In this video, Art UK visits the Lady Lever Art Gallery to view the ‘May Morris: Crafting a Legacy’ exhibition. This is the third of a three-part series.

Fiona Slattery Clark, Curator of Decorative Art at National Museums Liverpool, guides us through May Morris’ later career, which included co-founding the Women’s Guild of Arts in 1907 to increase professional opportunities for women, embarking on a lecture tour of North America, and experimenting with jewellery making.

Find out more about the exhibition: https://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/whatson/lady-lever-art-gallery/exhibition/may-morris-crafting-legacy

There’s still time to see the exhibition in person until 1st November 2026.

Artworks featured:

1) May Morris (1862–1938), 1909. Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)

2) The Easter or Bishop’s pair of gloves, c.1899, coloured silk, applied gold braid on linen, and seed pearls, designed by Charles de Sousy Ricketts (1866–1931) and embroidered by May Morris (1862–1938). Victoria and Albert Museum

3) Minstrel with Cymbals panel, early 1890s, silk, gold and metal thread on linen, embroidered by May Morris (1862–1938). The William Morris Society, 2026

4) Bust of May Morris, c.1910, bronze by Jo Davidson (1883–1952). Emery Walker Trust

5) Brooch, c.1903–1916, gold, almondine garnets, emeralds and water opal by May Morris (1862–1938). The William Morris Society, 2026

6) Hair ornament, c.1905, silver, pearls, opals and garnets by May Morris (1862–1938). Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museums Wales

7) Necklace, c.1905, gold and garnets by May Morris (1862–1938). Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museums Wales

8) Sleeve clasps, c.1905, silver, garnets, chrysoprase and agate by May Morris (1862–1938). Amgueddfa Cymru – National Museums Wales

9) Dress, c.1905, coloured silks with gold thread on silk and metallic machine-made lace, designed and probably embroidered by May Morris (1862–1938). Leicestershire Museums Service

10) Kelmscott Manor, 1877, ink on paper by May Morris (1862–1938). William Morris Gallery, London Borough of Waltham Forest

11) William Morris. Artist, Writer, Socialist, Vols I and II, 1936, board, linen and paper, edited by May Morris and published by Oxford, Basil Blackwell. The William Morris Society, 2026

12) May Morris (1862–1938) and Mary Lobb (1878–1939) on holiday, 1926 by unknown photographer. William Morris Gallery, London Borough of Waltham Forest

13) May Morris (1862–1938) on horseback in Iceland, 1931, snapshot photograph probably by Mary Lobb (1878–1939). William Morris Gallery, London Borough of Waltham Forest

14) Photograph of Mary Lobb (1878–1939), Gordon Bottomley (1874–1948) and May Morris (1862–1938) at Kelmscott Manor, May 1923. William Morris Gallery, London Borough of Waltham Forest

15) Photographs of May Morris, c.1910 by unknown photographer. The William Morris Society, 2026

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