 In 1884, the Art Workers Guild was initiated by five young architects, William Lethaby, Edward Prior, Ernest Newton, Mervyn Macartney and Gerald C. Horsley, with the goal of bringing together fine and applied arts and raising the status of the latter.It was directed originally by George Blackall Simonds.By 1890 the Guild had 150 members, representing the increasing number of practitioners of the Arts and Crafts style.