In 1872 Archibald Winterbottom of Salford, Lancashire, began negotiations to purchase Victoria Mills, a cotton mill situated on Weaste Lane, Weaste, Salford, from its owners Ermen & Engels. Archibald Winterbottom established his first company,The Winterbottom Book Cloth Co Ltd on this site in 1874.

Around 1879 Archibald introduced his two sons, William Dickson and George Harold, into the business and at some point the business name became Archibald Winterbottom and Sons, a name which continued beyond Archibald’s death in 1884.

The company established or acquired other businesses and, in 1891, incorporated these into a limited liability company, the Winterbottom Book Cloth Company Ltd, which dominated the book cloth trade in Britain and America for almost a century.

The mills in the Winterbottom syndicate were:

1. Archibald Winterbottom and Sons – Victoria Mills

2. Samuel Dewhurst & Co. Ltd – Broughton Dye Works

3. Wilson & Bentleys – Hoxton

4. Law Sons & Co – Foots Cray Mill

5. John H. Gartside & Co. Ltd. – Chapel Hill Cotton Mill Dukinfield

6. Samuel Barlow & Co Ltd – Stakehill Works, Castleton

7. Interlaken Mills – Arkwright, RI

8. J.J. Weber & Co. – Bamberg

9. Hackney Wick Bleaching, Dyeing and Finishing Works, East London

In 1959 the parent company changed its name to Winterbottom Industries Ltd and became an investment and industrial management company. Its former trading activities were taken over by a newly formed subsidiary named the Winterbottom Book Cloth Co Ltd. By an offer for shares which became unconditional on 11 November 1960, Winterbottom Industries Ltd became a subsidiary of Venesta Ltd. Winterbottom Products Ltd became a part of the Tootal Group. On 15 August 1980 Winterbottom Products Ltd ceased production of bookbinding materials entirely and specialised in the production of reprographic material which it had begun earlier, and on 2 November 1981 its name was changed to Imperial Graphic Products Ltd.