St. James

“St. James’s” is a famous wallpaper pattern designed by William Morris in 1881. It was designed for the Grand Staircase in St James’s Palace. The pattern features intertwined foliage and flowers on a pale-blue ground. The design required 68 separate printing blocks to create a repeat over two wallpaper widths, and had a vertical repeat of 127cm2. The pattern was block printed in distemper colors on paper. The blocks were destroyed in a fire at Jeffrey’s on 22 November 1881. The printing for the Palace was complete by this time but the blocks were recut for future use.

William Morris (1834-1896) was a British artist, designer, writer, and social activist who was also a multifaceted figure known for his contributions to various fields, including textile design, wallpaper, furniture, stained glass, and book arts. Morris was passionate about reviving traditional craftsmanship and rejected the mass-produced, industrialized goods of the Victorian era. He advocated for the creation of handcrafted, beautifully designed objects that combined functionality with aesthetic appeal. His firm, Morris & Co., became renowned for producing high-quality, handcrafted decorative arts and furnishings. Beyond his contributions to design, Morris was a prolific writer and poet.