The Yellow Pages telephone directory will no longer be printed after 2019.

Its owner Yell announced on Friday that the famous heavy tome would enter its final circulation, with the first of 104 editions being distributed in Kingston, southwest London, from January next year.

The last of the yellow books will be delivered in 2019 to Brighton, where the first edition was published as a classified section in 1966.

Yell, owned by the Hibu Group, said the move marked the company’s transition to a “pure digital business.”

As part of the initiative, Yell said he aims to help one million businesses get listed on his online directory by 2020.

Richard Hanscott, CEO of Yell, said: “After 51 years of production, Yellow Pages is a household name and we are proud to say that we still have customers who have been with us since the very first edition of Yellow Pages in 1966. How can many brands say they have had customers with them for over 50 years?

“We are proud of the transformation we have made from print to digital.

“Like many companies, Yell has discovered that being digital successful requires constant change and innovation.

“We are well positioned to continue to help local businesses and consumers succeed online, now and in the future. “

The Yellow Pages were rolled out across the country in 1976 and have become a pervasive feature in British households.

His best-known television ad campaign, in 1983, featured JR Hartley using the directory to search old booksellers for a copy of his book Fly Fishing.

The rise of internet search engines such as Google posed new challenges and the web directory was launched in 1996.

In an attempt to modernize the theme and revive Yell’s shaky fortunes, they launched a 2011 ad campaign showing a DJ using his online service to find a dance floor.

Pennsylvania