William Morris (1834-1896)

by cominsitu

“This is a brief sketch of what I am looking forward to as a Communist: to sum up, it is Freedom from artificial disabilities; the development of each man’s capacities for the benefit of each and all. Abolition of waste by taking care that one man does not get more than he can use, and another less than he needs; consequent condition of general well-being and fulness of life, neither idle and vacant, nor over burdened with toil. All this I believe we can and shall reach directly by insisting on the claim for the communization of the means of production; and that claim will be made by the workers when they are fully convinced of its necessity.”

William Morris Archive / wiki / News from Nowhere [PDF] / William Morris’s Utopianism [PDF]

Works

• 1870
  • Articles, Pamphlets and Manifestos
    • Review of Dante Gabriel Rossetti’s Poems *
  • Books
    • The Saga of the Volsungs
• 1876
  • Letters
    • England and the Turks
• 1877
  • Talks and Speeches
    • The Decorative Arts
    • Speech against the War [Lost]
  • Articles, Pamphlets and Manifestos
    • Unjust War
    • Manifesto of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) *
  • Letters
    • Tewkesbury Minster *
    • Restoration of Tewkesbury Minster *
    • Canterbury Cathedral I *
    • Canterbury Cathedral II *
    • Canterbury Cathedral III *
• 1878
  • Talks and Speeches
    • Address to English Liberals
    • On the Opening of the Dardanelles
    • Address at the Cambridge School of Art
    • Report of the First Annual Meeting – SPAB *
  • Poems and Songs
    • Wake, London Lads
  • Letters
    • Destruction of City Churches *
    • St Albans Cathedral I *
    • St Albans Cathedral II *
    • Southwell Minster I *
    • Southwell Minster II *
• 1879
  • Talks and Speeches
    • The Art of the People
    • The History of Pattern-Designing *
    • The History of Pattern Design
    • Report of the Second Annual Meeting – SPAB *
    • Speech Seconding a Resolution Against Restoration *
    • On the Restoration of St Mark’s, Venice – I [Lost]
    • On the Restoration of St Mark’s, Venice – II [Lost]
    • On the Restoration of St Mark’s, Venice – III [Lost]
  • Letters
    • Aims of SPAB *
    • St Mark’s, Venice I *
    • St Mark’s, Venice II *
    • St Mark’s, Venice III *
• 1880
  • Talks and Speeches
    • Our Country, Right or Wrong
    • The Beauty of Life
    • Address to the Men and Women’s Collece, Queens Square
    • Proposal for an International Committee for the Preservation of St Mark’s, Venice [Lost]
    • Speech Seconding a Resolution on Women’s Rights
    • Annual Report of The SPAB III *
    • Making the Best of It
  • Letters
    • The Baptistry, Ravenna *
• 1881
  • Talks and Speeches
    • In Support of a Proposal to form the Radical Union [Lost]
    • At a Meeting of the Kyrle Society
    • The Prospects of Architecture in Civilization
    • To the Nottingham Kyrle Society
    • On the Restoration of the Campo Santo, Florence [Lost]
    • Annual Report of the SPAB – IV
    • Art and the Beauty of the Earth *
    • Some Hints on Pattern-designing *
  • Letters
    • Magdalen Bridge *
    • Ashburnham House *
    • High Wycombe Grammar School *
• 1882
  • Talks and Speeches
    • The Lesser Arts of Life *
    • Testimony before the Royal Commission on Technical Education
    • Annual Report of The SPAB -V. *
    • Speech Seconding a Vote of Thanks to the Hon. James Bryce MP. *
    • The Progress of Decorative Art in England
    • Art: a Serious Thing
  • Books
    • Hopes and Fears for Art
  • Letters
    • Answer to Query About Blytheborough Church *
    • Vandalism in Italy *
• 1883
  • Talks and Speeches
    • Art, Wealth, and Riches *
    • Art and the People
    • Annual Report of The SPAB – VI. *
    • In Support of the DF Program [Lost]
    • Art Under Plutocracy *
    • The Origins of Decorative Art
  • Letters
    • Blundell’s School, Tiverton *
• 1884
  • Selected Articles for Justice
    • March 1st: An Appeal to Genuine Radicals
    • March 5th: start of serialisation of Chants for Socialists
    • April 12th: Why Not?
    • A Factory as it Might Be, Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3
    • July 12th: To Genuine Radicals
    • July 19th: The Housing of the Poor
    • August 9th: Socialism in England in 1884
    • Full list of articles for the year
  • Talks and Speeches
    • Useful Work versus Useless Toil *
    • Art and Socialism
    • The Present Anarchy [Lost]
    • The Gothic Revival (1)
    • The Gothic Revival (2)
    • Art and Labour
    • At a Picture Show *
    • Architecture and History *
    • Textile Fabrics *
    • Misery and the Way Out
    • Iceland, its Ancient Literature and Mythology
    • How We Live and How We Might Live
    • Of the Origins of Ornamental Art *
  • Books
    • Summary of the Principles of Socialism, with H.M. Hyndman
    • Introduction to A Review of European Society, by John Sketchley
• 1885
  • Selected Articles for Commonweal
    • February: Introductory
    • March: start of serialization of The Pilgrims of Hope
    • April: The Worker’s Share of Art
    • May: Unattractive Labour
    • July: Socialism and Politics
    • September: A New Party
    • October: Ireland and Italy: a Warning
    • Full list of articles for the year
  • Talks and Speeches
    • Work, as it is, and as it Might Be [Lost]
    • Introduction to Edward Aveling’s Lecture Series [Lost]
    • Slaves and Slave holders [Lost]
    • Address to the Oxford Socialist Society
    • Testimony on the Restoration of Westminster Hall *
    • The Paris Commune (1) [Lost]
    • Commercial War [portion] *
    • Socialism
    • Speech Moving a Socialist Rider to an Anti-War resolution [Lost]
    • How can we help? [Lost]
    • The Demolition of Churches at York [Lost]
    • Speech Moving the Adoption of the Annual Report at the Eighth Annual Meeting of SPAB *
    • Socialism
    • The Hopes of Civilization
    • The Depression of Trade *
    • Free Speech [Lost]
    • Speech on W. T. Stead’s Exposé of London Prostitution *
    • Commercial Depression
    • Speech at the Hyde Park Demonstration for the Protection of Girls [Lost]
    • What’s to Become of the Middle Classes [Lost]
    • The Guilds of the Middle Ages [Lost]
    • The Larger Hope [Lost]
    • Speech welcoming John Williams [Lost]
    • Dawn of a New Epoch
    • Socialism, the True Road to Individual Development [Lost]
  • Articles, Pamphlets and Manifestos
    • The Manifesto of The Socialist League, First Edition *
    • The Manifesto of The Socialist League, Second Edition *
    • For Whom Shall We Vote?, Socialist League leaflet
    • A Talk with Mr William Morris on Socialism
  • Books
    • Chants for Socialists
    • The Pilgrims of Hope
  • Letters
    • The Vulgarisation of Oxford *
• 1886
  • Selected Articles for Commonweal
    • March: Our Policy
    • April: Socialism in the Provinces
    • May 1st: Editorial (with Belfort Bax)
    • May 1st: Independent Ireland
    • May 8th: Socialism in Dublin and Yorkshire
    • May 15th: start of serialization of Socialism from the Root Up
    • June 26th: Home Rule Or Humbug
    • July 3rd: A letter from Scotland
    • July 10th: The sequel of the Scotch letter
    • July 31st: What is to happen next?
    • July 31st: Free speech in the streets
    • September 25th: The Reward of ‘Genius’
    • December 18th: Is trade recovering?
    • Full list of articles for the year
  • Talks and Speeches
    • The Political Outlook
    • Socialism in Relation to the London Riots [Lost]
    • The Aims of Art
    • Speech opening a debate on ‘Socialism: What is it?’ [Lost]
    • The Present and Future of the Working Classes
    • Our Policy
    • Competition [Lost]
    • Of the Origins of Ornamental Art
    • Speech Seconding a Resolution to Establish a Fund for the Repair of Ancient Buildings *
    • Whigs Democrats and Socialists
    • True and False Society *
    • Education
    • Our Tactics [Lost]
    • Against the Party of Compromise [Lost]
    • Socialism: The Ends and the Means *
    • Pattern-Designing [Lost]
    • The Birth of Feudalism in Scandinavia [Lost]
    • Early England
  • Articles, Pamphlets and Manifestos
    • May Day *
    • Home Rule and Humbug, Socialist League Pamphlet No. 7
    • What Socialists Want, Socialist League Pamphlet No. 11
  • Books
    • A Dream of John Ball
    • A King’s Lesson
• 1887
  • Selected Articles for Commonweal
    • January 1st: start of serialization of A Dream of John Ball
    • February 19: Facing the worst of it
    • February 26th: Fighting for peace
    • March 19th: Why we celebrate the commune of Paris
    • April 9th: Law and order in Ireland
    • May 21st: The Reward of Labour,a Dialogue Part1 and Part 2
    • June 25th: An old superstition – a new disgrace
    • November 19th: London in a state of siege
    • November 26th: The Liberal party digging its own grave
    • Full list of articles for the year
  • Talks and Speeches
    • The Eviction of Glenheigh Crofters [Lost]
    • At a Debate on the ‘Class War’ [Lost]
    • The Coming War [Lost]
    • Feudal England
    • Monopoly
    • Anniversary of the Paris Commune (2) [Lost]
    • Socialism and the Labour Struggle [Lost]
    • The Irish Coercion Bill [Lost]
    • Art and Industry in the Fourteenth Century
    • Speech Proposing the Adoption of the Annual Report *
    • The Policy of Abstention *
    • Free Speech in Ireland [List]
    • The Execution of the Chicago Anarchists [Lost]
    • The Early Literature of the North – Iceland *
    • What Socialists Want *
    • The Trafalgar Square Demonstration [Lost]
    • The Society of the Future
    • Socialism and the London Disturbances [Lost]
    • At the Funeral of Alfred Linnell
    • The Present Outlook in Politics *
  • Articles, Pamphlets and Manifestos
    • The ‘Socialist Diary’, edited and introduced by Florence Boos
    • Preface to ‘Socialism made plain’
• 1888
  • Selected Articles for Commonweal
    • January 7th: What 1887 has done
    • January 14th: Radicals look around you
    • February 18th: On Some ‘Practical’ Socialists
    • March 3rd: A Triple Alliance
    • April 7th: Socialism Militant in Scotland
    • May 5th: Socialism Militant in Scotland
    • June 9th: The policy of the Socialist League
    • June 23rd: Counting noses
    • June 30th: Thoughts on education under capitalism
    • July 7th: Start of serialization of The Revolt of Ghent
    • July 21st: Sweaters and sweaters
    • August 25th: Socialist work at Norwich
    • December 15th: In and about Cottonopolis
    • Full list of articles for the year
  • Talks and Speeches
    • The Social Problem [Lost]
    • The Revolt of Ghent
    • On the Anniversary of the Paris Comune (3) [Lost]
    • Moving the formation of the NAA [Lost]
    • Against ‘Sweating’ Practices in London Industries [Lost, but see Sweaters and sweaters]
    • From Chattel to Wage Slavery [Lost]
    • A Chapter in the History of Rome (on Theodore Mommsen) [Lost]
    • Equality [portions] *
    • On Tapestry and Carpet Weaving [Lost, possibly the basis of Textiles]
    • Welcoming Mrs. Albert Parsons
    • Commemoration of Bloody Sunday (1) [Lost]
    • Monopoly (2) [Lost]
    • Farewell to Mrs. Albert Parsons [Lost]
    • Art and its Producers *
    • The Future of the Middle Classes [Lost]
  • Articles, Pamphlets and Manifestos
    • Textiles *
    • The Revival of Architecture *
    • The Revival of Handicraft *
    • Ugly London *
  • Books
    • The House of the Wolfings
    • Signs of Change
• 1889
  • Selected Articles for Commonweal
    • January 19th: Whigs astray (Part 1)
    • January 26th: Whigs astray (Part 2)
    • May 18th: Correspondence on Anarchism
    • June 22nd: Looking backward
    • July 6th: Under an elm-tree
    • July 27th: Impressions of the Paris Congress (1)
    • August 3rd: Impressions of the Paris Congress (2)
    • August 17th: Correspondence: Communism and Anarchism
    • August 17th: Trial by Judge v. Trial by Jury
    • September 7th: The lesson of the hour
    • Full list of articles for the year
  • Talks and Speeches
    • How Shall We Live Then?
    • Socialism
    • Gothic Architecture *
    • The Arts and Crafts of To-day *
    • On Art Education
    • On Restoration [Lost]
    • On Bellamy’s ‘Looking Backwards’ and Grant Allen’s ‘Individualism and Socialism’ [Lost, but see Looking backward]
    • Old and New: Address to the Twelfth Annual Meeting – SPAB *
    • Response to Vote of Thanks *
    • Against Amalgamation of the Possibilist and International Socialist Conferences
    • Report to the International Socialist Congress
    • On Machinery (as reported in the press)
    • The Class Struggle, as delivered in Leicester and Leeds
    • Why Working Men ought to be Socialists [Lost]
    • The Art of Dyeing *
  • Articles, Pamphlets and Manifestos
    • Socialism and Anarchism
    • The Importance of Pattern in Carpet Weaving
  • Books
    • The Roots of the Mountains
  • Letters
    • Mr. Shaw Lefevre’s Monumental Chapel *
    • Monuments in Westminster Abbey *
    • Peterborough Cathedral I *
    • Peterborough Cathedral II *
• 1890
  • Selected Articles for Commonweal
    • January 11th: start of serialization of News from Nowhere
    • January 25th: review of Fabian Essays in Socialism
    • May 3rd: Labour Day
    • May 17th: The ‘Eight Hours’ and the Demonstration
    • June 7th: Anti-Parliamentary
    • July 19th: start of serialization of The development of modern society
    • November 15th: Where Are We Now?
    • Full list of articles for the year
  • Talks and Speeches
    • Anniversary of the Paris Commune (4) [Lost]
    • The Development of Modern Society
    • The Social Outlook [Lost]
    • Speech for May Day [Lost]
    • Seconding the Motion to Adopt the Annual SPAB Report (as reported in the Times)
    • The Hope of the Future [Lost]
    • Against the Persecution of Jews in Russia [Lost]
    • Commemoration of Bloody Sunday (3) [Lost]
    • On the Protection of Ancient Buildings [Lost]
  • Articles, Pamphlets and Manifestos
    • Monopoly; or, How Labour is Robbed *
    • Statement of Principles of the Hammersmith Socialist Society *
    • The Relations of Art to Labour
  • Books
    • News from Nowhere
    • The Story of the Glittering Plain
  • Letters
    • Vandalism in Oxford *
    • Stratford-on-Avon Church *
• 1891
  • Selected Articles for the Hammersmith Socialist Record
    • October: Introductory (anonymous)
    • Full list of articles for the year
  • Talks and Speeches
    • Eyes and No Eyes, as reported by the Islington Gazette
    • Idiots and Idiocy [Lost]
    • A Vote of Thanks to W.B. Richmond [Lost]
    • Seven Years Ago and Now, as reported in Justice
    • Address on the Collection of Paintings of the English Pre-Raphaelite School *
    • Socialism up-to-date [portions] *
    • On French and English Cathedrals [Lost]
    • The Influence of Building Materials on Architecture *
    • Real Socialism, 9th Dec. at HSS [Lost]
  • Articles, Pamphlets and Manifestos
    • The Socialist Ideal: Art *
  • Books
    • Poems by the Way
  • Letters
    • The Proposed Addition to Westminster Abbey *
    • Restoration of Westminster Abbey *
• 1892
  • Selected Articles for the Hammersmith Socialist Record
    • August: Notes on the elections
    • October: Notes on Parliament
    • Full list of articles for the year
  • Talks and Speeches
    • The Woodcuts of Gothic Books *
    • Town and Country [portions] *
    • Town and Country, as delivered to Ancoats at Manchester
    • At the 15th Annual Meeting of the SPAB [Lost]
    • A Vote of Thanks to Judge Lushington [Lost]
    • Communism, – i.e. Property [portions] *
  • Articles, Pamphlets and Manifestos
    • Preface to The Nature of Gothic by John Ruskin *
    • Interview with the Clarion
  • Books
    • The Well at the World’s End
• 1893
  • Selected Articles for the Hammersmith Socialist Record
    • Notes on the Government, February issue
    • Notes on the Prison System, April issue
    • Full list of articles for the year
  • Talks and Speeches
    • Opening Discussion on ‘The Attitudes of Trades Unionism to Socialism’ [Lost]
    • Communism * There is also a report on this talk as delivered to Kropotkin’s group.
    • Against the Restoration of St. Mary’s, Oxford [Lost]
    • The Ideal Book *
    • The Dangers of Restoration, with special reference to Westminster Abbey [Lost]
    • On the Printing of Books (as reported in the press)
    • Waste (as reported by Justice)
    • What Shall We Do Now? [Lost]
    • The Living Wage (as reported in the press)
    • What Is: What Should Be: What Will Be: What May Be (portions)
  • Articles, Pamphlets and Manifestos
    • Manifesto of the Joint Committee of Socialist Bodies (with Hyndman and Shaw)
    • The Coal Struggle
    • The Deeper Meaning of the Struggle
    • On the Artistic Qualities of the Woodcut Books of Ulm and Augsburg in the Fifteenth Century *
    • Preface to Medieval Lore by Robert Steele *
    • Preface to Arts and Crafts Essays
    • Printing *
    • Foreword to Thomas More’s Utopia *
  • Books
    • Socialism: Its Growth and Outcome (with Belfort Bax)
  • Letters
    • Westminster Abbey *
  • Translations
    • The Ordination of Knighthood (translation)
• 1894
  • Talks and Speeches
    • In Support of George Lansbury for Parliament (1) [Lost]
    • Address at the Distribution of Prizes to Students of the Birmingham Municipal School of Art
    • Art and Labour, as given to the Guild of Lithographic Artists
    • Makeshift *
  • Articles, Pamphlets and Manifestos
    • How I Became a Socialist
    • Why I am a Communist
    • interview with the Woman’s Signal
    • Introductory Note to Good King Wenceslas, by Dr Neale
    • Some Notes on the Illuminated Books of the Middle Ages
    • Our Present Business as Socialists, Labour Prophet, January
    • Interview with Justice
  • Books
    • The Wood Beyond the World (by chapter | one big file)
    • Chants for Socialists
  • Letters
    • One Socialist Party (letter to The Clarion)
    • The Mortuary Chapel, Westminster Abbey *
• 1895
  • Talks and Speeches
    • What we have to look for [portions] *
    • May Day [Possibly the same as Change of Position…]
    • In Support of George Lansbury for Parliament (2) [Lost]
    • In Support of George Lansbury for Parliament (3) [Lost]
    • On the Socialist Party [Lost]
    • What we have to look for, as given to the Oxford Socialist Union
    • Funeral Oration for Sergius Stepniak
  • Articles, Pamphlets and Manifestos
    • As to bribing Excellence
    • Change of Position, not Change of Condition
    • Gossip about an Old House on the Upper Thames *
  • Books
    • Child Christopher and Goldilind the Fair (by chapter | one big file)
  • Letters
    • Peterborough Cathedral III *
    • The Royal Tombs in Westminster Abbey *
    • The Restoration of Rouen Cathedral *
    • The Trinity Almshouses *
    • Peterborough Cathedral IV *
    • Peterborough Cathedral V *
    • Chichester Cathedral *
• 1896
  • Talks and Speeches
    • Speech Seconding George Lansbury, at the SDF New Year celebration
    • A Single Socialist Party (6th Jan, to the Hammersmith Socialist League)
    • Speech Against the Abuses of Public Advertising *
  • Articles, Pamphlets and Manifestos
    • The Promise of May
    • The Present Outlook of Socialism in England *
  • Letters
    • Letter on Socialism and Art
  • Funeral and Obituaries

Nicholas Salmon

The William Morris Internet Archive is dedicated to Nick Salmon in appreciation for all the work he did in transcribing and providing all the documents marked with a *.

There is an obituary for Nick, written by Peter Faulkner for the Independant.

About this Archive

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