John
Dickinson Stationery Limited - (en)
John Dickinson Stationery Limited is a leading British stationery company.
The company was founded in 1804 by John Dickinson, who invented a
continuous mechanized paper-making process. Dickinson patented his ideas
in 1809 and in the same year he gained financial backing from George
Longman. He established paper mills at Apsley (a former flour mill), Nash
Mill and Croxley in Hertfordshire. In 1850, the company started mechanical
envelope manufacturing, with gummed envelopes for the first time.
During the 19th century, Sir John Evans and his son Lewis Evans (collector)
- Lewis Evans elder brother was the archeologist Sir Arthur Evans - both
managed the company.
The Lion brand was adopted as the company logo in 1910 and in the
following year (1911), the Basildon Bond brand was established. Companies
were then formed in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere (thirteen
countries in all). The company pioneered the production of window
envelopes in 1929.
1966 saw the formation of the Dickinson Robinson Group Ltd (DRG), creating
one of the largest stationery and packaging companies worldwide. In 1999,
the company relocated from Apsley to the village of Sawston south of
Cambridge.
