A new Hammersmith exhibition is set to unveil the often-overlooked role of women in the Arts & Crafts movement.
Making Her Mark: Women in the Arts and Crafts Movement opens at Emery Walker's House (5 June), focusing on the work of Hammersmith artist May Morris.
While the name of her father, William Morris, may be synonymous with the Arts & Crafts movement, women also played a key role in the shift away from industrial production towards more individual creations celebrating craftsmanship, design and beauty.
May's skills in embroidery, pattern drawing and jewellery design helped turn Morris & Co into a world-recognised brand.
The exhibition in Hammersmith Terrace runs until 29 November, with items from May Morris as well as ceramicists Louise Powell and Phoebe Stabler.
Pre-book your visit with guided tours on Thursdays and Saturdays
Louise studied calligraphy at the Central School of Arts and Crafts, but enjoyed a career with Wedgwood, creating hand-painted designs which drew inspiration from nature. While Phoebe is best known for her richly glazed pottery figures and stone carving.
Also in the show – books bound and illuminated by Katharine Adams and Ethel Sandell. As well as art works by painter and printmaker Mary Sloane – another close friend of May Morris, who exhibited at the Royal Academy and Paris Salon.
Legacy of May Morris
What linked the artists was their membership of the Women's Guild of Arts.
It was founded in 1907 in response to the exclusion of women from the male-dominated Art Workers' Guild, which was based on the ideas of William Morris and the Arts & Crafts Movement.
Many members of the Womens' Guild of Arts were also active in the suffrage movement.
Mary (May) Morris (1862-1938) lived at Kelmscott House, now home to the William Morris Society, and Hammersmith Terrace.
She studied at the National Art Training School, the predecessor of the Royal College of Art in White City.
May became the director of the sewing department at Morris & Co. and created many new designs, some of which were wrongly credited to her father.
Even after her father's death, she continued her work to promote free-form embroidery style 'art needlework'. She later went on to found a charity with the help of Princess Helena to maintain and develop the art of needlework through apprenticeships.
Many art schools included embroidery in their curriculum.
May became head of a dedicated embroidery department at the Central School of Arts and Crafts (later Central School of Arts and Design). She also taught in Birmingham, Leicester and Hammersmith Art School.
Celebrating women in H&F
May Morris is one of the six influential women featured on our Women's History Trail in Hammersmith.
Walk the route using our trail map to trace the steps of Anne Cobden Sanderson, Janet Olufunmilayo Adegoke, Lillie Langtry, Eartha Kitt, Verity Lambert and May Morris.
