1796 John Letts, bookbinder and printer, established a stationery business in the arcades of London's Royal Exchange.
1803 John's son, Thomas (1803 – 1873), was born at Stockwell, London
1812 The merchants and traders who frequently purchased stationery items from this shop needed a means of recording the movements of stock and controlling their finances. John Letts responded to the needs of his merchant customers by creating the world's first Commercial Diary.
1816 John published, "Letts's diary or bills owed book and almanack" as the first commercially-produced diary, which Thomas later developed into dozens of differently-printed and bound, annual publications.
Rapid refinement of the product, with the introduction of detailed information sections, meant that by the 1820s the first modern style diary ranges were being published.
1835 Thomas took over the family-owned company on his father's retirement, printing a range of diaries that stretched from small pocket diaries to commercial foolscap folio one-day-per-page editions. Additionally, his factories at North Road, New Cross printed interest tables, specialist clerical and medical diaries, calendars, parliamentary registers, ledgers, and logbooks.
Letts' publications became ubiquitous, being used by many of the well-known Victorian writers and diarists who were well-acquainted with the product range. For example, writing in the Cornhill Magazine, William Makepeace Thackeray noted he preferred a Letts No. 12 diary.
Thomas was joined in the family business by his son, Charles, and together they raised capital for expansion into a limited company in 1870, trading as Letts, Son and Co. However Thomas died soon afterwards, being buried in West Norwood Cemetery in a Grade II listed monument.
1881 Charles Letts left the company and set up Charles Letts and Co, trading profitably for the next century.
1885 The public company lost direction; Letts, Son and Co. went into liquidation; the copyrights to the diaries were purchased by Cassell Sons and Co. Later the rights were sold to Hazell, Watson, and Viney Ltd.
In 2001, Letts acquired the Filofax Group
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] Wikipedia
- Biography of Thomas Letts, ODNB