“I’m a remarkable woman – always was, though none of you seemed to think so,” said May Morris in 1936 in a letter to playwright George Bernard Shaw.
May Morris is a name that is unfamiliar to many. As William Morris’s daughter, her talents were overshadowed by her father’s, in part because she championed his work. In addition to editing and writing the introduction to William Morris’ collected works, May specified in her will that Kelmscott Manor – her father’s residence – was to be preserved as he kept it and made available for public viewing.
However, supporting her father’s work was just one part of May’s life. She learned embroidery from her aunt, Elizabeth Burden, and mother, Jane Morris, who was a talented artist (though is more renowned as a muse – aka “Stunner” – for Dante Gabriel Rossetti and William Morris). Despite her artistry, Jane seems less confident than May, reportedly saying in 1904, “Why should there be any special record of me when I have never done any special work?”