Willsons

In 1864 a Leicester furniture maker called William Willson began carving the giant wooden letters used to print posters. More than 160 years later, his family is still running the business.

Willsons grew up with British popular entertainment. Our presses printed daybills for travelling theatres, bills for circuses and fairs, posters for the great variety palaces and, later, for the cinemas. By the years before the Second World War we were among the leading poster printers in England.

When billboards and big posters faded after the war, the business changed with the times. Today Willsons Group Services offers design, litho and digital print, print management, storage and distribution from Newark, and it is still a family firm.

Read the story

1. 1864 to 1914Posters for the people

   A furniture maker on New Walk, the theatrical printing years, record-breaking posters and the move into Nottingham.

2. 1914 to the 1960sWar, cinema and change

   Three brothers go to war, the firm prints for the picture palaces, and the poster trade gives way to commercial print.

3. 1864 to todaySix generations

   The family tree, the people behind the name, and the business today.

Key dates

1. 1864

   William Willson starts the business on New Walk, Leicester, carving wooden blocks and letters for posters.

2. 1888

   His son William Ernest joins and the firm becomes Willson & Son, Theatrical Printers.

3. c. 1900

   Willsons buys Stennett's of Nottingham, with its Great Northern Railway printing contract, and expands from New Walk through to King Street in Leicester.

4. 1901

   The Leicester Palace opens, and Willsons wins its weekly printing.

5. 1914

   The three grandsons, Herbert, Leon and George, all join up. Herbert is killed in France in 1917.

6. 1920s

   George leads the Leicester works and Leon the Nottingham branch.

7. 1929–39

   The busiest years in Leicester, with around 170 staff.

8. 1952–53

   Leon Willson serves as Lord Mayor of Nottingham in Coronation year.

9. 1960s

   The business divides into Willsons Printers Leicester and Willsons Printers (Nottingham) Ltd.

10. 1980s

    Nottingham production moves to Newark.

11. 1991

    Mark Willson, Leon's grandson, founds the current Newark company.

12. Today

    The sixth generation of the family works in the business.