Barbara Morris trained at the Slade School of Art. She was on the staff of the Victoria and Albert Museum for 31 years, retiring from the post of deputy keeper of ceramics and glass in 1978. She is a member of the Glass Circle, the Art Workers Guild, the William Morris Society and, until recently, she was a committee member of the Decorative Arts Society. She is also the author of Victorian Embroidery (1962), Victorian Tableglass and Ornaments (1978), Inspiration for Design (1986) and Liberty Design (1989).