Chemical Color Plate:
a brief history
Around 1950
Bridgeport, CT. Laurel Chemical Plate Corp. is founded as a division of Post Photo Corp. (headquartered in Clifton, NJ). Laurel is located on the top floor of the Bridgeport Herald building at 299 Lafayette St., and produces photoengraving for the Herald’s Sunday comics section.
1950s - Around 1980
Laurel Chemical Plate (later Chemical Color Plate) does photoengraving for Sunday comics sections, plus a large number of comic book publishers, including DC, Marvel, Archie, EC (Mad), and the Catholic Guild (Treasure Chest). Former manager Don Lasalle has estimated that at its height (probably the 1960s), Chemical Color Plate consisted of about 80 employees and did photoengraving for about 80% of the comic book industry.
King Features Syndicate is Laurel/Chemical’s biggest contract. The contract was secured when Prince Valiant artist Hal Foster was sent to the plant; King Features said if Foster liked their work then they would use Chemical.
Laurel/Chemical donates comic books to B’Nai Brith for annual Christmas charity.
1957
Laurel Chemical Plate Corp. moves to a larger facility at 40 Logan St.
1960
Laurel changes its name to Chemical Color Plate Corp.
1960s
Chemical experiments with different color separation processes. Employees from Chemical are sent out to Charlton (Derby) and Cupples (New Haven) to help make improvements and train employees.
1970s
Chemical Color Plate changes its color separation process from painting on Craft-Tint board to using acetate overlays.
1971
Chemical Color Plate is purchased by former rival World Color Press. World Color Press is headquartered in St. Louis, MO, with printing facilities in Sparta, IL. William Server, son of former Chemical president David Server, is made president of Chemical.
Mid-1970s
A Chemical Color Plate employee with previous experience working at Koppel Photo Engraving in New Haven brings with her the techniques she learned there. Chemical soon uses these techniques for its newly formed cover department. Previously, cover work had been subcontracted out to freelancers; the new cover department generates extra business for Chemical.
Around 1988
Chemical ceases its photoengraving service for the comic book industry, as the process had been replaced by lithography and high-speed presses for comic books.
1995
World Color Press closes its plant at Bridgeport.
1996
World Color Press moves its headquarters to Greenwich, Connecticut.
1999
World Color Press is merged with Montreal-based Quebecor, forming Quebecor World. Along with other mergers, this makes Quebecor World the world’s largest commercial printer. Although no longer using photoengraving or involved with comic book production, Quebecor World continues operation of its Greenwich facility today.
The final artwork is positioned on a camera.
The reduced photographic negative is retouched.
The negative is then etched onto a zinc printing plate using acid.
All images courtesy of Mr. Gary Faulkner, from an unspecified publication.
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