By Louise Irvine
Shopping has become an on-line experience for many these days but window-shopping, browsing, and buying in specialty stores is still one of the most pleasurable and rewarding social activities, particularly during the holiday season. Shopping became a cultural pursuit in the early 19th century during the rise of consumerism. The Victorian firms of Morris & Company and Liberty & Company continue to be arbiters of taste today with their stunning textile designs and their generosity has enriched the new galleries at WMODA.
Victorian Design
Urbanization and industrialization gave Victorians an unprecedented array of mass-produced goods to purchase. British products were showcased alongside exotic products from all over the Empire at the Great Exhibition of 1851. Millions of people came to gawk at the marvels of contemporary design displayed in the Crystal Palace. The mechanization of glass making in the 19th century provided expansive sheets of glass for visual merchandising to entice shoppers.
Department Stores
In 1776, Britain was described as a “nation of shopkeepers” by economist, Adam Smith, emphasizing how important commerce had become in daily life. The first London department store was established in 1796 by the drapers, Harding, Howell & Company, who created separate departments for easy-to-find delights including fabrics, furs, jewelry, and perfume. Retailers seduced customers with all day shopping experiences that were recreational, not just a necessity. The new department stores catered mainly to fashionable women who were free to browse unaccompanied and take refreshments in the respectable tea rooms. Increased prosperity meant that ordinary people could now afford luxury brands such as Wedgwood and Doulton and they decorated their homes with an abundance of hand-made art pottery.
Morris & Company
William Morris, the socialist design reformer advocated, “Have nothing in your home which you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful.” He opened a London showroom in 1865, offering his textile designs and other home furnishings. Morris encouraged William De Morgan to take up art pottery and produce tiles and chargers for his interior designs. They remained lifelong friends and influenced each other throughout their careers.
In recent times, Moorcroft art pottery has been inspired by William Morris fabric designs such as Strawberry Thief and Woodpecker. Morris & Company continues to thrive today and the company has generously donated several William Morris fabrics to enhance the Victorian galleries at WMODA.
Liberty & Company
Liberty & Company is also renowned for beautiful furnishing fabrics. Thanks to the company’s support, their Hera design enriches the new Peacock Room at WMODA. The classic peacock feather design is attributed to Christopher Dresser, a pioneer of modern industrial design who produced innovative designs in many media, including textiles and ceramics. The arts, crafts and culture of Japan had a profound influence on Dresser’s work and created a consumer craze during the Aesthetic Movement.
Arthur Lasenby Liberty opened his London emporium in 1875 to satisfy the demand for exotic goods. The company also sold British art pottery by companies such as Doulton and Moorcroft. The store was very influential during the Art Nouveau era, which is known in Italy as the Liberty style. Liberty’s bazaar was a shopping mecca patronized by artists, designers, connoisseurs and sophisticated homemakers. Liberty’s of London has been associated with Christmas shopping since Victorian times thanks to their annual Yuletide Gifts catalog.
Moorcroft
Liberty’s stocked William Moorcroft’s Florian ware made by the Macintyre’s pottery in the early 1900s. When Moorcroft founded his own pottery in 1913, Liberty’s was one of his financial backers and retained a controlling interest in the company for nearly fifty years. Moorcroft’s modern design studio has continued to produce vases inspired by famous Liberty patterns, notably Hera by Sally Tuffin.
Curated Collections
Shopping will be a gratifying experience at the new WMODA. The Museum Shop sells unique glass art, ceramics and jewelry by local Florida artists. Curated collections from further afield include Murano glass and Ardmore Design.
The Morris & Company fabrics have been donated to WMODA by the Sanderson Design Group. Thank you also to Fran Nessen of the Nesson Group for making the arrangements.
Thank you to Diana Fiebleman of Jeffrey Michaels for arranging the display of Liberty & Company fabrics from Fabricut.
Read more about Liberty & Co. at WMODA
Liberty style
Read more about William Morris at WMODA
Peacocks and Dragons
