A piece of literary history has been discovered gathering dust in Wimbledon.
A tribute to writer, designer and radical thinker William Morris by playwright George Bernard Shaw was found at the back of a cupboard at the headquarters of the Wimbledon Labour Party.
In 1930 Shaw sent the photograph of himself to mark the opening of William Morris House, named after the founder of Merton Abbey Mills, as a home for Labour and trade union meetings in Wimbledon.
A note on it reads: “William Morris and I preached the gospel of Labour together on many occasions. Many respectable persons thought we deserved hanging. I am proud to hang in a hall dedicated to him.”
The author of plays including Pygmalion and The Apple Cart, Shaw was also a committed socialist who spoke with Morris at public meetings in the 1800s.
Morris, the driving force behind the arts and crafts design movement, founded a tapestry works at Merton Abbey Mills in 1881.
The note had been lost for decades, but was discovered by Labour Party member Peter Walker as he was looking through the Broadway building’s archives ahead of the Wimbledon branch’s 90th birthday celebrations.
Mr Walker said: “The discovery of this original picture and hand written joke by one of our greatest playwrights is very exciting. It adds to our collection of artistic materials that reflect the often forgotten radical history of this area.”
The note and picture will now be available for arranged viewings at William Morris House.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here