Stanley Gibbons (1840–1913)
Born in Plymouth, Stanley Gibbons developed a keen interest in stamp collecting from an early age. At 16, he took a desk in his father’s chemist to sell stamps.
In 1874, Gibbons moved to London to develop his stamp business, settling in Gower Street in 1876. The first mention of ‘Stanley Gibbons & Co postage stamp dealers’ appears in ‘The Post Office Directory’ a year later. He sold the business to Charles Phillips from Birmingham in 1890, for £25,000 and retired.
Phillips opened the ‘Stanley Gibbons’ shop on The Strand a year later – where it still remains today.
