1875

William Morris born on the 24th Marcher 1834 and died on the 3rd October 1896. Morris was an English textile designer, overall artists and writer. He is also widely known for his association with the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood and the English Arts and Crafts Movement. Morris trained as an architect when his ambitions to be a painter were unfulfilled. He met the artists Edward Burne-Jones during his time as a student at Oxford. Through this friendship he came into contact with the Pre-Raphaelite painters such as Rossetti and others within their circle.
In 1859 Morris actually married Jane Burden - an unconventional beauty and a favourite model for the Pre-Raphaelites at the time. With his marriage to Jane he decided to build them a house. The Red house to be precise, it took them two years to decorate the interior of the home, in which Morris (with help of his friends within the Pre-Raphaelites) built and designed a lot of the furniture. Then, because of the success of the house interior Morris and Webb decided they would found a decorative arts firm, inviting the likes of Burne-Jones, Rossetti and others to work with him, "The Morris, Marshall, Faulkner & Co". The firm became immensely fashionable and in high demand in a short amount of time, the firm profoundly influenced interior decoration throughout the Victorian period. Morris designed things like tapestries, wallpaper, fabrics, furniture and even stained glass windows. 

Morris concentrated on designing wallpaper during the 60s. His patterns were often inspired by the natural world, those pieces are some of his best known works of art.

 

By 1875, Morris assumed complete control of the company and renamed the firm Morris & Co.

Because Morris was also a poet there are a lot of famous quotes from him, the most famous probably being; "Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." A lot of his poems were influence from the Icelandic sagas, his red house was also heavily influence from this saga. 

By 1883 Morris joined a political party called the 'social democratic federation'. Then going on to start a new party called the 'socialist league'. 

When Morris passed away in 1896 his doctor said Morris had 'carried out the work of ten men during his lifetime'.