Oxfordshire Limited Edition – August 2019

August 2019 |OxfordshireLimitedEdition| 73

C

hancesare,you’veheardof

WilliamMorris,the 19 th

centuryartist,philosopher

andpoliticaltheoristwhose

designshelpedshapetheArts

andCraftsmovement.

Youmightnot,however,haveheard

ofhisdaughterMay,who,untilrecently,

wasrelativelyunknown.OneofEnglish

embroidery’smostinfluentialandpioneering

figures,shewasatruedesignermakerwho

learnedpatternmakingfromherfatherand

embroideryfromhermother,withacareer

spanningmorethan 50 years.Theproblem

was,hereffortswentlargelyunnoticed.

“Shewasaninspirationalladybutprobably

anunsungheroineintheArtsandCrafts

movementofthetime,”saysAlisonKeane,

ofinteriordesigncompanyStyleLibrary.

“She’sbeengivenrecognitioninthelast

coupleofyears,sowethoughtitwouldbe

nicetopayhomagetoherwork.Shewasan

expertneedlewomanwhowentontoteach,

andshewasrunningherfather’sneedlework

departmentfromtheageof 23 .”

Thishomagetakestheformofanew

collectionnamedMelsetter,afterMelsetter

House,inScotland,whichoncecontained

oneofMay’spieces.Aimedsquarelyat

theheritagemarket,itcomprisesseven

embroideries,sevenprintsand 10 wallpapers,

alleitherdirectlytakenfrom,orinspiredby,

herartistry.“Thecollectiontakesinspiration

fromdesignsshedidforMorris&Coand

later,forherself,andwomenshewould

haveworkedwith,andalsofromthearchive

ofMorris&Coitself,”saysAlison.“It’sa

celebrationofMay’swork.”

ThefactthatStyleLibrary,basedin

Denham,holdstheMorris&Coarchive

madethispossible.Anumbrellaorganisation

forsixprestigiousbrands,ithasarchivesfor

two(theotheronebeingSanderson)and

makesfulluseofthem.“We’recustodians

ofMorris&Co,whichisWilliamMorris’s

originalcompany,”Alisonexplains.“Weare

privilegedtoowntheoriginalarchivesand

weusethesetoinspirenewcollections–we

launchanarchivecollectioneveryotheryear.

“Aswellasreproducingtheiconicclassics

asauthenticallyaspossible,wealsocreate

newdesigns,takinginspirationfromall

aspectsofMorris’slife,works,andinfluences.

Alotofthoughtandcaregoesintowhatthey

willbe,ensuringthatthesecreationsmaintain

allthecharmandartistryoftheoriginals.All

ofthesedesignswillbepaintedoutinour

studio,anditwilloftentakethreemonthsfor

onepiece,soit’sareallabouroflove.”

Inadditiontotheheadquarters,in

Denham,whereMorris&Co,Sanderson

andZoffanyarebased,StyleLibraryhas

afactoryinLoughborough,forwallpaper,

andoneinLancasterforprintedfabric.The

‘Weareprivileged

toowntheoriginal

archivesandweuse

thesetoinspirenew

collections–welaunch

anarchivecollection

everyotheryear’

HOMES INTERIORS