Glyn Davies
Fourth Generation Printer
Recorded at the age of 90, still operating the Original Heidelberg Platen and doing what he loved.
The Glenside Archive
Every family business has a beginning.
Ours began with an apprenticeship.
Original documents, photographs and stories charting five generations of the Davies family's printing heritage.
Glenside Archive 001
1861
Daniel Davies' Apprenticeship Indenture
This original indenture records Daniel Davies' formal apprenticeship in the Art of Printing. It marks the beginning of the family's professional connection with print and the first chapter of a story that continues through five generations.
The document has been gently squared and restored for digital display while retaining the folds, marks and character of the original.
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Glenside Archive 002
Late 19th Century
Robert Davies & Co.
The family business became established in Tonypandy as Robert Davies & Co., serving local businesses, organisations and the wider Rhondda community with commercial printing and stationery.
The shopfront provides a rare visual record of the company during its early years.
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Glenside Archive 003
1882 onwards
The Rhondda Gazette
Daniel Davies founded the Rhondda Gazette in 1882. In an age before radio, television and the internet, the printed newspaper connected communities, carried public notices and gave local businesses a voice.
The page is shown complete rather than cropped, allowing visitors to appreciate it as a genuine historical publication.
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Glenside Archive 004
1915
The Lanston Monotype Investment
In 1915, the family invested more than £530 in a large industrial hot-metal typesetting system from Lanston Monotype. It was a remarkable commitment to modern production technology at the time.
The complete composite is displayed without cropping so the receipt, invoice and handwritten calculations can all be viewed together.
View complete invoice
The Fourth and Fifth Generations
The presses changed. The standards did not.
Jonathan Davies
Fifth Generation Printer
Following Glyn's passing in 2025, Jonathan now leads Glenside Printing, combining 42 years of experience with modern production, efficient systems and the same commitment to quality.
Our history is not preserved simply because it is old.