"Waddingtons of Leeds " : article in 'The British Printer' ; September 1934 : p4
A fascinating article, one of a series looking at major printing companies, this being the September 1934 description of the works and production of John Waddington Ltd whose head office and main works were in Leeds, West Yorkshire. They also had a subsidiary works in Stoke Newington, London, that dealt with letterpress posters for more 'immediate' and 'local' consumption such as for theatrical, cinema and sporting events in London. They also had sales offices in Charing Cross Road, London.
Waddington's were formed in 1905 in Leeds and became a limited company in 1921 with major works on Wakefield Rd in the city on a site that now houses First Direct's bank offices. These works had an interesting history in that they were constructed as a typewriter manufacturing plant to be produced using war wounded workers. This 'laudable effort' failed and Waddington's bought the works in 1922. Aside from printing - the company increasingly specialised int he production of colour posters using lithographic processes - they'd diversified into games and playing cards, jigsaws, greetings cards and cartons. I suspect most people recall them for their playing cards and games as, in the 1930s, they became the UK's manufacturer of the American game Monopoly, licensing this from Parker Bros who, in turn, took the US rights for the Waddington's game Cluedo.
The various images show different areas of the works and apart from showing clearly the scale of the machine rooms, composing departments and artists studios also show 'hints' of several posters such as a multi-sheet poster for Worthington's Beer. The artists' department includes finsihed posters for Robin Starch and Reckitt's 'Blue' both brands owned by Reckitt and Colman, Nestle's Milk and Wills Gold Flake.
"Waddingtons of Leeds " : article in 'The British Printer' ; September 1934 : p4
A fascinating article, one of a series looking at major printing companies, this being the September 1934 description of the works and production of John Waddington Ltd whose head office and main works were in Leeds, West Yorkshire. They also had a subsidiary works in Stoke Newington, London, that dealt with letterpress posters for more 'immediate' and 'local' consumption such as for theatrical, cinema and sporting events in London. They also had sales offices in Charing Cross Road, London.
Waddington's were formed in 1905 in Leeds and became a limited company in 1921 with major works on Wakefield Rd in the city on a site that now houses First Direct's bank offices. These works had an interesting history in that they were constructed as a typewriter manufacturing plant to be produced using war wounded workers. This 'laudable effort' failed and Waddington's bought the works in 1922. Aside from printing - the company increasingly specialised int he production of colour posters using lithographic processes - they'd diversified into games and playing cards, jigsaws, greetings cards and cartons. I suspect most people recall them for their playing cards and games as, in the 1930s, they became the UK's manufacturer of the American game Monopoly, licensing this from Parker Bros who, in turn, took the US rights for the Waddington's game Cluedo.
The various images show different areas of the works and apart from showing clearly the scale of the machine rooms, composing departments and artists studios also show 'hints' of several posters such as a multi-sheet poster for Worthington's Beer. The artists' department includes finsihed posters for Robin Starch and Reckitt's 'Blue' both brands owned by Reckitt and Colman, Nestle's Milk and Wills Gold Flake.