When nineteenth-century architects George Frederick Bodley, Thomas Garner, and George Gilbert Scott the Younger joined forces in 1874 to design the offices of the London School Board, the resulting partnership offered the gentlemen the chance to spread their wings beyond brick-and-mortar blueprints and enter the world of interior furnishings. Christened Watts & company—the origin of the name still remains a mystery—the noted trio drew inspiration from the Aesthetic Movement to create fabrics, wallpapers, and more that reflected the charmingly eclectic Queen Anne style of the day.
