Timeline for the leather industry

© 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020

Genesis III, 21
Unto Adam also and to his wife did the Lord God make coats of skins and clothed them. Genesis is now thought to have been written in the 6th and 5th centuries BCE, although by tradition it was written by Moses.

2 million years ago

Australopithecus Habilis roamed East Africa some two million years ago and seems to have developed a diet in which meat played an increasingly significant part. Australopithicines were not equipped with specialised teeth or claws to penetrate the tough, fibrous, outer protective layer – the skin, but artefacts indicate that they discovered that the serrated edge of a chipped stone was capable of cutting through the thickest hide. This fundamental technological discovery led to a wider use of edged stone tools – an essential factor in the evolution of man.

2 million to 100000 years ago

Pithecanthropoid group of hominids were systematic and successful hunters. They controlled fire and cooked their meat. They had also developed a wider range of tools which has been shown to have been used for both butchering and skinning. Some Pithecanthropoids lived in large tent like shelters constructed by spreading skins over wooden frameworks, supported by rows of upright poles. A fire in a central hearth warmed these dwellings. With such a structure, the curing effect produced by drying out skins slowly would have been demonstrated. More importantly, the mild tanning action of wood smoke would also have manifested itself. Scraping away unwanted flesh would have distributed the fats throughout skins giving a more supple product. Flexing the pelt while it was drying out would also have given a softer product. It is very possible that a crude form of leather was being produced by these hominids over a million years ago.

100000 years ago

Neanderthal Man is typically associated with a wider range of specialised stone implements including a higher proportion specifically made for working the hides and skins. The Neanderthals were skilful hunters preying on animals such as deer, horses, bears, rhinoceros or even mammoth, and had access to large quantities of hides and skins. Neanderthal Man is associated with the last great ice age when they flourished despite the intense cold, living in skin-covered tents. The fact that they expanded their territory into the bleak tundra regions supposes the production of warm, protective clothing had been perfected.

Neanderthal Man employed stone, horn, antler and bone for skin-working tools. The bone implements included lower leg bones sharpened along the concave edge to give fleshing knives. A similar range of stone and bone tools were used in an analogous manner by Native American peoples until the end of the nineteenth century.

The earliest skin remains also date from this period.

7000 BCE

Sandals from about this time found in the Arnold Research Cave in central Missouri, as noted in the national Geographic. Their article indicates that the weakened small toe bones in 40,000 year old fossils suggests that footwear was being worn at that time.

5000-2000 BCE

Coloured leather, sandals, bags, and cushion and leather clothing found in Nubian tombs. (6)

3500 BCE

What is thought to be the World’s oldest leather shoe with a covered toe is found in an Armenian Cave excavation. Made of a single piece of cowhide, laced with a leather cord. It was stuffed with grass either used for insulation or like a shoe tree. According to the national Geographic report it was made for the right foot and is sized at about a modern woman’s US seven. Known as the Areni-1 shoe after the cave where it was found the leather was tanned and the shoe gave protection both against thew rough terrain and the climatic conditions.

3300 BCE

ÖTZI dies while crossing the Alps. He was fully clothed in leather from different types of animals and with different tannages. His shoes also were leather. His coat was deerksin tanned with smoke made where the rawhides are hung in a fashion that allows the action of cold smoke to penetrate the leather or fur. The hide is then greased, dried and softened by being worked with a smooth stone, stick or even chewed. Smoke tanning produces serviceable materials, but they do not have the durability of other tanned leathers, probably why few samples have survived. His shoes had soles from brown bear, upper of deerskin and a bark string inside allowed it to be tightened round the foot. This is much more advance than the more basic Areni-1 shoe.

2000 BCE

Egyptian scroll, the earliest known document written on leather. (6)

1500 BCE

A scene from the tomb of Rekhmire, dating from about 1500BC, depicts skins being fleshed, steeped in large jars containing an unknown liquor and staked or softened by puling it over an implement similar to a lawn edging tool. It is interesting to note that the finest gloving leathers are still softened in this manner using an identical implement. (via Roy Thomson)

“Through-tanned vegetable leathers of appreciable firmness are extant from 1500 BC in Egypt, for example, but even so by modern standards they are lightly-tanned and contain only small amounts of fixed tannin.”

R. Reed, Ancient Skins, Parchments and Leathers

1370 BCE

Red leather gloves presented to Egyptian official Ay. (6). Increasingly new items are bing uncovered with new search methods and as a result of the permafrost melting. An example of the latter are the beautiful circA1000 BCE Scythian woman’s boots found in the Altai, with the promise that their are many more tombs now being uncovered that are likely to hold well preserved organic remains such as leather and textiles.

In the spring of 2020 in southern Scotland a Bronze Age harness, where the wood and leather had been protected by the soil, were uncovered. This dates sometimes after 2000 BCE

900-700 BCE

Philistine texts in Jordan on parchment made from camel skin.

800 BCE

Sumerian recipe for tanning freshly slaughtered ox hide. “This skin you will take it, then you will drench it in pure pulverised Nisaba flour, in water, beer and first quality wine. With the best fat of a pure ox, the alum of the land of the Hittites and oak galls, you will press it and you cover the bronze kettle drum with it”. (6)

399 BCE

Socrates died by drinking hemlock, after being found guilty of “impiety”. His main accuser was Anytus, who was a tanner.

206 BCE – 220 CE (AD220)

(Han Dynasty China) Shoes found in 2002 in the Xuanquanzhi Ruins in Dunhuang, Gangsu Province. Entirely made of pigskin or sheepskin, including the sole. No difference between left and right. Men’s, women’s, and children’s shoes have been found showing shoes were commonplace and durable at that time.

197-159 BCE

Parchment (charta pergamena) first made in Pergamum (Asia Minor – Turkey, now known as Bergama). Used to build a library to match that in Alexandria. Ptolemy Philadelphus stopped the export of papyrus from Egypt, necessitating an alternate writing material. The vellum used was much more durable than papyrus and marked a distinct change in book technology. (Part of this is extracted from the Encyclopaedia Britannica)

CE 79 (AD79)

Pliny mentions “green gall-nuts of Aleppo” as best suited to the preparation of leather

8th Century

On the arrival of the Moors in Cordoba, in Southern Spain, two great industries are established silver and leather. The French church laid down rules that said only senior clergy could wear gloves of deerskin, while the lower ranks had to wear sheepskins.

9th Century

“Well known are the skins that arrive white as snow and then leave here, tanned red, bearing your name, Cordoba” Theodulfi Carmina poem

11th Century

Knowledge of tanning has spread beyond Cordoba and into Europe. Three tanning processes exist A) the oil process or chamoising; B) the mineral (alum) process or tawing; C) the vegetable process or tanning. (2)

1215

The Magna Carta is written in England, on June 15th, a wet Monday afternoon. It sets out a legal framework between King John and his people. It was written on Vellum (parchment from calfskin) and covers one large page in abbreviated Latin. Ink from oak gals was used. 13 copies were written and four remain. One in Salisbury Cathedral, one in Lincoln castle, and two in the British Library. I have seen the one in Salisbury and it is in perfect condition and quite legible. Parts of the Magna Carta were adopted in the American, German and Russian constitutions as well as in those of many Commonwealth countries.  There were a variety of subsequent agreements, and adjustments, made and many of these still exist.

1254-1324

Marco Polo broadcasts the quality of Russian Leather, including noting the aroma from the birch-bark.

1272

The Cordwainers Company of London received Ordinances, and their first Charter in 1439. They worked in Cordoba goatskin leather and later made shoes, leather bottles, and harness. (16)

1272

The Saddlers Company of London received its first Charter, although it is believed to have its origins in earlier Anglo-Saxon times. The Saddlers Company was then incorporated in 1395. (16)

1300

The Curriers Company of London received its first Ordinances. These dealt with price and quality. Further ordinances of 1415 were more general. Curriers dressed, levelled, and greased the tanned leather.

1327

The Skinners Company received their first Charter in 1327. They were derived from two religious brotherhoods founded in the 12th and 13th centuries. The skinners controlled the fur trade and became wealthy because the wearing of furs was restricted to the upper classes as an obvious indication of dignity. (16)

1333

After flood destroys the Ponte Vecchio in Florence tanners are not allowed back on the bridge because of the pollution and smell. They move down river to Santa-Croce sull Arno.

1340

First written details of tanning in Igualada Spain.

1349

The ordinances for the Guild of Glovers in London were made. Joined with the Pursers in 1498 and then in 1502 the Glovers company merged with the Leathersellers, but they separated later and the Glovers Company were granted a Charter (Letters Patent) from King Charles I in 1638. (16, 2).

Apprentices written contracts still preserved in Igualada.

1350

Igualada begins as a tanning centre near Barcelona in Spain. In the 14th century a group of ten tanners called “La Dena” takes the decisions of approving tanners qualifications to work.

1372

The Leathersellers Company of London received its first Ordinances for the dyeing of leather.

1392

The butchers of London ordered to deposit skins and offal in the Bermondsey Leather Market. The industry there made use of the tidal streams and the nearby oak bark. (16)

1395

Nottingham (England) borough records blame tanners for polluting the River Leen by laying their skins in the water “to the great detriment of the whole people aforesaid. (21)

1444

The Worshipful Company of Leathersellers granted Charter of Incorporation in London from Henry VI.

1565

Two strangers, Roger Heuxtenbury and Bartholomew Verberick were granted a seven years’ monopoly patent in England for the manufacture of “Spanish or beyond sea leather” on the condition that the patentees should employ one native apprentice for every foreigner in their service. The supervision of this was entrusted to the “Wardens of the Company of Leathersellers in London”. From “Leather for Libraries” by Hulme and others, 1905. This is important as it implies that the process was new to England. The tannage being introduced was sumach tanning from Spain, which had been developed in Cordoba. It was also important as later there was a view that oak tanning was the only vegetable tannage used in the UK. See also 1584.

1570

John Shakespeare, the father of William Shakespeare was a “whittaner” – a worker of kid, dog and deerskin. At the family home in Stratford on Avon, a room is dedicated to showing the work he did in it to tan leather and make gloves. Nearby Woodstock was a centre of glove making, on account of the plentiful supply of deerskins. Shakespeare was himself born in 1564. His father who was a tanner and wool merchant was also sometimes money-lender. The year 1570 is memorable as in this year he was charged with lending money at illegally high rates.

1573

The Punchmakers join the Leathersellers Company (16).

1584

Queen Elizabeth of England settled her doctor’s bills by granting one of her physicians, a Spanish Jew by the name of Roderigo Lopez, an exclusive license to import sumach and aniseed for ten years. This is revealed in Leather for Libraries by Hulme, Parker, Seymour-Jones, Davenport and Williamson, 1905. Dr Lopez was also a translator for the Portuguese pretender, Don Antonio, when he visited the UK. As a result of some misunderstanding Lopez joined a conspiracy nominally against Antonio but actually directed against the Queen. Consequently Roderigo Lopez was executed at Tyburn in 1594. Shakespeare based the character Shylock on Roderigo Lopez.

1563 and 1604

The Leather Acts. English parliamentary laws were passed which stipulated, amongst other things, that leather intended for the outer soles of shoes should be tanned for at least a year and other shoe leather for at least nine months. By the Act of 1563 curriers were forbidden to buy leather (shoemakers were intended to buy crust from tanners and take it to curriers for processing for them). The shoemakers had first asked for this and obtained legislative support for it in 1548. The Company of Cordwainers and the Company of Curriers lobbied heavily on this issue but the Curriers were unsuccessful, although between 1548 and 1563 five acts alternately allowing and prohibiting curriers from dealing in leather. The shoemakers had the upper hand in 1563 and the curriers were not successful in getting a further change in the act, although a number of them did obtain a license in 1567 allowing them to buy leather. (Discussed in “The Organisation of the English Leather Industry in the late sixteenth and seventeenth centuries” by L.A.Clarkson) (13).

In the 1604 Charter of the Leathersellers’ Company “Spanish leather and other leathers dressed or wrought in sumach or bark” are mentioned.

1623

Experience Miller, a tanner, arrives in New England, USA, town of Plymouth.

1630

Francis Ingalls, from Lincolnshire, England, founds the first tannery in the USA in Lynn, North east of Boston.

1638

Glovers Company were granted a Charter (Letters Patent) from King Charles I in 1638 after some strong lobbying by Lady Mary Killigrew.  This allowed the Glovers to separate from the Leathersellers and re-establish their independent Guild. Women were allowed full membership, and there were quite a number of female apprentices and Liverymen in subsequent years. It took until 1647 for Leathersellers to agree with the Court of Alderman that this was a done deal – “a reconciliation and agreement of the cause of difference” – and until 1680 for the Alderman to agree to a full grant of livery allowing the Glovers Livery to be worn, and Liverymen and women to vote for the Mayor. The bye laws, or ordinances, were set out in full in an entry dated 22nd March, 1681.

Eversteen Brothers launched first tannery in New York

1653

Coenraet Ten Eyck operates sizeable tan pits on Broadway near Beaver Street, New York 

1660

The Richardson family begins tanning in Great Ayton, North East England, starting the tannery which would evolve into Edward and James Richardsons of Newcastle.

1664

The Swamp established in Manhattan. This area had been used from the Dutch days when The city was very much about exporting raw skins to Europe

47 distinct tanneries to be found in Nottingham (21).

1664–1665

100,000 people died in London from the Great Plague. Citizens are said to have fled to the Bermondsey Leather Market area believing the smell from the works would protect them. (16) This is also recorded in Nottingham: “in particular it seems that the smell of the tan was believed to be an invaluable defense against the Plague, and whenever this malady made its appearance the wealthier citizens used to take up their residence in the vicinity of Narrow Marsh, in order to avail themselves of its protection.. (21)

1662

The Glovers of London established their Hall in Beech Lane, Cripplegate. Minute books between 1679 and 1773 have been lost, but by 1773 the Hall had been sold and the Court of Assistants met in the George and Vulture Tavern, Cornhill.

1680

William Richardson of Great Ayton, North East Yorkshire started tanning. Based on local sheepskins and hides, this was rather a part-time business linked with farming. In 1701 he moved to Whitby on the North Sea and added tanning of seal-skins brought in by whalers. They continued to expand and moved to Newcastle in 1780. The tannery was eventually to become famous as E&J Richardson.

1693

Igualada’s tanners Guild was set up, made up of the tanners, the curriers, the glove and the belt makers.

1697

The Glovers of Worcester (England) stated that their employees were “decrepit and unfit for any other employment” (Commons Journals, XII, 16).

1703

The leather industry in London was granted a Charter by Queen Ann and Bermondsey became the major leather-making centre. The Bermondsey Leather market was a large roofed square piled high with skins in the centre of a large block of buildings. (16)

1727

In 1727 the Irish Parliament presented William Maple, chemist, of Fishamble Street, with £200 “as an encouragement for discovering a new method of tanning leather by a vegetable, the growth of this kingdom;” on which he published in 1729 a pamphlet of 39 pages, under the title of “A Method of Tanning without Bark.” The proposed substitute for bark was the root of tormentilla erecta, or septfoil, called [two old Irish words missing. KF] by the native Irish, who appear to have been acquainted with its chemical properties long previous to Maple’s era. Maple was subsequently one of the originators of the Dublin Society, to which he acted as Secretary and Registrar till his death in 1762, at the age of 104 years.

Partly from history of Dublin (1766) and partly from J. T. Gilbert, Vol.1. I of his Dublin Chronicles (1854).

1754

The RSA (The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures, and Commerce) was founded in London. “On the formation of this Society, most of the manufactures of the kingdom, which depended upon chemical knowledge, were at a very low ebb in comparison with their present state; and the first attention of the Society was directed towards ….. the tanning of leather, and the invention of substitutes for oak bark in this process; to the preparation of Morocco leather of different colours”

The Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, Vol. 3 article “morocco” describes the process of sumach tanning skins by sewing them up into bottles and allowing the fluid extract to penetrate the fibre by pressure.

1740

The Richardson family of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, build their first tannery in Great Ayton.

1760

Sir William Johnson brought 60 tanners and glovemakers to the Gloversville area of New York State from Perth in Scotland

1768

Dr McBride of Dublin (Phil trans 1778) introduced sulphuric acid for heavy leather tanned with vegetable tannins in place of the organic acids derived from fermenting bran or rye. He argued that it gave more precise control, that the skins were better plumped, thus less susceptible to bacterial damage, and that the whole process could be shortened. After the Dublin tanners adopted this, the Bermondsey (London) tanners soon followed. Sulphuric acid then began to expand into lighter leathers tanned with vegetable and when aniline dyes were introduced about 1870 sulphuric acid was universally used to clear the skins before dyeing.

This was a big issue for book-binders as this acid created a tendency for book bindings to rot. Another problem was the use of catechol tannins (hemlock, larch, gambier) which color red and disintegrates when rubbed – called ‘red decay”.

1768

British patent 893 from 29th February 1768 is the first patent for a “Tanning drum”. From leather manufacture through the ages.

1770

Iron Tannage. J.Johnson, an Englishman, patented a process of tanning, using ferrous sulphate with an acid (sulphuric acid, hydrochloric acid, or nitric acid). The pelt was tanned in three operations, in the middle of which a vegetable tannin was used. (12)

1792

Leathermakers Guild of Vic (Barcelona) awarded the professional diploma permitting Colomer Company to begin activities.

1801

29 saddlers and harness makers in Walsall, England.

1805

Discovery of catechu by Humphrey Davy. Davy did not patent his inventions or technology but viewed it as a donation to the benefit of mankind.

1808

Invention of the splitting machine by Samuel Parker. Mr. Parker was from Billerica, MA, USA. The patent date (July 9th) is 1808, but most references take 1809 as the date of invention.

1809

Talmadge Edwards begins manufacture of leather gloves in Johnstown, NY.

1813

Walsall (England) Curriers described as “producing the most beautiful brown and jet black colours…(they) have the pre-eminence in this particular branch of their manufacture”

1817

Gideon Lee opens the first tannery in the US in a roofed building

1820

Sir Humphrey Davy elected President of the Royal Society. Most famous for his invention of the safety lamp for miners, Sir Humphrey (knighted in 1812) also did considerable research in tanning, particularly related to the use of gambier. “A special study of tanning: he found catechu, the extract of a tropical plant, as effective as and cheaper than the usual oak extracts, and his published account was long used as a tanner’s guide.” (From adventures in Cybersound, Sir Humphrey Davy 1778-1829 www.cinemedia.net). The work of Sir Humphrey was published in 1805 and showed that mimosa, chestnut, and hemlock amongst others could be used in addition to oak. This greatly aided the development and expansion of the American tanning industry.

1822

Seth Boyden of Newark produces first “patent leather” made in the US.

1823

William Walker and Sons Ltd. Founded in Bolton as tanners and curriers, manufacturing leather belting and leather accessories. They closed in the 1970’s after being bought by the Barrow Hepburn Group.

1826

First written records of the Pittard Company in Yeovil, Somerset, UK.

1829

in the USA Alvah Richardson makes first completely successful leather splitting machine (Shoe and Leather Reporter, Dec 25, 1937, p120-123). (29) Presumably a commercial improvement on the Parker 1808 invention

1838

Jackson S Schultz, of New York, is first tanner to introduce Union Sole Leather (a hemlock and oak bark mix) (29)

1840

A glove maker from Grenoble, France brought about a revolution in glove making. Xavier Jouvin invented a system which “consisted of the establishment of rational methods adapted to the different sizes of hands, thus enabling the maker to produce exact fitting gloves. The scissors were replaced by the “main de fer” (iron hand), the proportions of which were carefully calculated for each size. From The Leather Trades Review, 11th August 1948. p 287.

Claytons of Chesterfield (Derbyshire) founded making industrial leathers

Andrew Muirhead and Sons Glasgow founded.

Thomas Ware of Bristol founded

These new tanneries came in a rush because of the demand for leathers by industry. Clayton’s initially made the strap leathers for the carriage windows on trains which spread to a very wide range of industrial leathers, Andrew Muirhead as far as I know a variety of leathers and I have an advert for fire hose leathers, and Wares still make sole leather and other industrial leathers today

1842

Child workers in the UK Leather Industry earn between two and eight shillings per week.

Elias Howe invents the first sewing machine in the US (29) In reality people had been working on this for decades, if not centuries. The best model was that of Walter Hunt in the US in 1834, but he did not patent it as he did not want to create unemployment. Then in England John Fisher made an effective working machine but in 1844 the UK Patent Office lost the documents. Howe then produced a machine that resembles Fisher’s, with some adjustments. His patent was to invent “a process that uses thread from 2 different sources.” His machine has a needle with an eye at the point, which goes through the fabric creating a loop on the reverse, a shuttle on a track that slips the second thread through the loop, creating what is called the lockstitch.

He could not capitalise on his design so travelled to the U.K., only to discover on his return that others had copied his lockstitch mechanism. One of those was an Isaac Merritt Singer! Enough said.

1849

Freudenberg tannery begins in Germany, with the purchase of a tannery in Weinheim by Carl Joann Freudenberg.  They were to be one of the first tanneries to introduce chrome tanning into Europe at the turn of the century. World War I greatly damaged the leather industry so the company added skillls at making industrial items out of leather scraps and waste. This lead future family generations to further diversify the business so that in the 21st century it is now a large multi billion € conglomerate involving many joint ventures as well as wholly owned companies. It remains essentially family owned, and still headquartered in Weinheim.

1850

The Swedish scientist and pharmacist Cavallin, otherwise known in full as Carl Hyltén-Cavallius has Swedish patent No 1530 granted to him in April, 1850. The first patent related to chrome tanning. He suggests an alum pretan and a main Tannage with Bi-chromate of Potassium. The shrinkage temperature of the leather was 80-82 Degrees C. (From the Presidential address of Dr.K.H. Gustavson at the IULTCS conference in Stockholm in August 1955).  He sadly died only a few years later while heading to the UK to file a patent in London. Schultz’s later patents were challenged by this Swedish patent citing prior art, but the fact that some iron was also involved and it had been difficult to produce commercialise meant that various authorities including Procter did not support it.

On the other hand it does appear to be the first move into working with seriously with chromium compounds to make a lasting non-vegetable tanned leather that could be tanned in hours rather than months.

1854

The invention of the sewing machine changes the nature of the leather using industries.

1854

F.L.Knapp pioneers with a basic idea which was the forerunner of the chrome process

1856

William Henry Perkins discovered the first synthetic dye “mauve” and created the basis of dyestuff manufacture from coal tar products. He had actually been trying to synthesize artificial quinine. The dye went on sale in 1857, and started a fashion craze for the colour in France and the UK. His father was a leather merchant. Read: Mauve: How One Man Invented a Color That Changed the World by Simon Garfield.

1858

The action of chromium salts upon hide substance was first studied by Knapp, but his investigations led him to conclude that their application was of no practical value. (12)

1860

Walden (USA) and Alfred Booth (Liverpool, UK) founded company to export light leather from UK to USA.

1861

Dr Frederick Knapp, Professor of the Polytechnic School of Braunschweig, Germany made a thorough investigation of mineral tannages. His British patent 2,716 (1861), through John H. Johnson, covered iron, chrome, manganese, and other metallic salts in combination with fatty acids to form insoluble metallic soaps, so that the iron in the pelt might not be washed out. (12)

Edward and John Turney, brothers, founded the Tannery on the River Trent in Nottingham which flourished to become a limited company, Turney Brothers Limited, in 1881. Tha family established two other tanneries at the same time.

August Destouy originates the idea of a welt sewing machine which led to the Goodyear Welt Stitcher, developed and perfected under the direction of Charles Goodyear, Jr. (29)

1863

Walden becomes incapacitated and Walden and Booth dissolved Alfred Booth and Company, Liverpool and Booth and Company, New York established. (7)

Edward and James Richardson build their Elswick Tannery on the River Tyne in Newcastle. In 1890 Henry R. Procter joined them and worked there until being asked to establish the Chair of Tanning at Leeds University. Richardsons were one of the first to manufacture chrome leather in the UK. They called this Grained Chrome hide, and it was on this basis that Scotch and other important Grained Chrome leathers were patterned.

1871

Wilhelm Eitner is the first to suggest sodium sulphide as a depilatory in leather making as sbkevgomunhaur in its own. (29).

Wilhelm Eitner was the director of the Austrian Imperial Research Station for the Leather Trades

1874

Vienna Research Institute – the first leather research institute was founded.

1878

Gustavus Bode, believed to be the first regularly employed Leather Chemist in the U.S. (29)

1880

Augustus Schultz, chemist, of New York, USA starts development of chrome tannage using bichromate, subsequently patented (two bath process) in 1884. Met with Julius Kuttner in Racky’s restaurant in Frankfurt Street, beside the Brooklyn Bridge (which was being built at the time) in what was know as the Swamp – the tanning district of New York that ran from Farnkfort Street down to Wall Street. Julius Kuttner was the US manager for Booths and was supervising their interest at the Kent tannery which they had saved from bankruptcy. He was  interested in knowing about simplifying fatliquoring and finding a leather that would not stain corsets.

1881

3492 saddlers and harness makers employed in Walsall (England) plus 430 tanners and curriers

1885

Kopenhagen Leather Research Institute was founded, Also Napoli Leather Research Institute.

1886

Booth and Company purchase Messrs Kent and Stevens In Gloversville, New York, exploiting John Kent’s invention of the Dongola tannage on Ceara goatskins (shipped from Brazil by the Booth Line) and kangaroo. Extended details of the tannage are contained in the glossary section. Kent had died while on holiday in Atlanta and his wife asked Booths to buy his 50% share.

1889

Henry Richardson Procter establishes his laboratory in Edward and James Richardson Ltd. in Newcastle-on-Tyne, England. (23)

Foerderer’s chrome kid, called “Vici” kid came on the market at the end of 1889 and was an immediate success. By 1895 a dozen or more small tanneries were producing their own version. These were the “gold rush” days of kid tanning according to E.J.White in 1956, writing in the Booth Bulletin 15, January 1956

1890

Henry R. Procter discovers that physical chemistry of proteins makes it possible to control swelling and plumping of leather (29)

1891

The Leather Industries Department was instituted at the Yorkshire College in Leeds. To become the Procter Department in the University of Leeds

Between 1891 and 1911 BASF set up their leather dyeing laboratories.

Walsall (UK) Tanner E.T.Holden elected as Walsall MP (Member of Parliament).

1893

Martin Dennis patented the “single-bath” chrome tanning process in the USA. In 1999 we had the opportunity to correspond indirectly with Mrs. Van Liew of Long Island who was a tanner’s wife (West Winfield Tannery) and whose father in law worked as a partner in the Martin Dennis Company Chrome business. The Martin Dennis Company was based in Newark. They imported the ore from Africa and had twelve ovens making the tanning agent. The Schultz patents were owned by the Tannage Patent Co of Philadelphia who worked a system of licenses and royalties, and the Dennis patents were owned by the Martin Dennis Company who made the material under the brand name “Tanolin” and sold it out right to tanners without royalty.

1894

Julius Kuttner signed contract with John P. Mathieu to manufacture 250 dozen kid skins daily (Surpass full capacity) into black glazed kid by the newly developed Schultz process and call it “Surpass Kid”

1895

M.C.Lamb begins his many contributions to development of chrome process

1897

Dr Gordon Parker becomes a founder member of the International Association of Leather Trades Chemists. Described as a leading commentator on the leather trade he lectured to the British Association in Bristol in 1898, referring to the backwardness in the British Industry compared to both Germany and the United States (14). The other founder members were Prof. H.R.Proctor and Alfred Seymour Jones. At a three day leather industry meeting in London (September 28-30) Procter, Seymour-Jones, Joseph Turney Wood  and C.E.Parker also established the International Union of Leather Trades Chemists (which later split in the 1st World War to be renamed the Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists and IULTCS). Dr Perkins, who discovered synthetic dyes chaired the meeting.

Frieberg Leather Research Institute was founded.

A 15% duty was imposed on hides imported to the USA. Called the Dingley Tariff. (13)

1899

Joseph Turney Wood discovers artificial bates. He had embarked on this research to uncover bate enzymes in 1898 and the complete research did take some years

1900

R Foerderer and E.L. White perfect the Schultz method of chrome tanning.

1901

Through a series of mergers, Barrow Hepburn and Gale came to be “the largest leather concern in Bermondsey in the 20th century”, with Hepburn and Gale merging with Ross and Co. in 1901. – Lady Mouser of Whitehall   Origins of the business are dated back to 1760.

1904

Dr Otto Rohm got involved in the replacement of natural bates after getting ill from the tannery smell. He and Joseph Turney Wood appear to have been quite close. “Oropon” (juice) and started Rohm and Haas. Later to be more famous for Plexiglas (poly methyl methacrylate)

Booth bought into Surpass Leather Co (1904 50% from 1908 100%) which they had been using as a contract kid tanner for many years.

1908

The Leathersellers Company of London equipped and built the National Leathersellers College in London. (It had previously organised from 1895 a technical school for leather at Herald’s Institute in Bermondsey).

O.Rohm introduce an artificial puer

1912

The Austrian Leather chemist Edmund Stiasny obtains a patent for his concept of syntans, He was working in the Procter Department at Leeds University and preparing to take over from Procter on his retirement in 1914. He sold his patent to BASF on the basis that it would lead to a large number of new products which a company of their scale would be capable of developing and exploiting. The first product introduced was Neradol. It was not a great replacement tannage and caused problems with the Austrian Army but BASF did take it forward and created the foundation the synthetic tanning business. (39 – photo is copied from this booklet also)

1920

British Leather Manufacturers Research Association Founded.

1921

Alfred Booth and Company purchase the Pavlova Leather Company of Abingdon, England.

1922

Tanners Council of America established in New York.

1926

The ‘Semaine du Cuir’ was created in 1926 by an association of leather professionals and it was the origin of the Conseil National du Cuir. Until nearly the end of the 20th century this was by far the most important Leather Fair in the world. As the century ended the APLF in Hong Kong had taken over; while Lineapelle in Bologna twice a year has increased in importan as well.

1928

John Arthur Wilson attains prominence as a leader in the chemistry of leather manufacturing (29)

D.Jordan Lloyd, Director Research Laboratory of BLMRA (29)

1930’s

The process of homeworking came to an end in the US Glove Industry, after about 100 years. Homework continues in the UK and Germany (and possibly on Shikoko island in Japan) on a small scale into the 21st century.

1945

Kaiser Wilhelm Institut fur Lederforschung Dresden destroyed by bombs.

1948

After being destroyed in 1945 the Kaiser Wilhelm Institut fur Lederforschung Dresden was reopened as the Max Planck Institute in Regensburg and moved to Munich in 1957.

1950

Westdeutsche Gerberschule in Regensnburg was founded and relocated in Reutlingen in 1954.

1958

Igualada Tanning School opens.

1963

Du Pont launches Corfam to replace shoe leather.

Karl Toosbuy founds ECCO, the Danish casual footwear company.

1969

Pou Chen, one of the largest shoemakers in the world, and important supplier to Nike and Adidas, founded in Taiwan as a maker of PVC sandals and slippers.

1970

Du Pont sells off Corfam plant to Poland.

1971

Edward and James Richardson, Elswick Leather Works, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, England closes the door for the last time.

1988

Walsall Leather Museum (UK) Opened by HRH The Princess Royal, in former Lorinery Factory of J.Withers and Sons (opened in 1891).

1998

At an ITC sponsored meeting in Cape Town, South Africa, the Pan-African Leather Industries Association is established.

1999

With 95 leather companies, of which 65 are saddlery manufacturers, Walsall has greatest concentration of saddle makers in the world.

2001

Pearces of Northampton, UK, closed their doors for the last time.

In December 2001 Salz Leather of S.Cruz, California ceased production. They were founded in 1861.

2001

Pearces of Northampton, UK, closed their doors for the last time.
In December 2001 Salz Leather of S.Cruz, California ceased production. They were founded in 1861.

2002

Freudenberg of Germany announces the termination of all their leather manufacturing.
In February 2002 Prime Tanning of US sold its remaining 50% in Prime Asia to Pou Chen, its Taiwanese partner.
ECCO open their new Leather Research and Development Centre in Dongen, alongside the Corle wet blue operation which they bought in 2001, renamed ECCO Tannery Holland and expanded and modernised.

2008

ECCO open their new tannery in Xiamen in China. State of the art and a wonderful example of what a positive approach can achieve.

the University of Northampton celebrate 100 years of leather education in Northampton, loosely linked to the opening of Leathersellers College in London in 1908. Leathersellers moved to Northampton and combined into what is now called the Institute of Creative Leather Technology

2009

Northamptonshirelleather.com website launched demonstrating that the are still has more than 100 companies still involved in the leather trade. It was to close within ten years

2011

At a celebration in Northampton in June 2011 the Museum of Leathercraft exhibitions in Abington Museum Northampton were opened to the public. Hopefully the start of getting all the items on show, If i have linked correctly this is a little video about the MoL: Video

2014

A new tannery is announced to be built in the USA by ISA TanTec

2015

Claytons of Chesterfield agree to buy Sedgwicks tannery of Walsall, both in England

2018

ISA TanTec buys Auburn Lace Leather in Quarter 2 and will move it into their US facilities. Auburn Lace Leather was founded in 1863 and is described as the global leader in leather laces.

Claytons of Chesterfield falls into Receivership and closes. Sedgwicks tannery in Walsall continues under new ownership. Claytons restarts as Spire Leathers.

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

Pittards, the famous Somerset headquartered tanning group famed for its glove leathers and its WR100 advanced technology of water resistance and stay soft leathers closes permanently two years short of its 200 year anniversary. Production in the Pittards Ethiopia tanneries continues under the existing management as refinancing continues

Spire Leathers, the company bought out of Clayton’s receivership in Chesterfield, UK, closes

Scottish Leather opens a new state of the art tanyard to support expansion

 

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Top European leather scientists named in 1937 by Shoe and Leather Reporter. Sir Humphrey Daley, A.Seymour Jones, A.Turnbull, Christian Heinzerling, Karl H.Gustavson.

it is notable that Sir Humphry Davy is not mentioned, nor is Knapp to whom Procter dedicates his 1903 book

This world list produced in 2009 by Leather International Magazine Leather Scientists Pre 1940

Henry Richardson Procter
Douglas McCandlish
Louis Meunier
John Arthur Wilson
Mieth Maeser
Fred O’Flaherty
Edmund Stiasny
A Seymour Jones
David Woodroffe
Dorothy Jordan-Lloyd

Leather Scientists 1940-1970

Joanne Bowes
R Mitton
Robert L Sykes
Eckhart Heidemann
Willi Pauckner
Mary Dempsey
Robert Lollar
Humberto Giovambattista
Axel Landmann
K Gustavson

Leather Scientists 1970-2010

Heinz-Peter Germann
Anthony D Covington
Samir Das Gupta
T Ramasami
David Bailey
Karl-Heinz Munz
Eleanor M Brown
Catherine Money
Jaume Cot
Marc Folachier