DG016, Code 3, Dennis Parcels Van, W Edge & Sons, Dolly Blue Works, Bolton

William Edge & Sons, a company based in Bolton, Lancashire, had a fascinating history.

• In the early 1870s, William Edge established a business in Bolton for shading blues, which were used by bleachers and finishers in Lancashire. The firm expanded and became William Edge and Sons Ltd. They specialized in shading blues, tints for cotton and linen fabrics, cotton softeners, cloth glazes, and fillers. Their products found a ready market not only in the UK but also in America, Canada, India, France, Holland, Belgium, and Sweden.
• The name Edge became synonymous with two famous household products: “Dolly” and “Drummer”. They supplied Dolly Blue for laundry work, Dolly Cream for curtains, and Dolly tints for ladies’ blouses. Their well-known trademark featured a drummer boy, associated with Drummer Dyes for home dyeing.
• Besides household products, they also manufactured radios and gramophones under the Drummer name. In fact, Edge Radio, Ltd made a significant impact at Radiolympia in London, selling a 10-valve SuperHet radiogram for 150 guineas.
• The company’s headquarters and factory were in Raphael Street, Bolton, but they had warehouses and offices in London, Dublin, Belfast, Glasgow, New York, and Melbourne.