The drawing room, Kelmscott House, Hammersmith, London
Photograph
1896 (made)
1896 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This photograph shows the drawing room at Kelmscott House in Hammersmith, a suburb of London. It was probably taken soon after William Morris's death in 1896. (A photograph of the dining room was taken at the same time.) It shows the fireplace, with the settle that was designed originally for Morris's Red House in Bexleyheath in Kent. Other furnishings from Red House include candlesticks designed by Philip Webb (1831–1915), the architect of Red House, and the Prioress's Tale Wardrobe. The wardrobe was painted with illustrations from Geoffrey Chaucer's story in The Canterbury Tales, hence its name.
The wall covering is Morris's 'Bird' fabric. His daughter May described the pattern as ‘intimate and friendly . . . the most adaptable to the needs of everyday life’.
The wall covering is Morris's 'Bird' fabric. His daughter May described the pattern as ‘intimate and friendly . . . the most adaptable to the needs of everyday life’.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | The drawing room, Kelmscott House, Hammersmith, London (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | Gelatin-silver print |
| Brief description | Photograph, 'The Drawing Room, Kelmscott House', probably by Emery Walker, 1896 |
| Physical description | Photograph of the drawing room at Kelmscott House, Hammersmith. Settle (from Red Lion square designed by Philip Webb (1856-59) at right, tables and armchairs at left. Wardrobe (designed by Philip Webb and painted by Edward Burne Jones with a scene from Chaucer for the Red House (1858-9)) in background, along with fireplace (with grate by Philip Webb) - above which lustre-ware plates (designed by William de Morgan) are arranged on shelves, and a sofa. The walls are hung (up to the picture rail) with a woven woollen fabric, 'Bird' designed in 1878 by Morris. On the floor is a mix of Persian carpets and Morris's own 'Tulip and Lily', designed about 1875. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Given by Wilfrid Blunt |
| Historical context | Kelmscott House was William Morris's London home from 1878 until his death. The photograph shows the main room on the first floor of the 18th century house overlooking the river Thames. The room is furnished with a mixture of antiques and pieces made by his firm for his previous homes. Kelmscott House was the site of the Kelmscott Press. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Place depicted | |
| Summary | This photograph shows the drawing room at Kelmscott House in Hammersmith, a suburb of London. It was probably taken soon after William Morris's death in 1896. (A photograph of the dining room was taken at the same time.) It shows the fireplace, with the settle that was designed originally for Morris's Red House in Bexleyheath in Kent. Other furnishings from Red House include candlesticks designed by Philip Webb (1831–1915), the architect of Red House, and the Prioress's Tale Wardrobe. The wardrobe was painted with illustrations from Geoffrey Chaucer's story in The Canterbury Tales, hence its name. The wall covering is Morris's 'Bird' fabric. His daughter May described the pattern as ‘intimate and friendly . . . the most adaptable to the needs of everyday life’. |
| Bibliographic reference | Parry, Linda, ed. William Morris. London: Philip Wilson Publishers Limited, 1996. 384 p., ill. ISBN 0856674419 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 2-1973 |
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| Record created | February 3, 2000 |
| Record URL |
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