| Clayton Aniline Company Manchester |
ColorantsHistory.Org
Charles Dreyfus, a chemist from Alsace, came to Manchester in 1869 as a young man and at age 28, with several friends, founded the
Clayton Aniline Company in 1876 to manufacture intermediates and dyestuffs. The plant was built alongside the Ashton Canal, close
to the center of Manchester. Aniline oil and aniline salts were produced for the local calico printers. By 1900 the company was
exporting dyes across Europe and the United States. Dreyfus remained a director until his retirement in 1913.
The company became affiliated with the Society of Chemical Industry in Basle, later known as Ciba, in 1911. This was Ciba's first
manufacturing location in England. During World War I, Ciba produced explosives to aid the war effort. The company was quite proud
of its dyestuffs production during the war, as evidenced by the following story, “The Dye Situation and the Clayton Aniline Co. Ltd.”
which was published by The Times in 1918:
“In view of the extraordinary publicity which continues to be given to the aniline dye trade in England, there is some danger that in the
noise and clamour of warring factions the very real and solid work that has been done by the Society of Chemical Industry in Basle,
Switzerland, and ourselves may be lost sight of. A great deal of credit has been claimed, and with considerable justice, for the
assistance that certain firms gave in the early days of the war in equipping our Army and Navy with the khaki and blue that was so
necessary.
We have no desire to belittle that work, but we feel that we shall be doing less than justice to ourselves if we continue to remain quiet
as to the way in which the main requirements of this country were met. After August, 1914, the textile trade by no means came to a
full stop, but carried on very much as usual. It it not too much to say that the greater part of the requirement of the textile trade during
the early months of the War were met by the Society of Chemical Industry in Basle. Much more could have been done at Clayton, but
our works were requisitioned for Government purposes, and we were allowed to reserve a very small portion only of our plant to
continue dye manufacture. It became necessary for us, therefore, to rely for the most part on the Basle works, and arrangements
were made with the Board of Trade whereby an incteased supply of raw material was sent to Switzerland in return for an agreed
quantity of dyes. This arrangement, which was found to work adminably in practice, has continued to the present day.
It must have been remarked even by the general public that, although a great deal was heard of the shortage of dye, the shops never
appeared to have been short of brightly coloured materials and very striking new designs. The fact is that, not only have dyers had
their ordinary common dyes in reasonable quantity but they have also had the finer and more complex dyes-the products of later
research in dye manufacture-and it is these dyes which have enabled the textile trade to produce the continual new effects which are
the very life-blood of the English textile industry.
We have taken the lead in supplying dyes of this kind to England. It may be remembered some time ago an announcement was made
in the public Press that the first dye of the vat series had been manufactured in this country. We wish to point out that the Society of
Chemical Industry in Basle have been manufacturing Synthetic Indigo, a vat dye, for over seven years, and were the inventors of the
Brominated Indigo series of vat colours, the most important being Ciba Blue and Ciba Violet; Ciba Scarlet “G” also was one of their
discoveries. All these products are of vital necessity in Calico Printing.
One more example. The name "Rhodamine" has come to be associated in the minds of the public with a particularly vivid shade of
pink. In dye manufacture Rhodamine is a landmark. It is one of the most important and most widely used dyes known. It is of
extraordinary brilliancy, which makes it of great importance, particularly for calico printing. Without Rhodamine a calico printer would
be unable to obtain half his vivid effects. Rhodamine is, in fact, an absolute necessity, and the Rhodamine supply of this country has
come exclusively from the Society of Chemical Industry in Basle, who were amongst its first manufacturcrs and are the Inventors of
the most important and useful brands, namely "6G" and "3B”.
It is particularly In the realm of the calico printer that we have been of service. Calico printing admittedly stands at the head of the
tinctorial arts, and English calico printing is the best in the world . It has not lost that position during the War and our claim is that we
have been of immense assistance In helping this important arm of the textile industry to maintain that position.”
During World War II, Clayton Aniline made additives for the high octane aircraft fuel used in high performance planes such as the
Spitfire and Hurricane.
Over the years the Clayton site was expanded to 57 acres, becoming the largest single manufacturing location of any company in
Manchester. At the peak in the 1970s, 2500 people were employed. The company had close ties with the local community, even
publishing a newspaper, reporting on local events, which was distributed to 8,000 area homes.
Ciba merged with Sandoz in 1997 to form Ciba Specialty Chemicals, with six divisions world-wide, with a range of chemicals-based
products including lubricants, printing inks, pharmaceuticals, plastics and colour pigments. At the time, the Clayton site
manufactured metal complex dyes for wool and nylon, direct dyes for cellulosics, and colour-formers used in carbonless copying and
thermal papers.
But the increasing shift of textile manufacturing to Asia took its toll on the Clayton site production and employment levels. Around
2002 Ciba eliminated 70 jobs at the plant and focused production on specialty dyes and chemicals used to enhance the performance
and properties of textiles.
In 2004 Ciba Specialty Chemicals announced the intention to shut down the plant, with the loss of more than 300 jobs. Site manager
Dr Peter Reucroft said "Our employees have worked relentlessly over the years to make Clayton as productive as possible. However,
sustained and increasing pressure from low-cost Asian competitors has made long-term production of textile dyes and colour-
formers at Clayton economically unsustainable." Reucroft said the company would help employees displaced by the closure,
including assisting those able to move to other Ciba locations.
In 2007, a retired Clayton factory worker won a six-year battle for compensation after being exposed to chemicals he says caused
bladder cancer. The worker said he came into contact with dyes for almost 30 years. The legal decision was expected to result in
similar claims from other former employees.
The Clayton site was demolished in 2007, including the landmark 240 foot high chimney built in the 1950s to disperse waste gases.
The site was purchased by the Harrow Estates, which is planning a redevelopment of hundreds of new homes, shops and small
businesses. Harrow Estates specializes in industrial sites, having done similar work at the former AstraZeneca site in Blackley and
at the Clariant Chemicals site in Salford. Environmental remediation will most certainly be required. The residential neighborhood will
be called Dreyfus Village in honor of Charles Dreyfus.
References:
1) “The Dye Situation and the Clayton Aniline Co. Ltd.”, The Times, February 1, 1918
2) Phil Owen, “Historic UK Dyes Plant to Close”, Textile News and Industry Analysis, November 4, 2004,
http://www.inteletex.com/NewsDetail.asp?PubId=&NewsId=3419, accessed July 17, 2008
3) Annette Lord, “Going, going, gone,,,”, North and East Manchester Advertiser, November 23, 2007, http://www.nemasdvertiser.co.
uk/news/s/1025608_going_going_gone_ , accessed July 17, 2008
4) “Charles Dreyfus: The Clayton Aniline Company-Ciba”, Manchester UK, http://www.manchester2002-uk.
com/celebs/commerce/commerce3.html , accessed July 17, 2008
5) Don Frame, “Cancer victim wins six-year fight”, Manchester Evening News, November 30, 2007, http://www.
manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/health/s/1026538_cancer_victim_wins_sixyear_fight , accessed July 17, 2008
6) Jo Rostron, "900 Homes after Ciba Signs-Off", North and East Manchester Advertiser, http://www.nemaadvertiser.co.uk.
/news/s/215/215011_900_homes_after_ciba_signsoff.html, accessed July 16, 2006
Clayton Aniline Company in 1876 to manufacture intermediates and dyestuffs. The plant was built alongside the Ashton Canal, close
to the center of Manchester. Aniline oil and aniline salts were produced for the local calico printers. By 1900 the company was
exporting dyes across Europe and the United States. Dreyfus remained a director until his retirement in 1913.
The company became affiliated with the Society of Chemical Industry in Basle, later known as Ciba, in 1911. This was Ciba's first
manufacturing location in England. During World War I, Ciba produced explosives to aid the war effort. The company was quite proud
of its dyestuffs production during the war, as evidenced by the following story, “The Dye Situation and the Clayton Aniline Co. Ltd.”
which was published by The Times in 1918:
“In view of the extraordinary publicity which continues to be given to the aniline dye trade in England, there is some danger that in the
noise and clamour of warring factions the very real and solid work that has been done by the Society of Chemical Industry in Basle,
Switzerland, and ourselves may be lost sight of. A great deal of credit has been claimed, and with considerable justice, for the
assistance that certain firms gave in the early days of the war in equipping our Army and Navy with the khaki and blue that was so
necessary.
We have no desire to belittle that work, but we feel that we shall be doing less than justice to ourselves if we continue to remain quiet
as to the way in which the main requirements of this country were met. After August, 1914, the textile trade by no means came to a
full stop, but carried on very much as usual. It it not too much to say that the greater part of the requirement of the textile trade during
the early months of the War were met by the Society of Chemical Industry in Basle. Much more could have been done at Clayton, but
our works were requisitioned for Government purposes, and we were allowed to reserve a very small portion only of our plant to
continue dye manufacture. It became necessary for us, therefore, to rely for the most part on the Basle works, and arrangements
were made with the Board of Trade whereby an incteased supply of raw material was sent to Switzerland in return for an agreed
quantity of dyes. This arrangement, which was found to work adminably in practice, has continued to the present day.
It must have been remarked even by the general public that, although a great deal was heard of the shortage of dye, the shops never
appeared to have been short of brightly coloured materials and very striking new designs. The fact is that, not only have dyers had
their ordinary common dyes in reasonable quantity but they have also had the finer and more complex dyes-the products of later
research in dye manufacture-and it is these dyes which have enabled the textile trade to produce the continual new effects which are
the very life-blood of the English textile industry.
We have taken the lead in supplying dyes of this kind to England. It may be remembered some time ago an announcement was made
in the public Press that the first dye of the vat series had been manufactured in this country. We wish to point out that the Society of
Chemical Industry in Basle have been manufacturing Synthetic Indigo, a vat dye, for over seven years, and were the inventors of the
Brominated Indigo series of vat colours, the most important being Ciba Blue and Ciba Violet; Ciba Scarlet “G” also was one of their
discoveries. All these products are of vital necessity in Calico Printing.
One more example. The name "Rhodamine" has come to be associated in the minds of the public with a particularly vivid shade of
pink. In dye manufacture Rhodamine is a landmark. It is one of the most important and most widely used dyes known. It is of
extraordinary brilliancy, which makes it of great importance, particularly for calico printing. Without Rhodamine a calico printer would
be unable to obtain half his vivid effects. Rhodamine is, in fact, an absolute necessity, and the Rhodamine supply of this country has
come exclusively from the Society of Chemical Industry in Basle, who were amongst its first manufacturcrs and are the Inventors of
the most important and useful brands, namely "6G" and "3B”.
It is particularly In the realm of the calico printer that we have been of service. Calico printing admittedly stands at the head of the
tinctorial arts, and English calico printing is the best in the world . It has not lost that position during the War and our claim is that we
have been of immense assistance In helping this important arm of the textile industry to maintain that position.”
During World War II, Clayton Aniline made additives for the high octane aircraft fuel used in high performance planes such as the
Spitfire and Hurricane.
Over the years the Clayton site was expanded to 57 acres, becoming the largest single manufacturing location of any company in
Manchester. At the peak in the 1970s, 2500 people were employed. The company had close ties with the local community, even
publishing a newspaper, reporting on local events, which was distributed to 8,000 area homes.
Ciba merged with Sandoz in 1997 to form Ciba Specialty Chemicals, with six divisions world-wide, with a range of chemicals-based
products including lubricants, printing inks, pharmaceuticals, plastics and colour pigments. At the time, the Clayton site
manufactured metal complex dyes for wool and nylon, direct dyes for cellulosics, and colour-formers used in carbonless copying and
thermal papers.
But the increasing shift of textile manufacturing to Asia took its toll on the Clayton site production and employment levels. Around
2002 Ciba eliminated 70 jobs at the plant and focused production on specialty dyes and chemicals used to enhance the performance
and properties of textiles.
In 2004 Ciba Specialty Chemicals announced the intention to shut down the plant, with the loss of more than 300 jobs. Site manager
Dr Peter Reucroft said "Our employees have worked relentlessly over the years to make Clayton as productive as possible. However,
sustained and increasing pressure from low-cost Asian competitors has made long-term production of textile dyes and colour-
formers at Clayton economically unsustainable." Reucroft said the company would help employees displaced by the closure,
including assisting those able to move to other Ciba locations.
In 2007, a retired Clayton factory worker won a six-year battle for compensation after being exposed to chemicals he says caused
bladder cancer. The worker said he came into contact with dyes for almost 30 years. The legal decision was expected to result in
similar claims from other former employees.
The Clayton site was demolished in 2007, including the landmark 240 foot high chimney built in the 1950s to disperse waste gases.
The site was purchased by the Harrow Estates, which is planning a redevelopment of hundreds of new homes, shops and small
businesses. Harrow Estates specializes in industrial sites, having done similar work at the former AstraZeneca site in Blackley and
at the Clariant Chemicals site in Salford. Environmental remediation will most certainly be required. The residential neighborhood will
be called Dreyfus Village in honor of Charles Dreyfus.
References:
1) “The Dye Situation and the Clayton Aniline Co. Ltd.”, The Times, February 1, 1918
2) Phil Owen, “Historic UK Dyes Plant to Close”, Textile News and Industry Analysis, November 4, 2004,
http://www.inteletex.com/NewsDetail.asp?PubId=&NewsId=3419, accessed July 17, 2008
3) Annette Lord, “Going, going, gone,,,”, North and East Manchester Advertiser, November 23, 2007, http://www.nemasdvertiser.co.
uk/news/s/1025608_going_going_gone_ , accessed July 17, 2008
4) “Charles Dreyfus: The Clayton Aniline Company-Ciba”, Manchester UK, http://www.manchester2002-uk.
com/celebs/commerce/commerce3.html , accessed July 17, 2008
5) Don Frame, “Cancer victim wins six-year fight”, Manchester Evening News, November 30, 2007, http://www.
manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/health/s/1026538_cancer_victim_wins_sixyear_fight , accessed July 17, 2008
6) Jo Rostron, "900 Homes after Ciba Signs-Off", North and East Manchester Advertiser, http://www.nemaadvertiser.co.uk.
/news/s/215/215011_900_homes_after_ciba_signsoff.html, accessed July 16, 2006
Charles Dreyfus (1848-1935), Founder of Clayton Aniline Co.
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| Clayton Aniline Company, Manchester, ca. 1900 Image: E.N. Abrahart, The Clayton Aniline Company Limited 1876-1976 |