Rayon manufacturing process

Industrial Rayon Corporation in Cleveland manufactured rayon yarn, the world’s first synthetic fiber, which found use in items ranging from undergarments to tires. Rayon production using an innovative continuous spinning process at the West Boulevard plant and the Painesville plant reached high levels during WWII. The company weathered the Depression, labor strikes and environmental complaints, but in post-war years demand for rayon fell. The company became a division of Midland-Ross named IRC Fibers. .

This collection of photographs and other materials was inspired by the many employees of "the Rayon" who smiled as they recounted memories of their employment at the Painesville plant. It was spurred on by the donation of four scrapbooks compiled by Rayon hourly employee Ed Rabbitt to Painesville's Morley Library.

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The inspiration to include Industrial Rayon Corporation photos and information in the Cleveland Memory project came from the many employees of “the Rayon” who smiled when they recounted memories of their employment at the Painesville plant. It was spurred on by the donation to Morley Library, Painesville, of four scrapbooks compiled by Rayon hourly employee Ed Rabbitt.

The opportunity to celebrate this special workplace was provided by Sally Malone, of the Morley Library, as her practicum project in the Kent State University School of Library and Information Science program during the Spring of 2004, supervised by William C. Barrow, Special Collections Librarian at the Cleveland State University Library.

The technical assistance was provided by Joanne Cornelius and staff in the Digital Productions Unit at Cleveland State University Library, along with others there who helped level many little barriers encountered along the way.