Inside Standen House: William Morris | HENI Talks 'Perspectives'

Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.
- William Morris
The Industrial Revolution of the nineteenth century transformed England beyond recognition, turning a country of farmers into factory workers. It was a world ‘which saw the rich getting richer and the poor getting very much poorer’. The artist, designer and political radical, William Morris, brought together a group of colleagues to challenge the ‘dishonest’ mechanisation of factory goods and restore the importance of craftsmanship, quality and ‘truthfulness’ through design.
Art historian Abigail Harrison-Moore visits the National Trust’s Standen house, one of the most charming examples of Arts and Crafts workmanship in the UK, and explores its surprisingly pioneering spirit - from the use of electric lighting to its role in the Suffragette movement.
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Additional creative commons information:
Philip Speakman Webb
Charles Fairfax Murray, 1873
NPG 4310
© National Portrait Gallery, London
(CC BY-NC-ND 3.0)
creativecommons.org/licenses/...
#ArtsandCrafts #WilliamMorris #HENITalks

[@chriskappert1365]

I am a 60 year old Dutchman now , and I discovered a book in the libary about A&C some 25 years ago , and was stunned ! I started redoing my house from top to bottom in this stile with a Dutch flavor . Dark oak furniture , Delftware , plastered walls in soft yellow , the Cottage-stile so to say . Most furniture is designed by myself and made by professionals . There is an absolute minimum of plastic stuff , if possible only natural materials . On to this day I still love this stile and are devoted to it for life . Thank you William and friends !

[@magicknight13]

That's amazing!! Congratulations 😊

[@smaragdvono4176]

I have an oral exam tomorrow with the main focus on the Arts and Crafts Movement and William Morrisis designs including the red house. I was really annoyed by the topic before I stumbled across this video. Thank you for explaining everything so beautifully and interesting. I wish our teacher would have introduced the topic to us in such a nice way. Now I kind of really want to pay the Red House a visit and see for myself.

[@HENITalks]

Glad we could help unpack the movement for you. Good luck with your exam!

[@smaragdvono4176]

HENI Talks Thank you. It went absolutely amazing, you guys pretty much saved my grade 😂😊👍🏻

[@margaretowuadey]

@@smaragdvono4176 That's wonderful to hear. Well done!

[@weelass3188]

Beauty and functionality, are to me, two of the most important ingredients of architecture and landscape.

[@Bmarker299]

Beautifully produced and narrated by a knowledgeable and impassioned historian. Very much enjoyed this. Well done.

[@HENITalks]

Thanks for your kind comment. We were so honoured to work with Abigail who's truly an expert on Standen. Please do check out our other films!

[@sallystege7163]

Wow

[@gloriahanes6490]

I have one piece of William Morris furniture, and I was struck by the detailing and fine lines. Not knowing it was William Morris until further observation, and I am truly grateful.

[@Mosaleah]

What a wonderful production. Diane Vreeland once wrote that "the eye has to travel". The beautiful furnishings, fabrics and architecture in this home (and of this period) certainly allow for extensive travels for these eyes.

[@wendysalter]

And yet Morris's art/crafts became a privilege of the wealthy purely because of its intrinsic value of superb quality and depth of design, and the loss of anything comparable today. Morris's designs and creations fill the soul with warmth and comfort.

[@markofsaltburn]

It was an irony that wasn't lost on Morris; he saw the paradox. Regardless of that, his ethos will prevail. Making beautiful things ourselves and having a life-long relationship with the beautiful things we own, however few, will always bring us more happiness than consumerism, because those creative acts and those things connect us with nature and each other.

[@duskbloom]

I’ve always loved looking at William Morris fabrics, so this video was quite an eye opener. He started and built a company, had a massive home built for him which very few people could afford… even today, he had servants, and produced products which only the rich could afford. He was a very successful socialist.

[@lindahind2205]

Just putting zippers in some auction pillows of William Morris fabric! I live in a very plain Arts and Crafts house in Canada and wish I could afford his wallpapers designs. Just beautiful!

[@elviramcintosh9878]

Loved it, thanks for sharing. Morris is not Morris without the Co. They, Morris AND his partners, truly embraced the deeper meaning of Beauty both in art AND craftsmanship. Yes, a barn often is as awe inspiring as a cathedral in terms of careful design, utility and beauty. I particularly loved the connection between the presenter's childhood personal experiences with the Standen house, where her uncle was the gardener. It is then easy to see how a safe and happy childhood can influence a choice of career for an adult. Well done!

[@FRASERMCGREGOR72]

This is heaven to me. You are a wonderful importer of knowledge. I loved every second of your passion coming through your words and research. Thank you!

[@aguedanoriega6833]

What an admirable artist William Morris was, how important is to bring beauty to common life. Art should be available for everybody not only for rich people.

[@twr412]

Toil is a plague that suppresses the ambitions and potential of the vast majority of people on the planet. Morris' communism, true to form, is about maximizing fufilling , productive labor for everyone. People who assume otherwise regarding his "political" views are in for a pleasant surprise if they take a minute to follow the thread.

[@andreaandrea6716]

Art IS for everyone, not just the rich! Artists, and there are many many many of us out here (!), WANT their work to be loved! I can barely afford to buy food but my walls are covered with Art, and not just my own. Make friends with artists and trade for pieces, or pay over time. We are so amenable to working something out! The first painting I bought, I had to work for; I did a trade for it. But I have taken sketches & doodles done by children, ones that I found beautiful, and framed them. Art is everywhere. Please! Do not deprive yourself! Decide that you will have Art in your life ... and watch it arrive! Someone will give you a piece ... and that will open the door for more.

[@thekingsdaughter4233]

@@andreaandrea6716 I love Marc Chagall paintings. Can I afford an original? Never. One of those authorized limited edition fine quality prints? My money needs to go elsewhere, I'm afraid. But poster prints? Yes. And I have a vast collection of art postcards. They look good in frames, too. :-)

[@michellebyrom6551]

@@thekingsdaughter4233 indeed, that's how us artists can afford to have a wide variety of inspiration around us. Copying someone else's work and passing it off as your own is fraudulent, however technically good it may be. BUT. You can encourage art students by paying them to copy the greats onto canvas and signing it in their own name. That's how artists have always learnt technique. The title on the reverse can be Van Goghs Sunflowers by XX, or whatever it is. You'll have the colour and feel of the work on your wall for the price of a museum print (unframed) and the student will have money for supplies. Van Goghs copy of a Japanese rainy landscape is a museum piece itself now. You can always ask family for a single joint present on your birthday, that will also be passed down to someone who likes it as much as you.

[@a24-45]

This house has to have been the inspiration for a hundred or more 2-story public schools in my home city of Sydney Australia-- which were built around the same time, and are still in use today. I learned to read and write under the daylight pouring through such massive windows (electric lights were not turned on during the daytime in those days!) The super-high ceilings, the tall multipane sash windows, the roller blinds and the taupe-coloured bricks and cream paint trim of this house are identical. Clearly this was a very influential design.

[@magicknight13]

Wow that sounds like quite an experience, that's great!!

[@christinethornhill]

How fortunate to discover this little gem of a video . The professor gives a wonderful insight into the thinking of William and his partners which although some may find way to disapprove I'm personally indebted to to the idea of usefulness and beauty . No bad mantra to hold dear , even for the cynical . Beauty is short lived , but usefulness survives , when it's taken care of , much like humanity.

[@jeanwillis7774]

Truly love Standen,love the ‘Trellis’ design I’ve been each time I’ve come across from Canada.🇨🇦

[@PriHL]

So we've come full circle, nothing's ever changed. The poor getting poorer and the rich getting richer to an extreme extent unlike ever before.

[@mn4169]

This was so nice to listen to. Take away the romanticism of the arts and crafts and the belief that they connected to working-classes , one is left with the reality that the poor could not afford these creations. More so, the core of workers today still cannot buy these wonderful objects because they are exclusively collected by the wealthy.

[@callmedwarling]

I had no idea when I first clicked on this video's thumbnail that I would be so moved and surprised by what was told and shown in the 12min video.... amazing.

[@TallCloverFarm]

What a stunning and informative video, bringing to life the ethos of a movement we still revere today. The narrator was exceptionally compelling and knowledgeable.

[@debrap947]

Really enjoyed this. Finding so many treasures during covid.

[@shayana.3904]

William Morris designs and creativity fill the inner soul with a great warm and comfort.

[@lydiarowe491]

The legacy of William Morris has gifted us with so much...bringing back the ideals of community as opposed to enslavement to those who ruled. .not to be forgotten in times of greed..⭐

[@abeltootlejr.300]

Yes, his art was INCREDIBLE, yet his work was NOT affordable to those whom he gathered inspiration from...

[@biafabrizio4313]

@@MegaShazzie I think the point is when you buy something cheap from a factory, the owner is the one getting richer, while his workers are miserable and getting little payment whereas when you buy from a craftsman (which is not a rich person) he's getting a fair pay for his work. Making his products cheaper wouldn't help anyone as it would possibly mean someone would get less than what they deserve for their labor/material.

[@dragonmartijn]

He created jobs. The idea is people save money to buy expensive but beautiful quality stuff.

[@lindahl458]

Tre, but as he was so influential what he did was bring awareness to the upper class about their heritage and the need to protect it instead of only looking forward

[@theofarmmanager267]

I agree with these comments. There is a dichotomy between the politics of WM and what his teams produced. Only middle and upper classes could afford the items that Morris produced. One could say that people had to save up for them, and I’m sure some people did, but it is a luxury in itself to say that we will not have a dining table until we can save enough money for a Morris table. Only rich people could have afforded Standen. The one thing that I agree Morris did to help others was to introduce true apprenticeships and so gave the opportunity for some people to learn skills which they could use to drag them selves from the poverty lime. I don’t think there is a thing about the works that the Arts and Crafts movement produced that I don’t like. That era from Art Nouveau to Arts and Crafts represent, for me, the best of the balance between design and function. My personal taste is not for Art Deco although, clearly, many love it. I’m lucky enough to be able to buy a few A&C items, both of the period but also of the spirit as well as making items for us and family. These are mainly timber items; I’m currently making 2 Stickley recliners and foot stools. I am sure that Morris and his teams used the most efficient equipment, glues and processes that they had available to them at the time. If they had had access to something like Titebond 3, would they have used it? I feel sure that they would. So, I am making the chairs using some electric equipment such as table saws and routers, partly because they take the drudgery away from preparing timber and partly because my old shoulders and back have placed a tight limit on how much physical work they will allow. If you are a fellow aficionado but cannot, like me, afford the originals, can I suggest you look at the website of Christopher Vickers. No connection whatsoever except as an ardent admirer of what this guy makes. Stunning creations using directly or indirectly the designs of the A&C movement

[@eduardoramirezjr4403]

Extremely beautiful and one of my favorite styles.

[@christinepaige2575]

Beautiful and fascinating subject; we have much to be grateful for in the work of William Morris and his associates. I think it needs to be acknowledged, though, that the Industrial Revolution _ultimately_ brought significant improvements to the lives not just of the rich, but of us “ordinary people”. And it is due to mass production that beautiful as well as useful objects and materials for the home are available and affordable to so many today.

[@magicknight13]

It is so inspiring and heartwarming how she is so passionate about the design and history. I love art history and the arts and crafts movement!

[@wendyrose8430]

Thanks for that view of William Morris having studied art in the UK and went to his house in London for my studies many years ago. I look forward to traveling again and visiting this wonderful house. Meanwhile as a fan of Morris had to make do when H &M did some dresses and T shirts with his prints😊 a few years ago !!

[@monicacall7532]

Art for art’s sake combined with form and function to bring beauty into the lives of of ordinary people. What a novel and ennobling concept! We certainly could use someone of Morris’s talent and outlook today.

[@elizabethannegrey6285]

Very interesting. I had the privilege of visiting Standen, and grew up close to the site of Morris’s workshops close to the River Wandle outside London.

[@thechosenone9769]

Lots of Victorian homes are works of art all by themselves, even for the less wealthy people. The most beautiful house in my tiny little farm town is a breathtaking Victorian gingerbread-trim house. Maybe it's because I live in America (where most of the history here is long gone) but people here love history and treasure historical places and things. I've taken up hand (mostly so far) sewing, knitting, embroidery, pen and ink writing, and some cooking. And I want to try my hand at making historical costumes for myself, Victorian-like calligraphy, and crocheting lace (and maybe other crochet stuff.) I think there is a lot of younger people taking up old crafts and longing for the past.

[@lindahind2205]

@The Chosen One: You might want to check out Bernadette Banner on KZbin. She creates clothing in Victorian/Edwardian style from hats to shoes. You might enjoy her. Have a happy day!

[@hossenfeffer8383]

A stunningly beautiful film, reverently done. Thank you

[@victorialynough8863]

Very well done...will show this to my students when we talk about the Industrial Revolution in England. Thank you.

[@LG-dj9qr]

Certainly a lot more beautiful than the harsh realities and exploitation of the Industrial Revolution.

[@user-zv5fn4nh7v]

Очень красивые интерьеры. Благодарю за увиденную красоту.♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

[@angelacross2216]

I live in small town in Ohio which is mostly Arts and Crafts houses. There are many towns like it, coast to coast. Very homey and comfortable.

[@astra7015]

Angela Cross lovely

[@sg639]

Which town in OH has numerous Arts and Crafts homes?

[@mcarmofmmartins8671]

I think it would be an amazing idea for one of those TV producers to create a series on the life and histoic period of William Morris. I would definitely watch it.

[@julliferreira_]

BEUTIFUL HISTORY !!! LOVED THAT

[@kentpiano2600]

I love Standen! Beauty and function in a wealden setting. Delish scones in the barn! Terrific wallpapers and a cosy comfort zone feel indoors.

[@user-gx4yq2qw9c]

Прекрасны традиции и искусство прикладное для наполнения жизни красотой, оптимизмом и витальностью. Замечательный сюжет. Великолепная Англия.

[@ICHMUSSMALPIPI]

This is so beautiful, I would love to go there myself one day.

[@tworailtoby]

This is the best KZbin video I have ever seen and I have watched a LOT. Beautiful and fascinating. Thank you.

[@dianejarvis5620]

In my view, one of the most authentic historians of our day.

[@martinwright4125]

so much good info in so little time. william morris and his designs are worth the look. i enjoyed the nuts and bolts of the history of the arts and crafts movement and the thoughts behind it.

[@melanieohara6941]

I am so fond of William Morris legacy in fabrics and interior design. Sure wish Yanks were more aware. Watching from Wyoming-Thank You!🌹

[@wallihaley5194]

Watching from Colorado, USA, shared on FB!

[@dianejarvis270]

Thoroughly interesting documentary. Would love to see more like this. Thank you.

[@robinaanstey3734]

William Morris was a genius!!! A caring, smart and brilliant man. This is a beautiful biopic of arts and crafts shaping socialism. TY

[@isabellalarovere2661]

Thanks for this enjoyable yet remarkable documentary💖 I started my first video about Bauhaus and Saturn talking about William Morris everything started with him ❣️ Thanks

[@damogranheart5521]

I'm so very glad that I found this. It has lifted my spirits on this brooding gloomy day. Blessings on thee!

[@BayemarArt]

Creativity is refreshing! Thanks

[@studiovoxlux]

Always fascinating and still always fresh. Morris & Co left an incredible legacy for us to enjoy.

[@AnnaMaledonPictureBookAuthor]

I love his fabric and wallpaper designs so much that my oldest son has William as his middle name.

[@nicolabaker551]

Excellent. Thank you. Hope we can visit Standen soon to enjoy it in person!

[@anastasiakhain]

Thank you! Charming!

[@mariemorgan7759]

I love that house!♥️

[@mlhproductions]

Great short. Thank you!

[@lisawilliamson5012]

Wonderful. I just learned a little bit more about the wonderful William Morris. Makes me want to find out even more. Thank you for this little gem.

[@gooseface2690]

As heartfelt as it gets! Both fascinating and moving! Thank you.

[@CB-jz2dn]

Excellent..... Excellent.... Excellent. Viewing your lecture from California USA. YOU'VE DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB presenting this historical Architecture. Arts and Crafts. Bravo!!!👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@romikim4548]

Thank you for this educational film about Wiliam Morris.

[@XX-gy7ue]

thank you so much , this is wonderfully done !

[@LlyleHunter]

Beautiful program

[@johnroddy8756]

With the greatest of respect to the man and his work.I could not live with that wall paper to fussy .

[@lindamclean8809]

Excellent. Thank you. 👏👏

[@HENITalks]

Thank you! We hope you enjoy exploring the rest of our channel ✨

[@julesb4887]

Thanks, stunning house and Morris furniture x.

[@jmo21]

Love this so much!

[@blah__]

This was my Design Artist Research Homework and now time in my KZbin recommended

[@jessyeseth]

Loved this and so glad she talks about the women designers, loved seeing inside that house 💜

[@inh.e.r9864]

Very inspiring! Thank you ❤️

[@Alfakkin]

I really love and admire his work...💙

[@MidwestGirl]

Thank you for sharing. Very well done.

[@susannahtully2122]

1:08 What she says about the richer getting richer and the poorer getting poorer due to the industrial revolution is not an accurate description of what happened in England. Many people made their money during the industrial revolution, and many more people who were employed by the factories also earned more than they had previously when living in the countryside and working the land. This is not to say that the industrial revolution was wonderful for workers, but the issue was not about poor people getting poorer, terrible working conditions were a much bigger problem. The arts and crafts movement rejected the fact that factory work was mundane and mindless and that this degraded the people doing it. I recommend reading Morris' writting "The beauty of life" and "the lesser arts". Also John Ruskin really inspired the arts and crafts movement so read him to understand the movement better "unto this last and other essays" and "the stones of Venice".

[@innocencesoul]

This was beautiful! I love the morris designs and i'm definitely buying some pieces in the future ☺

[@yolandagarza7897]

Beautiful home ❤ the drawing room is my favorite,vintage yet so elegant and relaxing 🥀💕👏excelent'e

[@lpratico1]

Excelente narración gracias por traer la obra tan importante de Morris!!

[@lilypixie5337]

I was schooled in the UK and had the luck to be at a school that was the Sanderson family home and covered in original William Morris designs, truly beautiful

[@annmat3641]

Thank you Abigail

[@elenakostariver1321]

Thank you for so nice speech, and for delighted to see that interior.It is high level of quality and beauty, and colors and forms.

[@Wyldhare47]

That was lovely..more please..🌻

[@raelabuschagne9934]

What a lovely lecture.

[@surajithmadhavan4511]

So good to listen to and watch the period !!

[@aimee-lynndonovan6077]

Wow! Wow! Would love to live there! Proportions and style is so me. Self sufficiency would bring it to life. Thank you for preservation.

[@davidshelow5334]

Wonderful!

[@margaretorden7568]

I am lucky enough to live only 30 miles from Standen and have visited it several times. It is so beautiful and I love going there. Most of the fittings are original. I’ve just been reading about the Garrett cousins and I’ll look out for their pieces of furniture next time I visit.

[@johnmulvey5121]

Very good. Excellent presenter,clear a crystal.

[@lynnblack6493]

Enjoyed this very much!

[@user-zf9iy9ng6t]

That was very interesting to watch and listen. Thanks a lot, guys !!

[@findingretreat]

amazing narration!!!amazing architecture. composition of the solids and textures was like music!! an then the interiors!!so contemporary and cozy!!

[@joecritch]

Great film. Love this idea of making objects for use. The idea of keeping servants and socialism seem at odds with each other but hey ho.

[@Thoracius]

William Morris also owned the world's largest arsenic mine, a material he used liberally as a dye in his wallpapers, making people very sick all over Victorian England.

[@marichristian1072]

Wonderful presentation Thank you. I have to make do with a William Morris& Co calendar, featuring wallpaper designs which I buy each year and gasp at the beauty every time I turn the page for the next month.

[@irishelk3]

Beautiful.

[@juleso9797]

Very interesting video, absolutely love William Morris’s designs ❤

[@shahjhanhaider26]

Walliam Morris had done his best to put out design and architecture of his time,I have been kaptivted when you put me through this movie,I felt like I was before the hearth and chair,I have seen beautiful both inside and outside architecture,it so cozy ,soft and comfortable,you have done an incredible job

[@kathwallace1811]

Thank you for this video Have always thought the Arts n Craft style was so beautiful.

[@becca1987ful]

This is excellent, thank you.

[@huahindan]

Thank you for this

[@jamesdalton3082]

What a lucky upbringing the narrator had! Her early experiences formed her later career in architectural history. I remember going with my grandmother, when I was a child, to see an old, crumbling manor house. I still remember seeing the brick and stonework and the empty, gaping windows. To this day I am passionate about history and architecture. How different my life might have been except for that little excursion.

[@HENITalks]

Thanks for your kind comment and great to hear of your own introduction to architecture, too - lovely memories.

[@everausten]

What a wonderful and informative video. I'd now love to visit this house 💛🌙🌟✨

[@rachelsedlacek1112]

This was so inspiring and beautiful!

[@gregritchie1758]

great job,...........thank you.

[@ahdayum7904]

Wow this mini doc is REALLY GOOD