Gestetner


Gestetner was the first name in stencil duplicating when in 1881 a young Hungarian clerk, David Gestetner, discovered that wax coated paper used in manufacturing children's kites could also be used as ink stencils, hence the birth of office automation and Gestetner.

As the business grew a factory was established in Tottenham in London employing 6,000 people right through to the 1970's. Manufacturing then moved to Wellingborough in Northamptonshire where production for export markets still continues today. The image below right is the Factory in Broad Lane (1950).