| 500 BC. |
Ancient Greeks use 'Xylo' prefix to denote objects made of
wood. |
| 1813 |
Birth of Alexander Parkes. |
| 1829 |
Birth of Levi Parsons Merriam. |
| 1832 |
Birth of Daniel Spill. |
| 1837 |
Birth of John Wesley Hyatt. |
| 1838 |
Xyloidin first produced - in France. |
| 1845 |
Nitro-Cellulose (Xyloidine) invented - in Germany. |
| 1862 |
Alexander Parkes first exhibits
Parkesine at the International Exhibition. |
| 1864 |
Agreement to manufacture Parkesine at
Daniel Spills factory in Hackney. |
| 1866 |
Parkesine Company floated with Daniel
Spill as the General Manager. |
| 1868 |
Parkesine Company wound up. Most of the
assets bought by Daniel Spill. |
| 1869 |
Spill registers the Xylonite Company
Limited. |
| 1869 |
Both Spill and Hyatt register basic
patents on the same day (June 15th). |
| 1869 |
Spill registers US patent dealing with
use of camphor as a solvent (November 30th) |
| 1870 |
Spill registers US patent covering
entire production process (March 22) |
| 1872 |
The 'Celluloid Manufacturing Company'
formed by the Hyatts. |
| 1876 |
Daniel Spill leaves for the USA to
contest patents with the Hyatts. |
| 1877 |
The 'British Xylonite Company Limited'
formed with Levi Parsons Merriam as managing director. The new company
takes over Daniel Spill's patents. |
| 1880 |
Spill loses case against the Celluloid
Company and
considers selling 'his' patents. |
| 1880 |
L.P. Merriam licences use of 'Spill'
patents (see 1869/1870) to L.L. Brown. |
| 1881 |
L.L. Brown Forms the 'American Zylonite
Company' with capital of $750,000. |
| 1883 |
The 'Zylonite Comb & Brush Co'. formed
with capital of $100,000. |
| 1883 |
The 'Zylonite Collar & Cuff Co.' formed. |
| 1883 |
Marketing of the first products. |
| 1884 |
Zylonite Novelty Co. formed with capital of
$100,000. |
| 1885 |
American Zylonite Company employs 500 people and is a rival to the
Celluloid Manufacturing Company. |
| 1890 |
American Zylonite Company in serious financial difficulties. |
| 1890 |
American Zylonite Company bought by the Celluloid Company. |
| 1891 |
Production ceases and factory closed in January. All
equipment moved to Celluloid Company factory in Newark. |