Indeed a very great privilege for the request to oversee the well being and active curation of what is probably the largest William Morris carpet in extent. The management of a carpet of an approx 75 sq. mt which weighs in at an excess of 600 kilos is a considerable logistical undertaking requiring a team eight to just move it to another location.
The carpet was originally woven at William Morris & Co's Mersham Abbey workshop in the second half of the 1880s for the Wyndham family at Clouds House designed by Philip Webb who also did the Red House for William Morris himself. In the 1920s the Wyndham family had a house dispersal sale and the present owners grandfather ( a contemporary and friend of Morris ) purchased the carpet for the Gloucestershire house where it has remained ever since.
Having proposed that the carpet be fully conserved in three phases thus far have achieved the first stage in 2021 and 2022 with a complete washing offsite and conservation. Presentaly in 2023 additional conservation and the replacement of some old restorationr is underway toward the carpet being returned to Gloucestershire in the Autumn.
Once again we are participating in the Battersea Decorative Fair located in Battersea Park, London. The stand may be found on pitch A27 at the far left corner of the main exhibition hall. Dates: Tuesday 9th May - Sunday 14th May 2023. Free parking onsite and a courtesy bus operates from Sloane Square every 15 minutes.
Currently investigating the activities and output of this London Bond Street supplier who purchased Wilton Carpet Company (1860) made carpets for St. George's Chapel Windsor (1842/3) Great Exhibition (1851). Alfred Lapworth & Co, Carpet were Manufacturers to Her Majesty & the Royal Family, 22 Old Bond Street, London. Also possibly at 19/20 Old Bond Street.
The image shown is part of our compenium of Suppliers and Manufactuers prior to 1951 the full list may be seen here:
