Benson 1908, Pimpernel William Morris 1876 CENTRE This Acanthus match piece is the original trial sample that William Morris would have approved prior to its production in
1875 BOTTOM FROM LEFT Golden Lily 1899 and Artichoke 1898, both John Henry Dearle RIGHT
WALLpApER Pimpernel 210387, SOfA Garden Craft 230295, FOOTSTOOL fairfax 230261 piped in
Ruskin DRUSRU326, CHAISE Bluebell 220330 piped in Ruskin DRUSRU309, CUSHIONS ON SOFA fairfax 230252, Bluebell 220330, Ruskin DRUSRU324, Ruskin DRUSRU311, Orchard 220303 CUSHION
ON CHAISE Ruskin DRUSRU302

pIMpERNEL (1876)
This pattern is typical of Morris’ greatest designs