This talk, led by curator, Helen Elletson, is part of the annual Totally Thames Festival.
The River Thames held a lifelong fascination for William Morris. His love for the river led Morris to live next to it, take journeys along it, and write about it in his poetry and prose. Most famously though, the river features within his designs for wallpaper and textiles.
Be inspired by the William Morris Society’s collection of beautiful patterns that Morris was motivated to create through his admiration of the River Thames. Patterns such as Wandle, Cray and Windrush are amongst Morris’s best-known patterns and were all named after tributaries of the Thames. This talk will uncover the fascinating history behind these designs by exploring the connections between Morris, the Thames and its tributaries.