| The Company's founder John Charles Francis Myland (1860-1932). John Started life as an apprentice French polisher, in the late 1870s. After a few years he started selling supplies to other French Polishers, from a base in Vauxhall. Although later on, he became a successful property developer in South London, his passion was for developing paints and wood finishes throughout his life. |
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| In 1884 he opened his first shop in Stockwell near Brixton, South London. John sold distempers, French polishes, spirit varnishes and oils and pigments as well as distributing Berger paints. |
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| Soon after, John opened his own factory across the road and began manufacturing paints and polishes. He went on to have 10 children (this was the days before T.V.). His first 6 sons all worked in the business and all served in WWI and survived. After his first wife’s death, John remarried and had 4 more children. This factory survived the Blitz although most of the buildings around it survived. It was compulsory purchased after WWII, for housing. |
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The eldest of the founder's second family was John Richard Myland (1908-1992). Richard became managing director in 1933, and he and his three sisters featured here became the directors of the business for over 50 years. In the 1930s, the U.K. film industry started near London, and Richard developed paints and wood finishes for the studio sets. Mylands also sold to furniture makers and French polishers, as well as paint merchants such as C. Brewer and Sons - a relationship that continues to this day.
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| During WWII, Richard spent five years with the Army. The business was managed by Alf Gilles (the company secretary), and during this time Mylands continued, albeit with a reduced turnover. They were fortunate to be helped with contracts for paints camouflaging London bridges and buildings. |
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| This is Richard attending a meeting of the London Chamber of Commerce (spirit varnish makers section) in 1946. This was before the days of the British Coatings Federation. Richard was an early pioneer of emulsion paint technology in the 1950s, using natural earth pigments. The film and television industries demanded high quality and opacity and absolute control over the sheen of these products. |
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| The second factory in Brixton, pictured here in the mid-1960s, was also compulsorily purchased for housing and we finally got the message and moved a couple of miles south to West Norwood where we have been ever since (almost on the same site). We are now one the oldest companies in Lambeth and the oldest manufacturer of paints and wood finishes in the U.K. still owned and managed by the same family. |
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Richard's son John joined the business in 1956 and became Managing director in 1973. John started manufacturing paints and continued to develop our products, for interiors, sets, wood finishing and restoration. John made successful acquisitions of smaller paint and wood finish manufacturers in the 1980s and 1990s and became president of our trade association in 1985 the Paint Makers Association.
John still works in the business as chairman and the day to day running has been taken over by his son, John Dominic Myland, since 2002. |
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Today we like to think of ourselves as a modern forward thinking company that is close to traditional roots. We are very aware of our history and we do not allow ourselves to sell any products that are inferior in quality. Some of our products we develop for years before we release them, often to many people's frustration. We have a very good team of loyal employees, groups of whom, have been with the company for over 10, 20, 30, and even one over 40 years.
The current managing director often does the same job as his father, grandfather and great grandfather did before him, 30, 60, and 90 years ago.
Approving the colour and quality of shellacs, pigments, polishes and paints in the traditional sense has been passed down through the generations.
While we like to continue these traditions we hope to continue to develop new products and continue for many years to come. |
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