Monthly Talk – Emery Walker and the Arts and Crafts Movement

Presented by Julie Ashdown,

William Morris once said, “A day was not complete without a sight of Emery Walker”. The two men lived near each other in Hammersmith and were good friends. Walker was a printer and a leading member of the Arts and Crafts movement in the UK, yet is much less well known than others, such as Morris, Philip Webb and William de Morgan. This talk will explore Walker’s life and why his house is so special. It will be a tale of friendship, socialism, celebrities, arts and crafts, and scandal.

Julie Ashdown spent her working life as a diplomat and after retirement became a volunteer guide at the Emery Walker House in London for nearly five years, also lecturing on the house to local arts groups. Unfortunately, Julie had to stop guiding there when she moved to Suffolk but remains a member of the Events Committee of the Victorian Society. Julie is also a member of Bury St Edmunds u3a.