In 1881, the German brothers Max and Albert Holzapfel, and Charles Petrie founded the
Holzapfel Compositions Company Ltd., in
Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, producing marine coatings for the local shipping industry. The name
International was then coined as their paint
brand. The company expanded for many years, moving first to larger premised
Gateshead, and in 1904 to a large factory in
Felling-on-Tyne, where the 21st century headquarters are still located. Holzapfels, Ltd. transferred their interests in Titanine, a new dope to the British Aeroplane Varnish Co. Ltd., with Theodore W. Holzapfel, as managing director. The chief advantage claimed for Titanine was that it was neither
tetrachloride nor a spirit derivative of
chlorine, nor was
amyl acetate used in its composition. Approximately 1,000,000 gallons of titanine were manufactured during the First World War.
Titanine, Incorporated (Union City, New Jersey) was a subsidiary company opened in the United States to serve the American aircraft industry. Other plants were opened in Italy and Germany in the years before the Second World War. The company went on to produce a range of paints and coatings used in the aviation industry including a range of military colours. In 1947, the Titanine company was instrumental in the insolvency proceedings taken against the
Miles Aircraft Co of Reading, England which led to that company being wound up. In the 1950s, Titanine were one of the manufacturers for
anti-flash white used on nuclear bombers, the
Handley Page Victor in particular. This increasing demand led to an increase in profits for Titanine, from £40,000 (nett) in 1952 to a post-war record £82,000 in 1953. Similar paints would go on to be used for the developing civil aircraft fleets of the 1960s. ==Timeline==