Moments in History

The 'Grace Scurr' Limited edition 75th anniversary organiser 1921 examples made.

This year is when Filofax celebrates 100 years of the brand. It is a land-mark for any company. How did they get there? 

In terms of 'ring bound organisers' you have to go back even further in time. 

• 1910 - Lefax company founded by John Clinton Parker in Philadelphia and produced a range of personal organisers.
  The name Lefax is made up from the words Leaf and Facts. Lefax at one time produced over 2500 data-sheets of single sheets printed with information for scientists, architects and engineers across the full range of industry. 
• 1914-1918 - British Army Officer Colonel Disney working in the US came across a Lefax organiser and bought the idea over to UK with the aim of getting it marketed by a contact in London.
• 1926 - The Lefax trademark was registered 5 October 1926. Its use in the engineering industries was so pervasive that some journals were published in Lefax format.

We then enter the period of Filofax organisers although at first they were not known by that name. 

• 6 June 1921 The Norman & Hill company of printers and stationers is incorporated by the Rounce brothers in Appold Street in the City of London at the premises of W&T Rounce.
• 1921 - Norman and Hill import personal filing systems from Lefax at the suggestion of Grace Scurr, the temporary secretary. Several years later they would make the personal size files under the brand name Filofax, a name suggested by Grace Scurr.
• 1930 - The Filofax trademark was registered.
• December 1940 - The company offices in Aldersgate Street in London were bombed. Fortunately Grace had all the details of their customers and suppliers in her own Filofax that she took home every night. [Off site backups during times of war are extremely important!]
• 1941 - Norman and Hill move to temporary offices in Queens Road, Watford.
• 1941 - Grace Scurr becomes manager of the company, and eventually the chairman.
• 1955 - Grace Scurr resigns as company chairman.
• 1955-1990 - Joe Rider company chairman of Norman and Hill.
• 1980's - Lefax bough by London Wood Partners a British firm.
• 1980 - David and Lesley Collischon buy Norman and Hill and rename it Filofax.
• December 1986 - Norman and Hill officially becomes Filofax Ltd.
• 1990 - Filofax acquired by Transwood Earl.
• October 1990 - Robin Field becomes Chief Executive of Filofax Ltd.
• October 1992 - Lefax bought by Filofax. The original intention was that Lefax would be Filofax's top of the line range, but the Lefax brand was eventually phased out.
• October 1998 - Day Runner acquired Filofax.
• 1998 - Gordon Presly was appointed Chief Executive of Filofax Ltd.
• July 2001 - Filofax acquired by Letts, forming Letts Filofax Group.
• February 2006 - Letts Filofax acquired by Phoenix Equity Partners
• April 2013 - Letts Filofax acquired by Chief Executive Gordon Presley and partner Harolde Savoy (HSGP investments) Letts Filofax now trading as Letts Filofax Blueline (LFB Group).
• June 2014 - Charles Letts dies aged 49 – He had been the overseas sales manager for the Letts Filofax Group and was the last Letts in a long family history of the diary company dating back to 1796.
• 2015 - Gordon Presly retires from Letts Filofax Blueline (LFB Group).
• 2021 - Filofax celebrates 100 years. 

 I've enjoyed piecing together the history of the company using a variety of sources. They include:

• A Chronology of Filofax - Kevin Hall, April 2010 - A detailed history of the company.
• Norman and Hill - Grace's Guide to British Industrial History.
• The Filofax Story - Wiki-Info.de [German site]

What is your earliest recollection of Filofax?