Basic Biographical Details

Name: Talwin Morris
Designation:  
Born: 14 June 1865
Died: 29 March 1911
Bio Notes: Talwin Morris was born in Winchester on 14 June 1865, the son of Thomas Morris, auctioneer, and his wife Harriet who died at his birth. As his father died a few years later he was brought up by his father's spinster sister, Emily Morris. He was educated at Lancing College and articled to an uncle Joseph Morris of Reading (Thomas Morris is also described as an architect on his son's death certificate). He completed his articles and obtained an assistant's post in London with James Martin Brooks, son of the church architect James Brooks. There his main interest became graphic design. In 1891 a downturn in business resulted in him leaving to take up the post of sub-art editor for the journal 'Black and White' under M H Spielman. He moved to Glasgow as art director for Blackie & Co's publishing house in May 1893.

Morris's main business was bookbindings and graphics but he made avant-garde Glasgow-style designs for furniture, stained glass, metalwork jewellery and just occasionally interior work, mainly at his own houses at Bowling, that at Dunglass Castle being illustrated in 'The Studio' in 1897. His work was exhibited at Budapest and Turin in 1902.

Morris married Alice Marsh in 1892. He died suddenly of a cardiac embolism at Torwood, Bowling on 29 March 1911. His death was reported by his near neighbour and closest friend Charles Macdonald, the lawyer brother-in-law of Charles Rennie Mackintosh; Macdonald had bought Dunglass Castle from him in July 1899. His gravestone at Dumbarton cemetery was designed by Mackintosh.

After Morris's death Alice Morris returned to England. In the 1940s she was living at Greenhays, Braunton, North Devon.

Private and Business Addresses

The following private or business addresses are associated with this :
 AddressTypeDate fromDate toNotes
Item 1 of 5EnglandPrivate18651893 
Item 2 of 5Field Court, Gray's Inn, London, EnglandBusiness18921893 
Item 3 of 5Glasgow, ScotlandBusiness1893  
Item 4 of 5Dunglass Castle, Bowling, Dunbartonshire, ScotlandBusiness18931899 
Item 5 of 5Torwood, Bowling, Dunbartonshire, ScotlandPrivate18991911 

Buildings and Designs

This was involved with the following buildings or structures from the date specified (click on an item to view details):
 Date startedBuilding nameTown, district or villageIslandCity or countyCountryNotes
Item 1 of 2 Glagsow Necropolis, Blackie Monument  GlasgowScotland 
Item 2 of 2After 1893Dunglass CastleBowling (near) DunbartonshireScotlandPorch connecting entrance doorway to east wing and mural within

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this :
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 5Crawford, Alan1995Charles Rennie Mackintosh London: Thames and Hudson 
Item 2 of 5Howarth, Thomas1977Charles Rennie Mackintosh and the Modern MovementSecond EditionLondon: Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd 
Item 3 of 5Neat, Timothy and McDermott, Gillian2002Closing the Circle: Thomas Howarth and the Modern Movement Aberdour: Inyx PublishingLetters of Alice Talwin Morris to Thomas Howarth, October 1944 and May 1948, pp145-151
Item 4 of 5Robertson, Pamela and Johnston, J Stewart1996Charles Rennie Mackintoshexhibition catalogueGlasgow: Glasgow Museums 
Item 5 of 5Stark, David2004Charles Rennie Mackintosh and Co., 1854 to 2004 Glasgow: Stenlake Publishing Ltd 

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this :
 SourceArchive NameSource Catalogue No.Notes
Item 1 of 1Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material Information on death from Iain Paterson