Document DGQmMyO1d3ZDd2erxxNXN9xwa

SOME ASPECTS OF GLIDDEN HISTORY The oaint business was in its early stages in Cleveland during the 1860*s. Sherwin-Williams celebrated their first 1)0 years in 1067. Some of you may remember the NPVLA meeting when slides of the early S-^.^pej^i'fod were shown. It was in 1875 that Francis H. Glidden started what is reputed to be the first varnish manufacturing plant in Cleveland. Presumably the earlier paint companies used oils or treated oils. Varnishes if required were probably shipped in from eastern cities. Mr. Glidden's staff consisted of one assistant. He had two varnish kettles in his little one-story plant located near East 70th and Woodland Avenue, where the C&P Railroad tracks crossed Woodland. For your edification the C & P Railroad is now? the N.Y.C.Pennsylvania combine. This original Glidden plant was known as Glidden, Brackett and Company, reputed to have manufactured the first varnish made in Cleveland. About two years later the company name was changed to the Glidden and Joy Varnish Comoany. On March 27, 1883, the Glidden and Joy Varnish Company was incorporated with a capital of $1')), ').) ), a sum less than the annual R&D expenditures in a numoer of our project areas M-. Glidden also changed the firm name to The Glidden Varnish O o LD 041051 2 to fringe upon a little nepotism. 1) This slide presents the company symbol on the cover of. a price list. It is evident that carriage and railway coach varnishes were primary products at this time. Slides 2 and 3 show the Glidden and Joy letterhead. Several formulations of 1888 and 1889 are written on these pages. For the next decade The Glidden Varnish Company still specialized in railway coach and carriage varnishes but had added piano varnishes and paint grinders vehicles to the line. By way of an innovation, in 1895 The Glidden Varnish Company saw the advantages to be gained by combining a stain and a varnish. This product they felt could be sold to the housewives as a household product for the refinishing of furniture, old and discolored woodwork, as well as wooden floors. Thus Jap-a-lac was originated. A trade name later expanded even to pigmented products. It was about 1898 when Glidden began promoting the Jap-a-lac stain seriously. Some of the advertising data I have collected states that by 1900 the product distribution was reaching dealers in many of the states. Very little national advertising had been placed but in 1901 and 1902 small ads appeared in what were the three leading women's magazines of the day. The Delineator, Designer and the G LD 041052 3 New Idea Women's magazine. Sales response was excellent and in 1905 they decided and I quote: "to put on the biggest national advertising campaign that had ever been started for any product in the world." Pour color, four page ads on Jap-a-lac were inserted in the magazines. One insertion in the three cost $15,000. Today I question if even a one page color ad could be printed in a good magazine for $15,000. That year of 1905 Glidden Varnish Company spent $60,000 in national advertising. Presumably this endeavor paved the way to expansion for in 1906 sales reached a peak and the company started to manufacture paints and enamels as well as varnishes. During the latter part of 1906 and throughout 1907, the Glidden Varnish Company built the plant at Madison Ave. and Berea Road. In 1910 they purchased the Blackwell Varnish Company of Toronto, Canada. SLIDE 4 - The first laboratory on the Madison Avenue site was probably this building. You will recognize it as th4 present production office. SLIDE 5 - Shows the interior of this laboratory. Note the varnish hooking hood constructed of fire brick. Varnish blending was quite an art. One of the objectives even at that time was to select from a list of standardized varnishes GLB 041053 4 and blend several to obtain the desired customer requirements. One of the men in this picture is probably Henry Hendricks who was still working for Glidden in the early 1940.* s and is remembered by some of us. SLIDE 6 - The laboratory was subsequently moved from the Madison Avenue side of the property to the Berea Road side as shown in Slide 6. This was done to accommodate the excavation for the railroad underpass which required relocation of the property entrance to Berea Road. SLIDE 7 - Shows the administration building as it is and was at that time. SLIDE 8 - Jap-a-lac Statue I have mentioned that previous to the move from Woodland Avenue on the east side of Cleveland, that Jap-a-lac had become the Glidden Varnish Company symbol just as Spred is used today. The pictoral image of Jap-a-lac was a Japanese lady bearing an open parasol. A large statue of this.trade symbol once stood in the front of the yard near the old entrance and facing Madison Avenue. This slide illustrates the appearance and position of the Jap-a-lac GLD 041054 5 fountain. Her fate is as yet unknown to me? I suspect she died an ignominious death in the road bed when the front parking area and receiving dock on the north side were constructed. SLIDE 9 - Presents a pint can of Jap Spar which illustrates the packaging design of the early 1900's. You will note that the Jap-a-lac terminology was extended to the exterior ship and carriage finishes. This can was stoppered with a cork? then a thin metal seal was pressed over the top of the pouring spout. Some of the script in fine print of the latbel extolls the virtues of this "unequalled and unexcelled" product. I believe the consumer mythology used would make even some of outpresent script writers pale with fear of government or consumer confrontation. SLIDE 10 - This is a rather typical Jap-a-lac labeled product with the Japanese girl symbol. This tired can is at least 50 years old as you can see it still bears the Glidden Varnish Company label. You will recall that in 1917 the name was changed to the Glidden Co. GLD 041055 6 SLIDES 11 - 12 - 13 illustrate quickly some of the 1920's advertising which carried the earlier theme of which I spoke was initiated in the early 1900*s. SLIDE 11 is part of a bulletin showing a young housewife of the day demonstrating the ease and satisfaction with which Glidden paint can be applied. SLIDE 12 is the cover of a Japaa-lac color card showing the orofuse use of color. SLIDE 13 - Presents the standard Jap-a-lac color system. SLIDE 14 - Paint Laboratory, Building 21 This building housed what was probably the first paint laboratory on the Madison Avenue property. SLIDE 15 - Paint Lab, Building 21, Interior, 2nd floor. This laboratory was probably started in 1906 - 1907 when the buildings were constructed. SLIDE 16 - Enamel packaging, over 50 years ago. Velvet White Ename1. GLD 041056 7 In 1926 paint laboratory was moved from the center of the second floor to the northwest corner of the second floor. About three years later during the 1929 depression year, the paint laboratories were moved into the building now occupied by the plant cafeteria. The raw material, chemistry, and varnish laboratories were already located in the facility. In the 22 years (1907 - 19Q9) of lab oratory activity some interesting product programs existed. This period spanned the change of management from Mr. Glidden to Mr. A. D. Joyce in 1917. We couldn't possibly take the time here to cover the history in detail. Only high points as I see them or know of them will be briefly presented. 1918 - 1919 First white pigments containing Ti02 came in the laboratory. Glidden was a lithopone user and later manufacturer so they hesitated in the next decade to utilize much high titanium content pigment. Later our own pigment plant was on stream with sulfate titanium and the picture changed. 1921 - 1922 Ripolin License Taken Slide 18 Letter on Ripolin stationery indicating first batch had been made in Cleveland and was to be tested in England. Dr. Beegle was director of research at this time. GLD 041057 8 Slide 19 - The three Dutch Painters Symbol of Ripolin Slide 20 - The early Ripolin container and color line. Slide 21 - Ripolin advertising. Amundsen's ship and testimonial. 1924 - 1925 Glidden began development of lacquer business. Mr. Ed Cathcart came from duPont to start Glidden in this technology. Furniture and automotive applications were important business for Glidden. Automotive blacks for fenders and primer for Ford were also sales areas of good volume. Hudson, Studebaker and Dodge also bought Glidden coatings. 1927 - Alkyds introduced. Dr. C- G. Moore came from the duPont Experiment Station in Wilmington. Slide 22 - These set kettles for heat processing of oils were the first type of equipment used for processing cottonseed alkyds for lacquer plasticizing. The first alkyds were made under license from Carleton Ellis. Open fire kettles were also used for alkyds in the early days. Slide 23 - First laboratory where the various skills were consolidated under one roof in 1929. This location was used until 1945 - 1946. Over this 17 year span and in this GLD 1)41058 9 and in this laboratory a number of very important Glidden developments took place. Some of them were: 1) Use of tall oil in varnishes and pipe oil. 2) Styrenated oils and alkyds. 3) Retreating compound for canvas? about 2-3/4 million gallons were produced for the government over a two year period. 4) Beginning of Spred Satin R&D. 5) Beginning of amino resin technology for Glidden. Slide 24 - Central and National R&D Lab Slide 25 - Cooperage Part of the then new laboratory many years before had been the cooperage where barrels were assembled. As many as 75 in one day is recorded. The area also had been used for drum cleaning and storage. Slide 26 - Laboratory Interior Slide 27 - Synthetic Resin Lab. Charles Holdt, H.J.K. Slide 28 - New centralized research laboratory on Elmwood Avenue the first to exemplify the concept of centralized research. We began moving into this location in 1957. GLD 041059 10 Slide 29 - The first research laboratory built by a Glidden Company management. 1906 - 1907 Slide 30 - The latest Glidden Research Laboratory to be constructed. 1968 - 1969 Summary: "The Challenges to Us" The first Glidden Research Laboratory shown on Slide 29 was built in 1906 - 1907, over 60 years ago. In 1875 the first Glidden plant was constructed, over 90 years ago. The Glidden Centennial is in 1975, just six years away. History can serve a useful function by presenting us with bench marks and points from which to interpolate and plan the future. Often you can see direction to take or avoid? An interpolation of our technical history points out conclusively a steady, healthy growth pattern in technology and marketing. Reflect on a company incorporated in 1883 with a capital of $100,000. Today as a major division of the SCM Corporation we might compare 210 million dollars of assets or 470 million dollars of stockholder's equity. These are 2,000 and 4000 multiples respectively. HJKiefer April 8, 1969 GLD 041060