Designer Biography

Arthur Heygate Mackmurdo

Born: 1851

Died: 1942

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Mackmurdo began studying architecture in 1869, and in 1873 entered the office of James Brooks. He attended Ruskin's drawing classes in Oxford and in 1874 accompanied Ruskin to Italy as companion and assistant. He came into contact with William Morris through his membership of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, and designed a settle for Morris & Co. In 1882 he founded the Century Guild with Selwyn Image, Herbert Horne and Clement J. Heaton, 'to bring about complete unity in architecture, decoration and furniture'. In 1883 Mackmurdo published Wren’s City Churches, with the distinctive title page that was to ensure his place in the mainstream of the Art Nouveau movement. The Hobby Horse, journal of the Guild, first appeared in 1884; contributors included D. G. Rossetti, William Bell Scott and Ford Madox Brown. In the same year Mackmurdo exhibited a Music Room at the International Health Exhibition in London. He showed at the Liverpool 1886 Exhibition and the Manchester Jubilee Exhibition in the following year. The Guild's furniture was made by Collinson & Lock, Wilkinson and E. Goodall & Co. Textiles were supplied by Simpson & Godlee and A. H. Lee. The Guild also sold De Morgan ceramics and some experimental carpets by Morris & Co. It was disbanded in 1888, although it showed at the Arts & Crafts Exhibition Society that year. The partnership with Herbert Horne dissolved in 1890, and in the same year Wilkinson & Son showed a writing table designed by Mackmurdo at the Arts and Crafts exhibition. Mackmurdo was active as an architect until about 1906, but in later life his interests were in social reform.