Who Was William Morris?

William Morris was the founder of the Arts and Crafts Movement and a political activist for the Socialist Movement.  He was born in 1834 and died in 1896.  He also set up a business which produced textiles and furniture.  He was very strongly associated with the pre-Raphaelite movement.  Echoes of Morris's unique style are still seen today in 'Morris' prints, wallpapers, even handbags are produced in the Morris style.
Morris was also something of a philanthropist who set up the Merton Abbey workshops which were very much based on a utopian ideal of sharing labour and finances and all living together in harmony with nature.
Central to Morris's beliefs was that the industrial revolution had created mass produced items which he saw as inferior.  He felt that the world should go back to items which had been handcrafted with love and care, even if they cost more to purchase.  However, this was not widely accepted and mass production went from strength to strength.