The London Nameplate Manufacturing Company was founded in 1810 by Thomas Malby. The business was well-known as a cartographer's and globe maker, carrying out work for the Admiralty. Initially all nameplates made by the company were created by hand, but the company took advantage of developments in photographic and etching techinques in the 19th century to increase production.

The nameplate side of the business moved in 1909 to East Finchley and then to Clerkenwell, where greater space allowed them to expand. During the 1930s the company's Brighton factory also grew, and by the Second World War, they were manufacturing cockpit dials, bomb aiming devices, plotting equipment, and navigational instruments. As of 2023, London Nameplate Manufacturing Company remained active.