| H. Kohnstamm & Co. Location at No. 3 Tryon Row, New York City, 1853-1869 Photo: Haynes and Gordy, Chemical Industry's Contribution to the Nation: 1635-1935 This building was replaced by the Municipal Building in 1914. Click Here for 3D Aerial Photo of Site Today |
The Kohnstamm family had a long history in the colorants industry, going back to the production of ultramarine pigment in Europe in the 19th century. A major application
of this pigment was for laundry bluing which gave the effect of whitening dingy fabrics. In 1851
two cousins, Hesslein and Heiman Kohnstamm, founded H. Kohnstamm & Co. near the lower tip of Manhattan. In 1853 the business occupied a storefront on Tryon
Row, opposite City Hall. The company imported ultramarine in addition to English, French, and German colors, paints, artists' materials, bronzes and metals.
E. G. Kohnstamm became the first laundry supply salesman for the firm in 1867. In the 1870's a white chip soap and cleaning powders were introduced. The business
was moved to larger quarters on Chambers Street:
Before 1880 confectioners typically used dry paint or technical colors for food coloration. This resulted in some poisoning cases for consumers of colored candy.
Kohnstamm introduced the idea of producing safe and standardized colors. Dr. H. Endemann, who studied under the eminent German coal-tar chemist Hoffman, was
engaged to develop suitable colors. These colors were approved at the National Confectioners' Association convention in 1884.
France was one of the first countries to ban harmful food colorants. In 1882 many compounds were prohibited for use in food or even food wrapping paper: inorganic
pigments containing copper, lead or arsenic and organic dyes such as fuchsine, eosine and nitro derivatives such as Victoria yellow. But the U.S. government was slower
to enact similar regulations. During the Spanish-American War, there was a shortage of food colorants; industrial pigments were used, leading to many deaths.
Kohnstamm later helped shape federal food and drug regulations concerning safe colors. E. G. Kohnstamm was instrumental in establishing the company as an
innovator in the confection industry with the development of the safe colors.
The company setup an office at 83-91 Park Place, New York and a plant at 537 Columbia Street in Brooklyn, employing 40 men. Well-equipped research laboratories
were established at the Manhattan location for new product development and quality assurance. When World War I started, H. Kohnstamm added soluble prussian blue,
insoluble prussian blue and chinese blue to their product line. They also made high-class colors for automotive bodies.
Total domestic production of ultramarine was 2.7 million pounds in 1914. Heller & Merz of Newark was the largest producer, followed by H. Kohnstamm. A newcomer to
the ultramarine field, Standard Ultramarine, began operating in 1912 in Huntington, West Virginia.
In June 1918 plans were made to erect a one-story reinforced concrete warehouse, with 6,000 square feet of space, at the corner of Creamer and Columbia Streets. The
building cost $20,000.
After World War I the product range was diversified to include flavors, extracts, essential oils, and other ingredients for the food and beverage industry. The company was
incorporated in 1922 with E. G. Kohnstamm, president; Joseph Kohnstamm, treasurer; Lothair Kohnstamm, vice president; William Longfelder, vice president; and Max
Wallerstein, secretary.
H. Kohnstamm was an original formulator of paste colors, used where necessary to keep the color in position as it is being worked into food or candy. Paste colors are
preferred in applications where using a water based product is undesirable. Pastes are usually made with FD&C dyes that are blended with glycerin, propylene glycol,
dextrose and sometimes gums. They were sold under the Atlas Color trade name. These colors, which include Brilliant Sky Blue, Brilliant Lemon Yellow, and Brilliant
Crimson Red, became standards in the industry. In addition, the company developed two unique forms of titanium dioxide: Kowet™and Atlas White™. Kowet is the
water dispersible form and Atlas White is the oil dispersible form.
In 1957 Paul Kohnstamm, a member of the fourth generation founding family, was president. By 1959 H. Kohnstamm products were widely used in soaps, foods,
cosmetics, plastics, and medicines. The company had plants in Clearing , Illinois (near Chicago) and New Jersey (Camden, Kearney and Newark) in addition to
Brooklyn. The Newark facility was the former General Color Company plant.
The company experienced a setback in 1976 when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned Red No. 2, a food dye in use for 68 years. This was the most heavily
used food dye in the U.S. with applications in hundreds of products such as soft drinks, candy, ice cream and cosmetics. The FDA said a rat feeding study suggested that
Red No. 2 was a weak cancer-causing agent.
The company had an alliance with Benzenoid Organics in Bellingham, Massachusetts, likely for the supply of dye intermediates.
H. Kohnstamm was acquired in 1988 by Sensient Technologies Corporation and the Brooklyn plant was subsequently shutdown.
References:
1) "Dyestuffs and Chemicals That Are Actually Obtainable", American Dyestuff Reporter, Vol. 1, No. 7, November 19, 1917, p. 15
2) Williams Haynes and Edward L. Gordy, Editors, "The Development of Certified Pure Food Colors" by H. Kohnstamm & Co. Inc., Chemical Industry's Contribution to the
Nation: 1635-1935 (New York: Chemical Markets, 1935), pp. 32-33
3) William M. Freeman, "The Helping Hand in Many Products", The New York Times, August 22, 1959
4) "Ban on Red No. 2 Coloring Takes Effect", The Syracuse Herald-Journal, February 12, 1976
5) James DeLisi, personal communication, July 12, 2005
6) International Foodcraft Corporation website, http://www.hjaa.com/color_guide.html, accessed December 2, 2005
7) Sensient Technologies website, http://www.sensient-tech.com/cosmetics_sku_color/titanium_dioxide_overview.htm, accessed December 2, 2005
8) "Poisonous Coloring Matters in Food", The Manufacturer and Builder, Vol. 14, 1882, p. 255
ColorantsHistory.Org thanks Mr. Frank H. Jump for allowing the use of his haunting images of the H. Kohnstamm plant.
of this pigment was for laundry bluing which gave the effect of whitening dingy fabrics. In 1851
two cousins, Hesslein and Heiman Kohnstamm, founded H. Kohnstamm & Co. near the lower tip of Manhattan. In 1853 the business occupied a storefront on Tryon
Row, opposite City Hall. The company imported ultramarine in addition to English, French, and German colors, paints, artists' materials, bronzes and metals.
E. G. Kohnstamm became the first laundry supply salesman for the firm in 1867. In the 1870's a white chip soap and cleaning powders were introduced. The business
was moved to larger quarters on Chambers Street:
Before 1880 confectioners typically used dry paint or technical colors for food coloration. This resulted in some poisoning cases for consumers of colored candy.
Kohnstamm introduced the idea of producing safe and standardized colors. Dr. H. Endemann, who studied under the eminent German coal-tar chemist Hoffman, was
engaged to develop suitable colors. These colors were approved at the National Confectioners' Association convention in 1884.
France was one of the first countries to ban harmful food colorants. In 1882 many compounds were prohibited for use in food or even food wrapping paper: inorganic
pigments containing copper, lead or arsenic and organic dyes such as fuchsine, eosine and nitro derivatives such as Victoria yellow. But the U.S. government was slower
to enact similar regulations. During the Spanish-American War, there was a shortage of food colorants; industrial pigments were used, leading to many deaths.
Kohnstamm later helped shape federal food and drug regulations concerning safe colors. E. G. Kohnstamm was instrumental in establishing the company as an
innovator in the confection industry with the development of the safe colors.
The company setup an office at 83-91 Park Place, New York and a plant at 537 Columbia Street in Brooklyn, employing 40 men. Well-equipped research laboratories
were established at the Manhattan location for new product development and quality assurance. When World War I started, H. Kohnstamm added soluble prussian blue,
insoluble prussian blue and chinese blue to their product line. They also made high-class colors for automotive bodies.
Total domestic production of ultramarine was 2.7 million pounds in 1914. Heller & Merz of Newark was the largest producer, followed by H. Kohnstamm. A newcomer to
the ultramarine field, Standard Ultramarine, began operating in 1912 in Huntington, West Virginia.
In June 1918 plans were made to erect a one-story reinforced concrete warehouse, with 6,000 square feet of space, at the corner of Creamer and Columbia Streets. The
building cost $20,000.
After World War I the product range was diversified to include flavors, extracts, essential oils, and other ingredients for the food and beverage industry. The company was
incorporated in 1922 with E. G. Kohnstamm, president; Joseph Kohnstamm, treasurer; Lothair Kohnstamm, vice president; William Longfelder, vice president; and Max
Wallerstein, secretary.
H. Kohnstamm was an original formulator of paste colors, used where necessary to keep the color in position as it is being worked into food or candy. Paste colors are
preferred in applications where using a water based product is undesirable. Pastes are usually made with FD&C dyes that are blended with glycerin, propylene glycol,
dextrose and sometimes gums. They were sold under the Atlas Color trade name. These colors, which include Brilliant Sky Blue, Brilliant Lemon Yellow, and Brilliant
Crimson Red, became standards in the industry. In addition, the company developed two unique forms of titanium dioxide: Kowet™and Atlas White™. Kowet is the
water dispersible form and Atlas White is the oil dispersible form.
In 1957 Paul Kohnstamm, a member of the fourth generation founding family, was president. By 1959 H. Kohnstamm products were widely used in soaps, foods,
cosmetics, plastics, and medicines. The company had plants in Clearing , Illinois (near Chicago) and New Jersey (Camden, Kearney and Newark) in addition to
Brooklyn. The Newark facility was the former General Color Company plant.
The company experienced a setback in 1976 when the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned Red No. 2, a food dye in use for 68 years. This was the most heavily
used food dye in the U.S. with applications in hundreds of products such as soft drinks, candy, ice cream and cosmetics. The FDA said a rat feeding study suggested that
Red No. 2 was a weak cancer-causing agent.
The company had an alliance with Benzenoid Organics in Bellingham, Massachusetts, likely for the supply of dye intermediates.
H. Kohnstamm was acquired in 1988 by Sensient Technologies Corporation and the Brooklyn plant was subsequently shutdown.
References:
1) "Dyestuffs and Chemicals That Are Actually Obtainable", American Dyestuff Reporter, Vol. 1, No. 7, November 19, 1917, p. 15
2) Williams Haynes and Edward L. Gordy, Editors, "The Development of Certified Pure Food Colors" by H. Kohnstamm & Co. Inc., Chemical Industry's Contribution to the
Nation: 1635-1935 (New York: Chemical Markets, 1935), pp. 32-33
3) William M. Freeman, "The Helping Hand in Many Products", The New York Times, August 22, 1959
4) "Ban on Red No. 2 Coloring Takes Effect", The Syracuse Herald-Journal, February 12, 1976
5) James DeLisi, personal communication, July 12, 2005
6) International Foodcraft Corporation website, http://www.hjaa.com/color_guide.html, accessed December 2, 2005
7) Sensient Technologies website, http://www.sensient-tech.com/cosmetics_sku_color/titanium_dioxide_overview.htm, accessed December 2, 2005
8) "Poisonous Coloring Matters in Food", The Manufacturer and Builder, Vol. 14, 1882, p. 255
ColorantsHistory.Org thanks Mr. Frank H. Jump for allowing the use of his haunting images of the H. Kohnstamm plant.
H. Kohnstamm Brooklyn Plant Location
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| H. Kohnstamm & Company New York |
| ColorantsHistory.Org |
| H. Kohnstamm & Co. Store at No. 126 Chambers Street, 1872-1895 Photo: Haynes and Gordy, Chemical Industry's Contribution to the Nation: 1635-1935. Click to Enlarge |
FD&C Red No. 2 Dye, Chemical Structure
| Atlas Colors Food Dye Tin Labelled Oroline Yellow Photo: Courtesy of Bill Bossemeyer. Click to Enlarge |
| H. Kohnstamm & Co. Ad Showing Brooklyn Dye Plant Image: Year Book of the Oil, Paint and Drug Reporter, 1918 |
| Derelict H. Kohnstamm Plant, Red Hook, 1999. Photo Courtesy of Frank H. Jump, Copyright; Used with Permission |
| Ad for Reckitt's Blue Ultramarine, Made in England, Which Competed with H. Kohnstamm's Product. Click to Enlarge. Photo Taken at 622 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn in March 1997. View Re-Obscured by New Building in April 2004. Photo Courtesy of Frank H. Jump, Copyright; Used with Permission. |
| Recent Photos of the Long-Closed H. Kohnstamm Plant Show Grafitti. The Images Sadly Represent the Decline of the U.S. Dye Industry and the Disappearance of Jobs for Manufacturing Chemists. Click on Photos to Enlarge. Photos Courtesy of Frank H. Jump, Copyright; Used with Permission. |
| H. Kohnstamm & Co. Envelope, Postmarked November 25, 1907 at New York, On the S.S. Kaiser Wilhelm II Bound for Germany. Envelope Kindly Contributed by Michael Stein. Click to Enlarge. |