May Morris: Arts and Crafts Designer by Mason, Marsh, Lister, Bain, and Faurby

Blurb: 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' 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.

• hardback

Paraffle Note: I was lucky enough to go to a May Morris exhibition in December 2019, at Dovecote Studios (Edinburgh). Since then, I've been obsessed with her - not only was Morris' work gorgeously detailed, she was also active in the socialist movement of her time, and advocated for 'feminine' crafts like embroidery to be valued as fine art. An icon!