Lynn Hulse

The first fully illustrated and comprehensive introduction to May Morris's work as an artist, designer and embroiderer, published in association with the V&A. May Morris (1862–1938), younger daughter of William Morris, was a significant figure in the British Arts and Crafts movement and a pioneer of ‘art embroidery’. She ran the embroidery department of Morris & Co., as well as designing textiles, wallpapers and jewellery. May was also an influential teacher and lectured in the UK and America. May Morris: Arts & Crafts Designer is the first publication to present the full range of May Morris’s work and reveals her exceptional skill and originality. It draws together her designs, exquisite embroideries, watercolours, costume and jewellery from museums around the world, and in particular the rich collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum and the William Morris Gallery, London. The book contains more than 180 items in colour and detailed information on their materials and provenance compiled by leading experts. There are also new insights into May’s personal life and relationships, her social activism and her support for other craftswomen. This authoritative and illuminating study places May Morris, whose reputation has been overshadowed by that of her father, firmly among the leading British designer-makers of the Arts and Crafts movement.

May Morris (1862–1938) was a leading figure in the Arts and Crafts Movement and a key exponent of decorative needlework (or art embroidery). Following the critically acclaimed exhibition at the William Morris Gallery in 2017, research into her life and work has mushroomed, bringing her out of her father’s shadow. Inspiring designers and practitioners today, May Morris’s work is much sought after by those keen to acquire a deeper understanding of her creative process and that of her contemporaries. May Morris described design as ‘the very essence and soul of beautiful embroidery’, and ranked it chief among the four elements that make a work truly ‘artistic’. The Ashmolean holds one of the largest repositories of her designs, though few of these have appeared in print or been added to the Museum’s online collections. Drawing on the Ashmolean archive, this book aims to make the designs more widely accessible to embroiderers, not only equipping them with the tools to create their own projects based on May Morris’s working methods, but also providing them with the historical context to place their work and practice in the continuum of decorative needlework.