Chesebrough Manufacturing Company
Encyclopedia
Chesebrough Manufacturing Company was an oil business which produced petroleum jelly
or vaseline
, which was marketed with the brand name Luxor. It was founded in 1859. Robert Augustus Chesebrough
, a chemist who started the company, was interested in marketing oil products for medicinal needs. He produced the first petroleum jelly by refining rod wax through the use of heat and filtration. He named vaseline from the German language
word for water, (wasser), and the Greek language
word for oil, (olion). Vaseline was patented in the United States
in 1872 and England
in 1877.
. In 1881 Chesebrough Manufacturing began operating under Standard Oil but resumed independent operations in 1911.
Additional production sites were built in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, and in 1924, London, England.
Chesebrough Manufacturing Company distributed its product throughout the United States and England during the early and mid-20th Century. It was listed on the New York Stock Exchange
and grouped with other oil-related stocks such as Standard Oil
and its subsidiaries, and Continental Oil.
The company had a productive
record of earnings and dividend disbursements even with the onset of the Great Depression
. Earnings increased from $8.36 per share in 1925 to $13.22 during 1929. As of December 31, 1940, the Chesebrough Manufacturing Company had total assets of $4,267,940 and liabilities of $603,643. In 1940 damage from a World War II
air raid totaled $50,000 to its London, England, plant. Chesebrough and Pond's Creams
merged in June 1955 and in 1987, Chesebrough-Ponds was acquired by Anglo-Dutch company Unilever
Petroleum jelly
Petroleum jelly, petrolatum, white petrolatum or soft paraffin, CAS number 8009-03-8, is a semi-solid mixture of hydrocarbons , originally promoted as a topical ointment for its healing properties...
or vaseline
Vaseline
Vaseline is a brand of petroleum jelly based products owned by Anglo-Dutch company Unilever. Products include plain petroleum jelly and a selection of skin creams, soaps, lotions, cleansers, deodorants and personal lubricants....
, which was marketed with the brand name Luxor. It was founded in 1859. Robert Augustus Chesebrough
Robert Chesebrough
Sir Robert Augustus Chesebrough, was a chemist and the inventor of petroleum jelly, which he trade-named as Vaseline. In 1875 he founded the Chesebrough Manufacturing Company that in 1955 became Chesebrough-Ponds, a leading manufacturer of personal care products. Chesebrough patented the process...
, a chemist who started the company, was interested in marketing oil products for medicinal needs. He produced the first petroleum jelly by refining rod wax through the use of heat and filtration. He named vaseline from the German language
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
word for water, (wasser), and the Greek language
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
word for oil, (olion). Vaseline was patented in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 1872 and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1877.
Company history
In 1870 Robert Chesebrough began selling a product derived from petroleum residue, Vaseline Petroleum Jelly. Chesebrough's first manufacturing plant for vaseline was in Perth Amboy, New JerseyPerth Amboy, New Jersey
Perth Amboy is a city in Middlesex County, New Jersey, United States. The City of Perth Amboy is part of the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 50,814. Perth Amboy is known as the "City by the Bay", referring to Raritan Bay.-Name:The Lenape...
. In 1881 Chesebrough Manufacturing began operating under Standard Oil but resumed independent operations in 1911.
Additional production sites were built in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, and in 1924, London, England.
Chesebrough Manufacturing Company distributed its product throughout the United States and England during the early and mid-20th Century. It was listed on the New York Stock Exchange
New York Stock Exchange
The New York Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located at 11 Wall Street in Lower Manhattan, New York City, USA. It is by far the world's largest stock exchange by market capitalization of its listed companies at 13.39 trillion as of Dec 2010...
and grouped with other oil-related stocks such as Standard Oil
Standard Oil
Standard Oil was a predominant American integrated oil producing, transporting, refining, and marketing company. Established in 1870 as a corporation in Ohio, it was the largest oil refiner in the world and operated as a major company trust and was one of the world's first and largest multinational...
and its subsidiaries, and Continental Oil.
The company had a productive
record of earnings and dividend disbursements even with the onset of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. Earnings increased from $8.36 per share in 1925 to $13.22 during 1929. As of December 31, 1940, the Chesebrough Manufacturing Company had total assets of $4,267,940 and liabilities of $603,643. In 1940 damage from a World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
air raid totaled $50,000 to its London, England, plant. Chesebrough and Pond's Creams
Pond's Creams
Pond's Cream is a brand of beauty and health care products that is produced by the Ponds Institute which is owned by the multinational company Unilever.-History:...
merged in June 1955 and in 1987, Chesebrough-Ponds was acquired by Anglo-Dutch company Unilever
Unilever
Unilever is a British-Dutch multinational corporation that owns many of the world's consumer product brands in foods, beverages, cleaning agents and personal care products....