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FOCUS ON…WILLIAM MORRIS GALLERY 75TH ANNIVERSARY
MORRIS MANIA
Inset and right: Morris Mania ran at the gallery for six months.
Life has moved on from the Victorian era, but there’s one designer whose influence still resonates – William Morris. And the 75th anniversary of the William Morris Gallery has illustrated the importance of his legacy and how it still resounds through the greeting card industry. Copyright for William Morris’ work expired in 1966, unleashing a tsunami of mass-market merch with the demand still ever-growing. While there may be AI-generated rip-offs populating Chinese marketplaces, here in the UK publishers and gift companies are proud to produce collections licensed from the V&A, William Morris Gallery and Morris & Co. The Gallery’s main stationery partner is
Flame Tree where MD Frances Bodiam echoed William’s beliefs: “Our mission is to create books and gifts that are both beautiful and practical, that enrich the daily life of the people who work with us and partner with us, who read and enjoy what we make. “Our longstanding admiration for William Morris, one of Britain’s most influential designers and social campaigners, runs deep.
Left: Acanthus is one of Flame Tree’s designs. Above: Flame Tree MD Frances Bodium loves Seaweed.
Best known for his beautiful furnishings and textiles, Morris combined natural motifs with medieval-inspired stylisation, producing patterns that are as instantly recognisable today as they were over a century ago.” From William Morris Masterworks which was co-written by Flame Tree founder Nick Wells in 2010 and is still in print 15 years later, to the popular V&A and William Morris Gallery calendars, jigsaw puzzles, and notebooks, the company has always celebrated Morris’ legacy. Frances admits that her favourite designs are Seaweed and Acanthus and these are among those that feature throughout the range, appearing on the classic notebooks as well as newer collections of pens and memo blocks. As she added: “In fact, two of our upcoming 2026 launches – Flame Tree Vegan Leather Bookmarks and Sticky Notes Folders – will debut with Morris patterns. “His enduring appeal lies not only in the art itself but in the ideals behind it. He PROGRESSIVE GREETINGS WORLDWIDE 47