The Arts and Crafts movement marked a change in appreciation of how things were designed and made. Named after the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society, the movement’s roots stretch back to the 1850s when progressive thinkers – including John Ruskin and William Morris – began expressing radical ideas about design and craft. William Morris (1834-96) established a furnishing and decorating business in 1861, aiming to restore the dignity of the craftsperson by bringing together a group of artists, designers and makers who went on to influence the following generation.
Through the objects in ‘Beyond William Morris: British Arts and Crafts, 1890-1920’, this exhibition also charts the role of the Arts and Crafts movement in the evolution of modern design history.
