William Morris was a frenetic, energetic presence. There is a great deal of variety in descriptions of his physicality; some found him attractive, others slovenly and fat. Many of his friends called him ‘Topsy’ because his unruly hair reminded them of the character of the same name in Uncle Tom’s Cabin. He gained weight with age, but many felt he still appeared active and strong. Morris spent hours pouring over type and sketching detailed wallpaper patterns, but he did not devote the same fastidiousness to his personal appearance. The Archives and Rare Books Library has an extensive Morris collection of monographs and critical biographies, many of which include a wide variety of photographs, sketches, and woodcuts depicting Morris throughout his life.
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Photographs of William Morris
At age 23
At age 41
At age 43
At age 53
At age 55
In his fifties
In his late fifties or sixties
At work in his study. The wallpaper is one of his designs.
Caricatures of William Morris
A caricature by Dante Gabriel Rossetti
A cartoon by his friend Edward Burne-Jones
Illustrations of William Morris
A portrait by Dante Gabriel Rossetti that was done as a study for an altar piece at the Llandaff cathedral.
This image is from the centenary number of Philobiblon - In Memoriam
A woodcut portrait by Barry Moser
A wood-engraved portrait by John Depol from the book William Morris Master-Printer by Frank Colebrook
A self-portrait at 22 years old
A slightly later self-portrait
At age 36
At age 37, from a painting by George Frederic Watts
