Dye and fibre discoveries of the twentieth century. Part 1: From the magic of electric light to the nightmare of world war

The first paper in this four part series chronicles the discovery of the first man‐made filaments and the search for high fastness synthetic dyes in the period up to the first world war. Industrial developments before 1914 are discussed and the impact of the great war on dye makers and users is reviewed. Finally, post‐war production difficulties are highlighted.