May 1985: HMSO Progress Number 5 takes us back to 1920

Walter Robinson writes:  ‘Many thanks for the copies of Progress No. 5 which you so kindly sent me. It was a pleasure to be, for the first time, featured on a front page, but I am afraid you have the details wrong. The picture was of the Composing Room at HMSO Farringdon Road, not Hare Street, in 1920. Before being taken over by HMSO, the firm was Hayman, Christie and Lilley’s where Smart and Dainty  novels; Health and Strength  etc. were printed. It was HMSO when I started work there in 1919. The General Manager was Mr Burroughs and the Deputy General Manager Mr Payne. As a 14 year old I used to watch while the huge rotary press turned out Surplus  once a month. [More]

(Photo from Progress 5: © Crown copyright)

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