The Brilliance of Charles Macintosh and the Mackintosh Raincoat

Charles Macintosh (29 December 1766 – 25 July 1843) was a Scottish chemist and the inventor of the modern waterproof raincoat. The Mackintosh raincoat (the variant spelling is now standard) is named after him.

Life and Career

Macintosh was born on 29 December 1766 in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1766. He began his career as a chemist, working in a laboratory and studying chemistry and physics. In the early 19th century, he began experimenting with ways to make cloth waterproof, eventually developing a process for treating fabric with rubber. In 1823, Macintosh received a patent for his waterproof clothing, which he called “Macintosh raincoats.” The coats were made by sandwiching a layer of rubber between two layers of fabric and then heating the layers together. The resulting product was a lightweight, waterproof coat that was popular among the working class and became widely used in the British military.

In addition to his work on waterproof clothing, Macintosh also made significant contributions to the field of chemistry. He developed a process for purifying coal tar, which was used to make a variety of chemicals, including dyes and pharmaceuticals. He also worked on the development of a process for producing soda ash, which is used in the manufacture of glass, soap, and other products. Macintosh continued to work as a chemist and inventor throughout his career, and he received several patents for his inventions. He died on 25 July 1843 at the age of 77 and was buried in the Glasgow Cathedral graveyard. He is buried with his parents in the ground of his great-grandfather, John Anderson of Douhill, Lord Provost of Glasgow. His name is added to the 17th century monument which stands against the eastern boundary wall. A late 19th-century secondary memorial also exists, in polished red granite, slightly to the north, where Charles is again mentioned on the grave of his son, George.

Award and Legacy

His inventions had a significant impact and are still remembered today. Macintosh’s waterproof clothing, known as “Macintosh raincoats,” became popular among the working class and were widely used in the British military. The coats were made by sandwiching a layer of rubber between two layers of fabric and then heating the layers together, creating a lightweight, waterproof garment. This process was an important development in the field of textiles and has had a lasting impact on the production of waterproof clothing.

On 29 December 2016, Google Doodle celebrated Charles Macintosh’s 250th Birthday

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