Publisher celebrates 40th anniversary and 10 years since Debbie and Alan started revival
It’s been a big birthday week for Museums & Galleries as the brand has been celebrating its 40th anniversary – and 10 years since owners Debbie and Alan Williams took over the company and revived its fortunes.
While keeping to company founder Caroline Humby Teck’s original concept of providing bespoke products for museum and gallery shops the couple, who also own Mint Publishing and Real & Exciting Designs, have expanded Museums & Galleries‘ remit to include many licensed ranges for the general retail market.
With coups including Matthew Williamson, Zandra Rhodes and Sarah Campbell, the publisher has grown to become one of the UK’s leading producers of quality art cards and designer-led gift stationery from its bases in Frome and Corby,
“Museums & Galleries was reborn thanks to Alan and Debbie,” explained administration and relationship manager Sophie Bylina. “Recognising the potential of the company, they bought it and invested their skills and financial resources in astutely developing product, beefing up production and distribution capabilities, and pursuing an ambitious marketing plan.
“Their vision has meant Museums & Galleries, originally founded in 1983, is flourishing like never before.”
Founder Caroline, who died in 2002, was described in her Telegraph obituary as having “played a crucial role in opening the eyes of the directors of British galleries and museums to the commercial potential of their collections”.
Concentrating on the fine and decorative arts, she initially acted for 11 museums and was soon advising the V&A on its retail trading activities and inspired the British Museum to develop its own mail order division before going on to create ranges for the British Library, National Trust and National Gallery.
The Classics range is one of M&G’s longest serving, with some designs still in print from when Debbie and former farmer Alan took over a decade ago, on 18 July, 2013.
Group creative director Ben Dorney said: “The Classics range is still the beating heart of our card offer. The V&A remains our largest licence, with over 150 cards, 20-plus gift wraps, gift packaging and a comprehensive range of stationery and wider categories such as tabletop and gifts.”
And Ben explained how there has been a growth in both the range and product formats under the couple’s guidance, moving into mixed stationery, water bottles and tumblers, and the latest offer is paper napkins.
Licences remain key to Museums & Galleries, guided by rights and products manager Eddie Clarke, and the sheer variety of these signings is impressive, from established heritage brands such as V&A and Natural History Museum through to contemporary designers including Helen Ahporinsiri and Catherine Rowe, while Wildlife Photographer Of The Year has brought prestigious wildlife snappers into the fold.
Other art, design and heritage brands include the British Museum, British Library, Natural History Museum, Transport For London, Matthew Williamson, Cressida Bell, and BBC Earth, plus icons such as Paddington Bear, Miffy, Roald Dahl, and Guess How Much I Love You.
Having now moved into a state-of-the-art warehouse facility in Corby, with highline picking lines to accommodate the group’s 4,500 skus across its brands, and six wave machines which pickers can manoeuvre with great agility as well as a grid system for a top-end forklift to move palettes, the M&G studio in Frome has also doubled in size under Ben’s guidance.
And there’s been a real sustainability push in recent years, with their own eco-band removing the need for cello-wraps, while everyday and Christmas cards, calendars, notecards and gift packaging all displays the zero plastic message – even the festive boxes and packs have been re-engineered to remove all glue and flitter.
Debbie said: “We just feel so proud of our team, how they have adapted to the evolution of the business as well as to our retail customers, both multiples and independents. We would not be where we are today without them.”
Top: Debbie (left) and rights and product manager Eddie Clarke (far left) on the busy PG Live stand
