May Morris (born 1862), the daughter of well known interior decorator and artist William Morris and his wife Jane Burden, was a talented artist in her own right, initially specializing in textiles.  She was also a committed socialist and a promoter of the role of women in the production of crafts.  The exhibition “May Morris: Crafting a Legacy,” developed in partnership with The William Morris Society, examines her art work both during her work at Morris and Co, the interior decoration company set up by her father, and as an independent artist.  It also looks at her contribution to the employment of women and the improvement of working conditions for the working class women that she employed.  The exhibition runs until 1st November 2026 at the Lady Lever Art Gallery in Port Sunlight on the Wirral.

The photographs below represent a very small sample of the total items on display.  All photographs were taken with my smartphone, and are mainly of very poor quality, but should give an idea of some of the exhibition’s content.  As usual there are also problems with the reflection of lighting on glass.

After a childhood spent between family homes on the Thames at Hammersmith and in rural Oxfordshire, and exposed to the ideas of her parents and their friends, at the age of 16 May Morris attended the National Art Training School in London, where she studied embroidery, a skill that she had learned from her mother and aunt.  She went to work at her father’s company and i 1885 became manager of Morris and Co’s embroider workshop, a position she continued to hold after her marriage in 1890.  A committed socialist, she provided opportunities for working class girls, providing training, pay and sensible working hours.  The workshop mainly produced items for the home, from table cloths to wall hangings.  After William Morris died in 1996 she left the company and made great progress as a freelance artist adding additional skills such as metalwork, tapestry and weaving to produce work for private commissions.  She also lectured in both the UK and North America, edited and wrote a number of publications, and founded the Women’s Guild of Arts in 1907, whilst also helping to organize international exhibitions.  She died in 1938.

Westward Ho! designed by May Morris and embroidered by her mother Jane, early 1880s. Silks on unbleached linen.

“Decorative Needlework” as written by May Morris and published in 1993. 125 copies with this special cover were produced. Apologies for the blurred photograph.

Two designs by May Morris for Morris and Co. 1885-1890

Arcadia wallpaper. Designed by May Morris c.1886. Made with 12 woodblocks.

“Horn Poppy” design by May Morris c.1885, using one of her favourite floral motifs

Gauntlets designed by Charles de Sousy Rickets and embroidered by May Morris 1899

Dress designed and probably embroidered by May Morris c.1905

The exhibition has a mixture of May Morris’s own works and those by artists whose work is thought to have influenced her.  It demonstrates the richness of her work, which certainly owes a great debt to her father’s ideas but also demonstrates her own approach to the decorative arts.