130 years in the making

In the spring of 1890, Fredk Vickers, a modest stationer’s apprentice in Derby, was moved by a single moment: a thank-you note he received from a travelling gentleman, penned with such care and elegance it was near poetic. Inspired, Fredk set out to elevate the humble greeting card into something altogether more meaningful — a gift in itself.

Working by lamplight, he crafted each card by hand using the finest papers he could procure and a distinctive green ink he mixed himself — a shade that would later become Vickers Green. He sealed each envelope with wax, ensuring that what lay within was treated as something precious.

His reputation grew not by advertisement, but by word of mouth — or rather, word on paper. In parlours and drawing rooms across the Midlands, his cards were shared, admired, and cherished.

And thus, Vickers of Derby was born. A house built not on mass production, but on sentiment, craftsmanship, and the quiet belief that some words deserve better than ordinary.