MacIntosh, Charles

(1766-1843)

   Charles Macintosh was born in Glasgow, Scotland. His father had a successful dyeing business, which is where Macintosh first became interested in science. In 1797, he opened a chemical factory and invented a series of processes and products (for example, a conversion process that used carbon gases to turn iron to steel; a hot blast process; and an easy-to-carry bleaching powder). While amassing a considerable fortune as a result of these inventions, he also found a use for one of the waste products from one of his inventions, naptha, a rubber solvent. He used it to bond two pieces of cloth together and thus created the first waterproof textile, which he patented in 1823 and named "India rubber cloth." By 1836, a coat known as a "macintosh" or "mac" was being produced. The original coat, designed for women, was single-breasted and loose-fitting and had a detachable cape, and waterproof seams. The coating process could be applied to the inside, the outside, or between two layers of cloth. Macintosh's process was the precursor to the invention of vinyl (1926) and other plasticizers that would eventually dominate not only the rainwear business but other areas such as sportswear, footwear, and handbags, as well as the home furnishings industry. In 1823, Macintosh was elected a fellow of the Royal Society, a prestigious group of Scotland's best scientists and entrepreneurs.

   See also Semon, Waldo L.