John Letts opened a stationery shop in the arcades of London's Royal Exchange to provide local merchants with stationery products that would help them achieve their specific needs.
This was the year John Letts invented the world’s first commercial diary, a product responding to the growing trade in the City of London. Featuring 104 pages printed with the dates of a six-day working week and filled in with public holidays.
Letts was now selling thousands of diaries in a variety of different sizes and formats. They became popular because they were a combination of old and new. The diary soon established itself as an essential feature of commercial life.
The factory, initially located in London, moved to Dalkeith in Scotland, where it remains today. Many of the workers have been at the factory for decades, passing on their knowledge to new generations using a variety of hand-finishing techniques.
Business continued booming, even after John passed the company onto his grandsons Thomas and Charles. It wasn't until Charles Letts' sudden passing that the 200-year-old family run business was sold to the FLB Group, who also owns Filofax.
The secret to our longevity is quality and innovation. Our mission now is to create more eco-friendly collections using recycled materials to help our customers plan their days and protect the planet at the same time.
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