Emery Walker: Both a Figure and a Person
Exhibition begins a year long programme for his 175th anniversary
Emery Walker by G Clausen courtesy of Art Workers' Guild
February 9, 2026
Emery Walker’s House marks the 175th anniversary of its namesake’s birth with a new exhibition that brings the man behind the Arts and Crafts movement’s great collaborations back into focus. Emery Walker: Both a Figure and a Person opens on 5 March and launches a year-long programme celebrating his life, friendships and legacy.
Drawing on rarely seen items from the house’s archives, the exhibition explores Walker’s dual identity as both a professional figure and a quietly influential presence within his celebrated circle. Visitors will encounter intimate gifts and mementoes from friends such as William Morris and George Bernard Shaw, alongside personal belongings and professional tools that reveal the breadth of his craft.
A highlight is a special loaned portrait from The Art Workers’ Guild, shown with other depictions of Walker that together build a vivid sense of the man. The exhibition’s title is inspired by a letter sent to Walker’s daughter after his death in 1933, in which T. E. Lawrence described him as “both a figure and a person” — a sentiment echoed repeatedly in the tributes that followed. Admirers praised him not only as a master printer, teacher and driving force behind the private press movement, but also as a generous, gentle and “almost reprehensibly amiable” friend, as Shaw put it.
Though commemorated today by a plaque naming him “Typographer and Antiquary,” Walker’s legacy has often been overshadowed by the fame of those around him. This exhibition aims to restore him to the centre of his own story.
Curator Taryn Power says the process of shaping the show has been “a fun challenge and a genuine joy,” adding that Walker’s modesty means “he can sometimes get lost behind the hugely famous names in his immediate circle, even in the house which now bears his name.” Delving into the archives, she found that “so much of what makes the house special stems from Emery: his love for his work, his generosity to friends and colleagues, and his devotion to his family — which Dorothy repaid through her efforts to preserve his legacy.”
Emery Walker: Both a Figure and a Person runs from 5 March to 15 July at Emery Walker’s House, 7 Hammersmith Terrace.
Visits are by pre-booked guided tour only. More information at emerywalker.org.uk/visit.
Left:
Drawing Room with portrait of Walker by Neville Lytton dated 1906. Right: Portrait of Emery Walker as a boy beside a box dedicated to him by his daughter, Dorothy. © Lucinda MacPherson©
Key Dates for 2026
5 March – House reopens with new exhibition
The season begins with a major exhibition focusing on Walker’s lif
11 March – Textile Tour
A specialist tour exploring the house’s exceptional textile collection.
April – Publication of new biography
A new book on Emery Walker will be released, offering fresh insight into his life and work.
15 April – Textile Tour
20 May – Textile Tour
7 June – Open Garden
A rare chance to explore the riverside garden, normally accessible only on guided tours.
24 June – Textile Tour
July – New Printing Partnerships Exhibition
A second exhibition opens, examining Walker’s collaborations and innovations in printing.
22 July – Textile Tour
13 September – Open House
The house takes part in the annual Open House festival.
7 October – Textile Tour
The Emery Walker Trust, a registered charity, continues its mission to preserve the house and open it to as many people as possible.
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