H
Wickham |
1876 |
Brazil |
Dispatched
about 70,000 hevea seeds to Kew. 2397 germinated. |
|
1876 |
Singapore |
50
seedlings arrived from Kew. Died due to neglect. |
R Cross |
1876 |
Brazil |
Brought
hevea seedlings to Kew. |
King
Leopold II |
1876 |
Belgium |
Leopold
II of Belgium opened an International African Conference
which gave birth to the Association Internationale Africaine
(ASA). |
HM
Stanley |
1877 |
Belgium Congo |
He
completed his three year journey from the east coast
of Africa to the west coast, following the River Congo. |
R Cross
or H Wickham? |
1877 |
Singapore |
|
W Curie |
1877 |
UK |
Patented
rubber golf balls. |
|
1878 |
West Africa |
Rubber
exports totalled 220 tons. |
|
1877 / 1878 |
Ceara |
A
great drought, ½ million died, the rest fled
– many to the Amazon basin to provide the tappers
so desperately needed. |
W Abbott |
1878 |
UK |
Invented
the sulphur chloride vapour cure process for curing
thin films – balloons, medical gloves etc. |
G Bouchardat |
1879 |
France |
Repolymerized
isoprene to "rubber". |
I Adams |
1881 |
USA |
Developed
electrolytic deposition of copper or silver to provide
interface between metal and rubber. |
V Kreussler
& E Budde |
1881 |
|
First
patent for barrier protection of rubber vulcanizates. |
H Trimen |
1882 |
Sri Lanka |
Sent
trial samples of rubber to the UK for evaluation. |
H Low |
1883 |
Malaysia |
Arguably
sent the first Malaysian rubber to the UK. |
CA Burghardt |
1883 |
|
Noted
that copper accelerated degradation of vulcanized rubber. |
F Shaw |
1883 |
UK |
Founded
Francis Shaw (Rubber Engineers). He started as an engineer
with C Mackintosh. |
G Daimler |
1884 |
Germany |
Produced
a light-weight four stroke petrol engine which would fit in
a ‘horseless carriage’ |
P Lacollonge |
1884 |
France |
Patented
ebonite tank linings to hold corrosive liquids. |
C Macintosh |
1884 |
UK |
|
LE Waterman |
1884 |
USA |
Patented
ebonite fountain pens |
|
1884 |
USA |
The
‘State’ of the Congo which Leopold had created
and controlled through a series of confusingly named
companies was recognised by the USA. |
|
1884 |
UK |
The
India Rubber Journal ( IRJ) first published |
Daimler
& Benz |
1885 |
Germany |
|
R. Dick |
1885 |
UK |
|
EGW Browne
& JC Margetson |
1885 |
UK |
Founded
Avon Rubber. Tyre division taken over by Coopers in
1997. |
|
1885 |
Belgium Congo |
Exported
first African wild rubber. |
Moseley |
1887 |
UK |
Patented
‘Flexifort’ a tyre cord with 98% warp and
2% weft which eliminated the abrasive degradation problems
associated with conventional fabric-reinforced tyres.
Used by Dunlop in his 1888 tyres. Nevertheless, fabric
reinforcement lasted through to the end of WW1). |
|
1886 |
UK |
Southern
Rubber Co, founded. |
|
1887 |
Belgium Congo |
30
tons of rubber exported. |
J Swann |
1887 |
UK |
Left
Leyland Rubber to start the British Rubber Co. |
J Iddon |
1887 |
UK |
He
also left Leyland Rubber to start Iddon Bros. Ltd. Machinery
manufacturers. |
HN Ridley
|
1888 |
Singapore |
Took
over Botanical Gardens and began a one-man crusade to
develop rubber plantations. |
JB Dunlop |
1888 |
UK |
"Reinvented"
the pneumatic tyre
but now bicycles and vehicles were
available to use it. |
Michelin |
1889 |
France |
Groupe
Michelin formed. |
H Du
Cros & JB Dunlop |
1889 |
UK |
Launched
Pneumatic Tyre Co. Later to form Dunlop Rubber Co. |
WS Halstead |
1889 |
USA |
First
use of rubber gloves in the operating theatre (made
by Goodyear Rubber Co.). |
HC Pearson |
1889 |
USA |
Founded
the journal, ‘India Rubber World’ in New
York. |
A Smith |
1890 |
UK |
Founded
the Scottish India-Rubber Co. |
|
1890 |
Amazonia |
20,000
tons exported out of world production of 30,000 tons. |
|
1890 |
Belgium Congo |
130
Tons exported. |
WE Bartlett |
1890 |
UK |
Developed
tyre rim designs essentially similar to today’s. |
T Korzeniowski |
1890 |
Belgium Congo |
Korzeniowski
(Joseph Conrad) gathered enough experience in six months
to write the semi-autobiographical 'Heart of Darkness'
and 'An Outpost of Progress'. |
JW Williams |
1890 |
Belgium Congo |
In
an open letter to President Harrison he coined the phrase
‘A crime against humanity’ in describing
what was happening in the Congo. |
JG Araujo,
JC Arana & The Suarez brothers |
late 1800’s
to 1920 |
Amazonia |
The
three great overlords, all 3 specialising in torture,
maiming and murder to amass their millions (JGA in the
‘Manaos’ region) (Suarez, 16,000,000 acres
in Bolivia centred at Cachuela Esperanza). (JCA 14,000,000
acres in Colombia and Peru). Arana is the most documented
because of the ‘Putumayo
atrocities’ (see below). |
Leopold
II |
1891 |
Belgium |
Issued
a secret decree banning natives from selling rubber
and ivory and demanding action from his agents to secure
them for the State (i.e. himself). |
Leopold
II |
1892 |
Belgium |
He
split the Congo into 3, one for himself, a second for
his cronies (and by ’98, 50% for himself) and
a third for Colonel North (financed by Leopold). |
W Tilden |
1892 |
UK |
Synthesised
‘rubber’ from synthetic isoprene. |
T Robins |
1892 |
USA |
Developed
heavy duty rubber belting for moving iron ore. |
US Rubber |
1892 |
USA |
US
Rubber Co formed. Later to become Uniroyal and eventually
part of Michelin North America Co. |
LJ McNutt |
1892 |
USA |
Discovered
how to make channel black. |
GL Porter |
1894 |
UK |
Harborough
Rubber Co. specialising in boot and shoe soles, heels
etc. |
GL Hille |
1894 |
UK |
New
Eccles Rubber and Cycle Co. launched to make rubber
balls. |
T Rowley
& H Grimshaw |
1895 |
UK |
British
Recovered Rubber Co. Ltd. Founded. Possibly the first
limited company for reclaiming waste rubber. |
HM
Stanley |
1895 |
Belgium Congo |
200
Miles of railway completed from the E coast to Stanley
Pool. Five years in the building and several thousand
lives. |
Tan CY |
1895 |
Malaysia |
Made
the first true commercial plantings of hevea in Malacca. |
Michelin |
1895 |
France |
Introduced
the first pneumatic motorcar tyre which was fitted to
a specially designed Daimler. The car took part in the
Paris-Bordeaux-Paris race of that year and finished
ninth out of forty two entrants. |
|
1895 |
Malaysia |
|
R Henriques |
1895 |
Germany |
First
person to record that solvent extraction of rubber resulted
in poorer ageing properties. |
Goodrich |
1896 |
USA |
Introduced
the first pneumatic motor car tyre in the US. |
HJ Doughty |
1896 |
UK |
Patented
the first ‘whole tyre’ curing process (Dunlop
Rubber Co.). |
HN Ridley |
1897 |
Malaysia |
Advocated
the hevea tree above all others for rubber production
in Malaysia. |
HN Ridley |
1897 |
Malaysia |
Developed
and promoted a tapping method very similar to that used
today. Gave much improved yields and extended the useful
tree life. |
LJ McNutt |
1897 |
USA |
Commercial
production of channel black. |
BW Richardson |
1897 |
UK |
Adapted
the idea of a rubber-bulbed scent spray to spray anaesthetics
– also used by Lister for antiseptics. |
WH Cox |
1897 |
|
Patented
a machine for making hollow rubber balls. |
W McKinley |
1897 |
USA |
President
McKinley proposed rubber cultivation in appropriate
US possessions – American ‘rubber gold’
rush. By 1910 planting abandoned and by 1920 virtually
nothing left. |
C Haskell |
1898 |
USA |
Patent
for golf ball made of a core wound with stretched rubber
thread and coated with gutta percha applied for. |
F Seiberling
& C Sieberling |
1898 |
USA |
Goodyear
Tyre and Rubber Co. formed. |
Michelin |
1898 |
France |
The
“Michelin man” appeared for the first time. |
J Perkins |
1899 |
Malaysia
|
|
|
1899 |
Sri Lanka |
1st
Plantation rubber shipped from Sri Lanka. |
JC Arana |
1899 |
|
Started
rubber trading in the Putumayo region of NW Amazonia. |
|
1899 |
UK |
The
first ‘sterling capital’ company launched
for rubber cultivation in Malaysia (The Selangor Rubber
Co. Ltd.). |
|
by 1900 |
|
Ebonite
had many uses because of its corrosion resistance –pumps
and battery cases being two major industrial applications. |
|
1900 |
|
World
production of NR approaches 50,000 tons. |
R Casement |
1900 |
Belgium Congo |
Set
up the British Consular Service in the Congo, travelled
in the bush and reported on the atrocities he had seen. |
Firestone |
1900 |
USA |
Firestone
Tyre and Rubber Co formed. |
Michelin |
1900 |
France |
Michelin
introduced grooved tyre treads. |
J Kondakov |
1900 |
Germany |
|
E D Morel |
1901 |
UK |
Morel,
an employee of the shipping line which was used by Leopold
II became so sickened by what he had discovered that
he resigned and set out to destroy him. |
Goodyear
& Ford |
1901 |
USA |
Goodyear
enters motor racing with Henry Ford. |
Sir C
Dilkes |
1903 |
UK |
Raised E D Morel’s
findings in the Houses of Parliament and
Leopold was savaged by Parliament. |
HW Brett |
1903 |
Malaysia |
Harrison
& Crosfield got involved in rubber as agents to
and shareholders in the Petaling Rubber Estates Syndicate. |
SC Moke |
1904 |
UK |
Discovered
the ‘reinforcing’ properties of carbon black
in giving extra strength to a vulcanizate. |
E D Morel & R Casement |
1904 |
UK |
Set
up The Congo Reform Society. |
R Ditmar |
1905 |
UK |
The
first appreciation of zinc oxide as a ‘reinforcing’
filler. |
|
1905 |
South East Asia |
2,500
tons shipped out of Malaysia and Sri Lanka. (World output
56,000 tons) 100,000 Acres planted to rubber. By 1915
close to 3,000,000 acres had been planted in this region. |
|
1805 |
UK |
Guthries
became involved with rubber through as agents for Linggi
Plantations Ltd. |
E D Morel |
1906 |
UK |
Published
his damning inditement of Leopold – ‘Red
Rubber’ Leopold was in retreat. |
G Oenslager |
1906 |
USA |
|
Diamond
Rubber Co. |
1906 |
USA |
Used
Oenslager’s
accelerators to make tyres and realised
they had improved ageing characteristics. |
TW Miller |
1906 |
USA |
Patented
the moulded rubber hot water bottle. |
SC Mote |
1906 |
UK |
First
practical use of carbon black as a rubber filler. |
|
1907 |
UK |
The
Rubber Growers’ Association was launched in London
by prominent representatives of plantations in Sri Lanka
and Malaysia. |
JC Arana |
1907 |
UK |
Peruvian
Amazon Co formed in London with control of 800,000 acres
in the Putumayo region. |
|
1908 |
Belgium |
Government
passed an Act ‘freeing’ the Congo and also
‘bought out’
Leopold for £2,000,000
and took over many of his debts (since he had hidden
most of his assets). |
Wo Ostwald
& W Ostwald |
1908 |
Germany |
|
|
1909 |
US |
After
months of rumour ‘The Truth’ detailed many
of Arana’s company’s atrocities. |
Leopold
II |
1909 |
Belgium |
Died
with a known estate of some £5,000,000. He had
spent millions more and perhaps 10-15,000,000 natives
died to produce 75,000 tons of rubber under his regime. |
F Hofmann |
1909 |
Germany |
Patents
process for making synthetic polyisoprene. |
Pickles |
1910 |
UK |
Suggested
that natural rubber might consist of very long chains
of isoprene units. |
|
1910 |
Congo |
Belgian
Congo/French Congo and Angola produced about 50% of
all African rubber over the 1st decade of the century. |
|
1910 |
World |
Wild
rubber production around 85,000 tons (50% Amazonian,
25% African, much of the rest from Mexico) and 11,000
tons of plantation rubber. |
R Casement |
1910 |
Bolivia |
Enquired
on behalf of the UK into the Putumayo atrocities and
confirmed them. |
C Harries |
1910 |
UK |
Prepared
cyclized rubber. |
SV Lebedev |
1910 |
USSR |
Polymerized
1,3-butadiene to give a rubbery material
(BR). |
|
1910 |
World |
Wild
rubber peaks at about 90,000 tons p/a. Plantation rubber
(Malaysia/Sri Lanka) passes 10,000 tons p/a. |
Collins |
1911 |
UK |
Patented
a process for polymerising styrene. |
|
1911 |
Malaysia |
Many
Chinese immigrants arrive to ease labour shortage in
the plantations. |
R Paredes |
1911 |
Peru |
An
investigating judge, he confirmed that the rumours concerning
Arana were true and, indeed, the situation was even
worse. |
E Fickendly |
1911 |
|
Noted
that certain phenolics could prevent rubber oxidation
– 40 years before introduction of
‘phenolic
antioxidants’. |
|
1912 |
UK |
Government
published the Casement papers relating to the
Putumayo
atrocities. |
Goodyear |
1912 |
USA |
Goodyear
built the first US airship. |
Ostwald |
1913 |
UK |
|
|
1912 / 1913 |
UK |
The
house of Commons found the UK directors "culpably
negligent in the ‘ Putumayo affair'". The
company was wound up but Arana could not be prosecuted
in the UK and continued much as before. It is estimated
that between 1900 and 1910 the Putumayo yielded 4,000
tons of rubber at a minimum cost of 30,000 native lives. |
|
1913 |
UK/Belgium |
The
Belgium courts finished untangling Leopold’s legacy
and the Congo Reform Association disbanded. |