That Morris’s textiles alone are the subject of so much scrutiny attests to the quality and appeal of his work and his boundless energy. This volume does not go into great detail about the wallpapers, let alone the stained glass, poetry, novels, writings on socialism and design, general correspondence, or the Kelmscott Press. Even with textiles, Morris is difficult to narrow down; his interests and contacts were so diverse. Here we learn, in remarkable detail, of Morris’s dealings with dyers and suppliers to achieve the right effects. We learn how Morris worked and how focused he was: ‘I am drawing patterns so fast that last night I dreamed I had to draw a sausage, somehow I had to eat it first which made me anxious about my digestion.’ We also see his badgering side, illustrated in a letter to the long-suffering Leek textile dyer Thomas Wardle: ‘I mean that I can never be contented with getting anything short of the best, and that I should always go on trying to improve on goods in all ways, and should consider anything that was only tolerable as a ladder to mount up to the next stage – that is, in fact – my life.’ As Parry writes: ‘At times they show an uncompromising, penny-pinching, dictatorial tyrant but also a man of intelligence, determination and extraordinary dedication. A shrewd business mind is evident too.’

The interior decorating firm that bore his name was founded in 1861 and continued well after his death, finally closing in 1940, by which time all its creative energy was spent. In addition to being a pattern designer of genius, Morris was involved with all aspects of the production side. This business model, in which the one entity controls the design, sourcing of materials, production, retail and marketing, was central to the quality control that Morris demanded. He ran the retail side of the trade through a London shop, and, while using external contractors, he eventually set up his own works at Merton Abbey, and where many of the carpets, tapestries, printed and woven textiles were manufactured and where quality was assured. Employment conditions and pay for workers were above average.

Morris held strong views on many subjects. It is not surprising that some of his fiercest statements concerned interior design, which is where he was most committed and where he made his livelihood. ‘I have never been in any rich man’s home which would not have looked the better for having a bonfire made outside it of nine-tenths of all it held,’ he wrote. Still, Morris & Co. thrived on furnishing the interiors of rich men’s houses.

As Morris’s firm developed, so it expanded from a small concern, assisted by friends and family, to a properly functioning enterprise, run along sound business lines. Morris may have been the driving force and principal designer, but he was not the only one involved in the undertaking, and many others supplied designs over the years. The most important was Edward Burne-Jones, a lifelong friend of Morris, who provided numerous designs for tapestries and stained glass. Morris’s daughter, May, also designed for the firm, and the talents of Henry Dearle, who became principal designer in the firm from the late 1880s, and who designed several of the most beautiful of the woven and printed textiles, embroideries, tapestries and carpets, are given due and thorough recognition.

Although Morris never visited Australia, the interior design connections here are strong and commenced during his lifetime. Adelaide’s Barr Smith family became one of the firm’s most loyal and enthusiastic clients, buying Morris furnishings in abundance from 1884 to 1929 for some half dozen houses. Specific designs (the ‘Small Barr’ carpet, and embroideries titled ‘Australia’ and ‘Adelaide’) were produced for them. George Brookman, also from Adelaide, purchased two major tapestries from Morris & Co. Because of this antipodean patronage, Morris’s textiles are well represented in Australian public collections. Back in England, Australian money from mining and wool supported some of the firm’s grander house and tapestry commissions.

William Morris Textiles is well illustrated, with many new and previously unpublished images. There are chapters on embroidery, printed and woven textiles, carpets and tapestries, as well as interesting new information on the business and retail side of the firm. Much more consideration is given to the post-Morris period of the firm than previously. A catalogue listing illustrates all the 147 known textile designs, with repeating patterns produced between 1868 and 1940. All the famous and popular designs are covered, which will please any Morris enthusiast, but clearly they only form part of this fascinating and complex story.