ANNOUNCING THE 1997 EXCURSION
OF THE WILLIAM MORRIS SOCIETY OF CANADA

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AMERICAN ARTS AND CRAFTS TOUR, 7- 16 MARCH 1997

The William Morris Society of Canada offers to its members and friends the opportunity to tour a comprehensive selection of sites, craftshops, and galleries that will demonstrate the rich variety of American arts and crafts of the mid-Atlantic states. For those of you who have admired the furniture of Gustav Stickley, Roycroft metalcrafts, and ceramics, or turn-of-the-century decorative tiles and vases this is the trip you've always wanted. There will be ample opportunities to learn about this refreshing arts and crafts style which is gaining renewed attention, as you tour in a comfortable bus from upper New York state through the Delaware River valley into the Tidewater area as far south as Richmond, Virginia.In five of the nine nights we will stay in historic attractive inns and you will enjoy a "free" day to do what you want on St. Patrick's Day in Washington D.C.

The Itinerary

• Fri. Mar. 7- 6:30 pm departure by rented deluxe bus through Buffalo to Roycroft Inn, East Aurora

  Sat. Mar. 8- morning tour of Roycroft campus facilities and the gift shop - learn about Elbert Hubbard and the craftsmanship that was encouraged in the Roycroft collective 90 years ago - afternoon drive for 2 hours to Skaneateles in the Finger Lakes region - stay at Sherwood Inn, an early 19th century hotel with antique furniture, in this charming resort town

  Sun. Mar. 9-morning drive to Gustav Stickley's house, Craftsman Farms, in Morris Plains, New Jersey for an early afternoon tour (guided) of arts and crafts furniture - drive southwest to Lambertville, an arts and crafts village on the Delaware R., facing New Hope, Pennsylvania, another quaint village - stay at the Inn at Lambertville Station, a hotel attached to a historic railway station

  Mon. Mar. 10-morning drive to nearby Doylestown for the Moravian Tileworks and H.C. Mercer's castle-like home Fonthill (both are national landmarks noted for ceramic tiles) - then after lunch drive to nearby Fulper Tileworks in Yardley - return to New Hope and Lambertville for late afternoon shopping in craft shops - at Inn again

  Tue. Mar. ll- morning drive south to Wilmington, Delaware to visit the Delaware Art Museum and view its great Pre-Raphaelite collection plus works by Powell (glass), the Wyeths and Winslow Homer - lunch at Wintherthur Museum and special guided tour of 25 rooms to display the range of decorative arts until the 1860s (e.g. Shaker and Pennsylvania Dutch) - "the best collection of American antiques in one site" -stay overnight in Wilmington Holiday Inn

  Wed.Mar. 12- morning drive to Washington D.C. area - lunch and then visit the Frank Lloyd Wright Usonian bungalow (l940), the Pope-Leighey house, and then visit the grand Woodlawn, a colonial mansion belonging to Geo. Washington's nephew, where a major needlework exhibit will be in place - overnight in a motel close to Old Town in Alexandria, Virginia, which is across the Potomac R. from Washington D.C.

  Thu.Mar. 13- into Washington to view the National Cathedral, an English Gothic edifice (6th largest in the world) noted for its stained glass (guided tour) - lunch at the National Gallery of Art and view its collections during the afternoon, perhaps even its Pre-Raphaelite drawings - back to motel

  Fri Mar. 14-your free St..Patrick's Day -consider going to nearby Mount Vernon or the famed Smithsonian Gallery - perhaps you'li tour the historic colonial homes, shops and Gadsby's Tavern in Old Town, Alexandria

  Sat.Mar. 15-morning drive south to Richmond's Virginia Museum of Fine Arts to see the fine Lewis collection of early 20th century American furnihshings -. mid-afternoon drive north past Washington to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, a re stored Civil War era village where we will stay at the Hilltop House, an inn perched over the junction of the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers

  Sun.Mar. 16-drive north a few miles through Antietam battlefield and past Gettysburg on the way to the New York Thruway and on toward Toronto - arrive about 9 pm.

The connections with William Morris will be evident at Gustav Stickley's house, on Elbert Hubbard's Roycroft campus and in the Pre-Raphaelite gallery of the Delaware Art Museum. But as demonstrated in past WMSC trips to the Midwest, Ottawa and Pittsburgh, you not only will learn a lot but also enjoy the stimulating company of other Morrisians. Because of the amount of walking between houses and craftshops at various sites, participants must be capable of keeping up with a normal walking pace and handling their own luggage. No travel agent is promoting or protecting this tour so you must decide whether you wish to buy personal insurance protection.

The tour fee for double room accommodation with ensuite, your share of the bus costs, entrance fees to listed sites and five breakfasts is $925. This will be paid in two instalments: $450 on or before Tuesday, Oct. 8; $475 on Tuesday, Jan. 7, 1997. Single room accommodation will cost $1250 with $600 due on Oct. 8 and $650 due on Jan. 7. Note that due to the historically restricted nature of preserving the relatively expensive suites at Roycroft Inn, our first overnight stop, "singles" will need to share a suite with another, but each will have their own sleeping room in the suite.

You may only receive a refund for cancellation if you replace yourself with a person of the same sex. Accommodations will have two beds normally, but there are queen and double beds available in some inns. We shall be as sensitive as possible when trying to match two single participants who are looking for a roommate to share double accommodation (e.g. non-smokers). So that William Morris Society of Canada members get an opportunity to join this trip, we ask that non-members, for example your acquaintances, not send in their application form until Fri. Oct.4. Booking will be made on a first-come with cheque first-served basis. Make cheques payable to William Morris Society of Canada, and post-dated to due date is allowable. Mail your form to:

William Hall
101 Riverview Gardens
Toronto, Ontario, MSS 4E7

Double room $925.00
Single room $1250.00

Please have proper visa or passport identification for border crossings so as not to delay the tour group.