The Arts and Crafts movement was an act of rebellion in the name of aesthetics and craftsmanship. By the end of the Victorian era, the power of mass production had brought about a style based around mass collection - prints, miniatures, barometers, stuffed birds and waxed flowers, pottery figures, fire screens, the list goes on. Everything had suddenly become affordable and as a result, everything was bought. This meant clutter. Nick-nacks and curios on every fireplace, overstuffed chairs - newly sprung and deeply buttoned, rich coloured carpets with large patterns and maybe even a splash of Balmoral inspired tartan and hunting paraphernalia.
William Morris, was the founder of the Arts and Crafts movement. Morris along with fellow architects, Voysey, Webb, Shaw and Ashbee developed a society of designers whose emphasis lay in the quality of materials and the skills of those who used them. Their motto 'Head, Hand and Heart', an inscription used by Charles Voysey, is the key to understanding Arts and Crafts: 'Head' for creativity and imagination, 'Hand' for skill and craft, 'Heart' for honesty and for love.
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