Design Card
Date
1875-1922
Level of description
Item
Extent and medium
Dimensions: 153mm X 245mm
Creator
Royal School of Needlework: Created by the Royal School of Art Needlework as miniaturised versions of designs. Original designs were miniaturised and either traced or copied onto 'Design Cards' which were sent out to clients for next day approval. This was part of the work of the 'Painting Room' sometimes referred to as the Paintroom, the department responsible for all design and draftsmanship.
Morris, William: William Morris (March 24, 1834— October 3, 1896) was an English designer, craftsman, poet, and early socialist, whose designs for furniture, fabrics, stained glass, wallpaper, and other decorative arts generated the Arts and Crafts movement in England and revolutionised Victorian taste. Morris provided a number of designs for the Royal School of Art Needlework.
Morris, William: William Morris (March 24, 1834— October 3, 1896) was an English designer, craftsman, poet, and early socialist, whose designs for furniture, fabrics, stained glass, wallpaper, and other decorative arts generated the Arts and Crafts movement in England and revolutionised Victorian taste. Morris provided a number of designs for the Royal School of Art Needlework.
Scope and content
Design Card from the Royal School of Art Needlework (later the Royal School of Needlework) recording a design for an embroidery. The design is William Morris's Honeysuckle design (for design see also Victoria & Albert Museum-furniture fabric produced by Thomas Wardle 1876 https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O166217/honeysuckle-furnishing-fabric-morris-william & Wightwick Manor https://www.nationaltrustcollections.org.uk/object/1289307)
Hand written in pencil, 'Quilt, Curtains, etc.' Hand written in red ink 'S.R.'?
The design is depicted upside down on this card and shows part of the whole repeating pattern of a vines and leaves emerging from an acanthus flower. The design can also be seen on Design Card D1/027 applied to a screen.
Morris provided a number of designs to the Royal School of Art Needlework in its early years and there is considerable overlap in their use by the RSAN, Morris and Co., and in this case, Thomas Wardle. A William Morris honeysuckle design was included in the RSAN exhibit for The Philadelphia International Centennial Exhibition (1876). It is listed in two RSAN Catalogues as follows:-
'Portion of Screen. Blue worked Ground. Honeysuckle' Designed by William Morris Esq. is listed in a 1876 catalogue which may have been for the London Exhibition in March 1876 or for The Philadelphia International Centennial Exhibition on 9 May to November 1876 (no.111). RSN MS 136/8. It is also listed in the 1877 Catalogue for the Special Exhibition and sale held in London after the collection returned from Philadelphia. (No. 111) RSN MS 136/12
Linda Parry in William Morris Textiles (Weidenfeld and Nicholson. London, 1983) p.45 notes that a print on silk was exhibited under the name of Thomas Wardle, Morris's manufacturing collaborator, in the British India section of the 1878 Paris exhibition (for illustrations see Parry p.51 and p.150). The Morris design was registered on October 1876.
The design also appears in the Royal School of Art Needlework Handbook, Letitia Higgins (London 1880) plate 20, which is available in full in the Royal School of Needlework Handbook of Embroidery (1880) with an Introductory essay by Lynn Hulse (Royal School of Needlework, East Molesey 2010)
It is not clear when in 1876, or possibly even before, the Morris design was acquired by the RSAN but this card appears to show that the design remained in use for some time and was sent out to customers as an option for commission.
Hand written in pencil, 'Quilt, Curtains, etc.' Hand written in red ink 'S.R.'?
The design is depicted upside down on this card and shows part of the whole repeating pattern of a vines and leaves emerging from an acanthus flower. The design can also be seen on Design Card D1/027 applied to a screen.
Morris provided a number of designs to the Royal School of Art Needlework in its early years and there is considerable overlap in their use by the RSAN, Morris and Co., and in this case, Thomas Wardle. A William Morris honeysuckle design was included in the RSAN exhibit for The Philadelphia International Centennial Exhibition (1876). It is listed in two RSAN Catalogues as follows:-
'Portion of Screen. Blue worked Ground. Honeysuckle' Designed by William Morris Esq. is listed in a 1876 catalogue which may have been for the London Exhibition in March 1876 or for The Philadelphia International Centennial Exhibition on 9 May to November 1876 (no.111). RSN MS 136/8. It is also listed in the 1877 Catalogue for the Special Exhibition and sale held in London after the collection returned from Philadelphia. (No. 111) RSN MS 136/12
Linda Parry in William Morris Textiles (Weidenfeld and Nicholson. London, 1983) p.45 notes that a print on silk was exhibited under the name of Thomas Wardle, Morris's manufacturing collaborator, in the British India section of the 1878 Paris exhibition (for illustrations see Parry p.51 and p.150). The Morris design was registered on October 1876.
The design also appears in the Royal School of Art Needlework Handbook, Letitia Higgins (London 1880) plate 20, which is available in full in the Royal School of Needlework Handbook of Embroidery (1880) with an Introductory essay by Lynn Hulse (Royal School of Needlework, East Molesey 2010)
It is not clear when in 1876, or possibly even before, the Morris design was acquired by the RSAN but this card appears to show that the design remained in use for some time and was sent out to customers as an option for commission.
Transcription
In Pencil 'Quilts, curtains etc ' SR The card is printed 'Royal School of Art Needlework, Exhibition Road, London S.W.' at the top, and 'It is respectfully requested that designs sent for selection be not kept more than ONE CLEAR DAY and to prevent damage in the post should be returned in the cards sent herewith. It is found necessary to make a charge for replacing designs returned in a damaged condition' at the bottom
Reference code
D1/065
© Royal School of Needlework