of High Street, Sevenoaks, Kent. (1922)
of 102 London Road, Sevenoaks, Kent. Telephone: Sevenoaks 3070. Cables: "Salmon, Sevenoaks". (1947)
1880 The company was founded when Joseph Salmon, who had been a bookseller in London, acquired a stationer’s shop with a general printing business at 85 High Street, Sevenoaks, in Kent.
1898 He continued the business in its existing form until his son, also Joseph Salmon, took over when his father retired.
1890 Joseph had become interested in the potential of printing and publishing pictorial post cards and produced a collection of twelve black and white post cards of Sevenoaks and district. This was followed, by a small collection of coloured post cards of local scenes. Such was the success of these early cards that in a very few years the range had been widened to include comic cards.
c1912 Joseph Salmon also started to publish post cards featuring the work of Alfred Robert Quinton, a famous association that was to last until the artist’s death in 1934.
Also at this time Salmon started to publish a small series of local view pictorial calendars with coloured illustrations of English scenes, towns and regions. The earliest calendars were in a turnover style although as techniques developed both turnover and panel style calendars were produced in increasing numbers.
WWI By the end of the war, the business had outgrown its original site and a new factory was built in Sevenoaks. With subsequent additions and extensions this site has remained at the heart of the business ever since and now houses the printing works, sales office, stock warehousing and dispatch operations.
1922 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. Producer of Picture Post Cards, View Books, Souvenir Letter Cards, Folders, Olichrome Panels and Picture Prints, Jig Saw Puzzles, Blotters, Fine Art Calendars, Colour Printing. (Stand Nos. L.43 and L.42) [1]
1947 Listed Exhibitor - British Industries Fair. Printers, Manufacturers and Publishers of Fine Art Calendars, Greeting Cards, Picture and Local View Post Cards, Children's Books, Picture prints. (Olympia, 1st Floor, Stand No.H2106) [2]
The company has remained in the ownership of the Salmon family and today is run by Charles and Harry Salmon, the fifth generation of the family to be involved in the business.
Post cards and calendars remain at the core of the company's publishing but other product ranges include guide books, gift books, recipe books, greeting cards, notecards, prints, placemats, diaries and other associated items.