Our Story – makers of first impressions
Driven by our narrative, it inspires us to produce the best, most distinctive printed stationery, luxury packaging and bespoke envelopes. We use vibrant colours, applying exquisite details, and elegant finishes for customers in London, the UK, and across the globe that stand out and make a powerful first impression.
Our approach is rigorous, using the following principles:
- Multi-sensory: to see, touch and taste our products is to feel the depth of their appeal
- Meticulous: understanding materials means we deliver and demand the best
- Cost: to achieve value for money
- Ingenious: apply imaginative approaches to realise and produce a solution
- Provenance: part of our blueprint is to refine and entrust skills to future generations.
We pride ourselves on handmade, bespoke, often manual, and inefficient manufacturing processes to make our products. Different options of printing techniques, machines, or hand finishing provide the flexibility of small quantities, unusual materials, and standout finishes. By retaining the mastery, the tolerance for the slow-and-difficult, we work with customers to offer distinct options that match their desire for individuality.
Read the full story in our award-winning book…
An account by The Gentle Author, with designs by David Pearson: For anyone with a serious interest in print, design, publishing, and typography, BADDELEY BROTHERS tells the dramatic story spanning four centuries of how the Baddeley family created one of today’s number one specialist printers.
This book is embellished with fine tipped-in samples illustrating the range of BADDELEY BROTHERS’ bravura print techniques, an anatomy of envelope design, a glossary of printing terminology, drawings by Lucinda Rogers and a foldout map by Adam Dant.
Limited availability for £20 or for more details read here
A timeline
Baddeley Brothers’ origin story goes as far back as the mid-17th century when they were clockmakers and die-makers for the pottery and jewellery industries in Staffordshire.
1652
The earliest record is of Phineas Baddeley’s apprenticeship in July 1652, and then his admittance at twenty-one years old to the Clockmakers’ Company in the City of London in 1661. Phineas established himself in Tong, situated on the boundary of Staffordshire and Shropshire with the Blue Mountains of Wales to the west and the Black Country, cradle of the Industrial Revolution, to the east.
1727
John Baddeley, born in Tong, rose to become a member of the Royal Society, he was reputedly a clockmaker to King George III (who collected more than 2,000 timepieces) and, turning his attention to barometers and optics, invented a new type of refracting telescope.
1818
John Rock Baddeley, arrived from Stoke-on-Trent and set up in Clerkenwell, London. He was a ” clever draughtsman and very skilful diesinker”. Creating seal dies for embossing presses, jewellery spoon dies, badges and livery button dies for the Hatton Gardens trade nearby.
1859
John Baddeley opened the first bank account for the engraving business. Having worked for his father, the eldest son John James (JJ), started working out of premises in Little Bell Alley.
1865
William Henry (John’s fourth son) joined the business.
1885
A factory was built for the company at Moor Lane, near John Keats’ birthplace, in the City of London. It produced a wide range of engraved and embossed stationery items, including seals and rubber stamps.
1894
An extract from the London Provincial & Colonial Press News on Baddeley Brothers- “It is always instructive, and sometimes particularly interesting, to hear or to read of the rise and progress of great business establishments, more especially of those that have attained a position of importance and prominence after the drudgery and trials of small beginning…whose owners, by sheer force of practical skill, judgement, and foresight, have gained eminence in the special spheres they have made their own.”
1940
Unfortunately, the premises were utterly destroyed in the Blitz. The firm was able to continue trading in loaned premises and run by WB Baddeley (JJ’s grandson).
1946
David Baddeley re-joined, and we opened new premises at 92 Paul Street in London’s EC2, while welcoming back many employees from the pre-war years.
1961
David Pertwee joined his uncle David Baddeley.
1966
… quickly followed by his brother Roger. The company is still family-owned by the Pertwees, who are directly related to the original Baddeleys.
1989
In the hands of the fifth generation, we moved into larger premises in the neighbouring Boundary Street.
1993
Further relocated, this time returning the business to our roots in Hackney.
2001-2005
Roger’s sons Christopher and Charles Pertwee joined Baddeley Brothers, respectively, returning the company to full family ownership.
2017
The journey continues, settling in South Woodford.
Present day
Now in our 22nd home, with Art déco features that our forebears would recognise, along with a few technological improvements that they may not. In 2019, we celebrated our 160th year; we continue to manufacture high-quality engraved stationery, luxury packaging and envelopes.