Papers of Myron S. Simon 025 Finding Aid Created by Andrew Mangravite and Encoded Into EAD by Kenton G

Papers of Myron S. Simon 025 Finding aid created by Andrew Mangravite and encoded into EAD by Kenton G. Jaehnig..

Last updated on April 26, 2021.

Science History Institute Archives Papers of Myron S. Simon

Table of Contents

Summary Information...... 3 Biography/History...... 4 Scope and Contents...... 5 Administrative Information...... 5 Related Materials...... 6 Controlled Access Headings...... 7 Collection Inventory...... 8 Series I. Technical Notes...... 8 Series II. Research Notes...... 9 Series III. Notebooks...... 11 Series IV. Files/Memos...... 13 Series V. Meetings with Sir Derek Barton...... 13 Series VI. Patents & Reprints...... 16 Series VII. Polaroid Company Reports...... 18 Series VIII. Company Seminars and Meetings...... 21 Series IX. Conference Notes...... 22 Series X. Correspondence & Files on Colleagues...... 25

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Summary Information

Repository Science History Institute Archives

Creator Simon, Myron S. (Sydney)

Title Papers of Myron S. Simon

Call number 025

Date [inclusive] 1941-1990

Date [bulk] Bulk 1958-1988

Extent 18 linear feet ((28 boxes))

Language English .

Abstract Notebooks, reports, company memoranda, correspondence, and other technical materials created and maintained by American chemist Myron S. Simon during his career with Polaroid Corporation.

Cite as:

Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Papers of Myron S. Simon, 1941-1990, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

- Page 3 - Papers of Myron S. Simon

Biography/History

Myron S. Simon Myron S. Simon (1926-) was an American chemist and a specialist in instant color photography processes. Born in Burlington, Vermont in 1926, Simon was educated at Harvard University, where he earned his bachelor's degree (1946), master's degree (1948), and Ph.D. in Chemistry (1949). At Harvard, he studied with many notable chemists, including Paul D. Bartlett and Gilbert Stork. He completed his Ph.D. research under Robert Burns Woodward. Upon completing his studies at Harvard, Simon went to work as a research scientist at Polaroid Corporation in 1949, where he went on to enjoy a distinguished thirty-nine year career. At Polaroid, he became a noted specialist in instant color photography. Simon produced the first effective cyan dye developer. Under the direction of Stanley Bloom, he worked on the opacification process, which was an essential step in the development of Polaroid's SX-70 instant color photography system. He also developed the "Chemical Curtain", which protects SX-70 photographs while they are developing in light. Simon rose through the ranks of Polaroid's research hierarchy, eventually becoming Research Fellow and Associate Director of Organic Chemistry. Over the course of his career with Polaroid, he was awarded over seventy patents in the field of instant color photography. Simon retired from Polaroid Corporation in 1988. In addition to his work at Polaroid, Simon was the founder of Image-Imation Associates and served as a consultant through 1996. He was also an active member of the American Chemical Society (ACS), becoming chairman of ACS' Northeastern Section in 1985. In this capacity, he sponsored Glenn Seaborg's proposal to end nuclear testing. Simon also served on numerous ACS committees and was co-editor of NUCLEUS. Polaroid Corporation Polaroid Corporation was an American photography firm. Founded in 1937 by Edwin H. Land, it was long synonymous with instant photography. Polaroid introduced its first instant camera, the Model 95 Land Camera, in 1948. The success of this camera prompted the company to further develop instant photography technology over the next several decades. Initially confined to black and white images only, the corporation worked long years to perfect instant color photography. It succeeded with its SX-70 System, which debuted in 1972. Polaroid successfully defended itself against arch-rival Eastman Kodak's attempts to market their own instant color photography system in a 1986 court case. Unfortunately, the corporation's hierarchy remained indifferent to the growing popularity of digital photography. The failure to move aggressively into this growing new field led to a steady erosion of profits, causing Polaroid to declare bankruptcy in 2001. After Polaroid declared bankruptcy, most of the firm's assets were acquired by Polaroid Holding Company (PHC). PHC licensed the use of the Polaroid name to other companies for use on a number of products. Flextronic Limited, the purchaser of Polaroid's former manufacturing facilities, ceased

- Page 4 - Papers of Myron S. Simon production of Polaroid instant cameras in 2007 and discontinued sales of Polaroid film in 2009. Polaroid Holding Company declared bankruptcy in 2008. It subsequently ended up under the control of PLR IP Holdings, LLC, a private equity firm. In 2017, the brand and intellectual property of Polaroid Corporation were acquired by Polish investor Wiacezlaw Smolokowski. Smolokowski was the largest shareholder of the Impossible Project, a manufacturer of Polaroid compatible film. The Impossible Project was renamed Polaroid Originals in 2017. This firm currently markets instant cameras, instant film, and other products under the Polaroid name. Sources Papers of Myron S. Simon, Science History Institute Archives, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Polaroid Corporation Records, Baker Library Special Collections, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts - https://hollisarchives.lib.harvard.edu/repositories/11/resources/619. Polaroid Originals Website - https://us.polaroid.com/.

Scope and Contents

The Papers of Myron S. Simon contain the personal and professional papers of American chemist and instant color photography specialist Myron S. Simon. The materials in this collection document his career with Polaroid Corporation. The collection is arranged into the following ten series: I. Technical Notes II. Research Notes III.Notebooks IV.Files/Memos V. Meetings with Sir Derek Barton VI.Patents & Reprints VII.Polaroid Company Reports VIII.Company Seminars and Meetings IX.Conference Notes X. Correspondence & Files on Colleagues

Administrative Information

Science History Institute Archives

- Page 5 - Papers of Myron S. Simon Finding aid created by Andrew Mangravite and encoded into EAD by Kenton G. Jaehnig..

Access Restrictions There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes and the collection is open to the public.

Use Restrictions The Science History Institute holds copyright to the Papers of Myron S. Simon. The researcher assumes full responsibility for all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.

Acquisition Information The Papers of Myron S. Simon were donated to the Science History Institute (formerly the Chemical Heritage Foundation) by Myron S. Simon in 2007.

Processing Information The Papers of Myron S. Simon were processed by Andrew Mangravite in April 2008.

Related Materials

Related Materials There are three other known collections created by Myron S. Simon preserved at the Science History Institute in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 1. Myron S. Simon Notebooks. 2. Photographs from the Papers of Myron S. Simon. 3. Streetlights Named Distinctive Scrapbook. The Polaroid Corporation Records are preserved at Harvard University's Baker Library Special Collections in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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Controlled Access Headings

Corporate Name(s)

• Polaroid Corporation

Form/Genre(s)

• Archival materials

Personal Name(s)

• Barton, Derek H. R., 1918-1998 • Land, Edwin H., 1909-1991 • Woodward, R.B. (Robert Burns), 1917-1979

Subject(s)

• Color photography • Heterocyclic compounds • Instant photography • Opacity (Optics) • Photography -- Processing

- Page 7 - Papers of Myron S. Simon I. Series I. Technical Notes

Collection Inventory

I. Series I. Technical Notes, 1941-1986, undated. Series Description

Arranged chronologically by year, this series contains Myron S. Simon's technical notes. These files provide technical information regarding various subjects that were of interest to Simon during his career at Polaroid Corporation. Technical notes make up the bulk of the materials in this series. A few accompanying materials, including reprints and spectra, are also present here.

box folder

Color Coupling - Includes Some Reprints, 1941-1980. 1 1-2

Color Developer Synthesis Program, 1951-1986. 1 3

"Rates of Silver Halide Development", 1953-1979. 1 4

Dye Developer Types, 1954-1978. 1 5

Structure and Spectra of Dyes - Includes Some Reprints, 1955-1967. 1 6

Color-Shifting Yellows, Cyans, and Magentas, 1955-1967. 1 7

Black Dye Developers, 1955-1978. 1 8

Dye Developer Notes, 1957-1968. 1 9

Cyan Dyes - Includes Meetings with Carwin Company (Colorless 2 1 developing and other topics.), 1957-1980.

Colorless Developers, 1959-1961. 2 2

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Developer Dropping, 1959-1966. 2 3

"13254" - Color Spectra, 1959-1969. 2 4

Dye Transfer, 1964-1984. 2 5

Dye Release System, 1965-1966. 2 6

Desensitizers, 1967-1968. 2 7

Stabilization, 1971-1987. 2 8

Anthrapyridones (Notes and spectra - work by E. Ellis.), 1973. 2 9

Developer Dyes, 1977-1982. 2 10

Dye Developers List, 1978. 2 11

Development Study, 1979, undated. 2 12

II. Series II. Research Notes, 1955-1988, undated. Series Description

Arranged chronologically by year, this series contains Myron S. Simon's research notes. These files provide documentation of research conducted by Simon during his career at Polaroid Corporation. Of particular interest are the files concerning opacification, which was an essential step in the development of Polaroid's SX-70 instant color photography system.

Research notes make up the bulk of the materials in this series. A few accompanying materials, including patents and lecture overheads, are also preserved here.

box folder

Metallized Dyes, 1955-1970. 3 1

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Magenta Dye Developers, 1955-1977. 3 2

Hydroquinones, 1958-1969. 3 3

"The K-Process and K-Process Color Formers", 1959. 3 4

Hydrolyzable Pyridine Quaternaries (As mordants.), 1960, 1970-1975. 3 5

Miscellaneous Loose Research Notes, 1960-1969. 3 6

EK-R Numbers and Shipping List, 1962. 3 7

Plant Ventilation Studies, 1963. 3 8

Developer Dropping Dyes, 1963-1971. 3 9

13049 Review, 1966, 1970. 3 10

Color Developer - Includes Patents, 1966-1987. 3 11

Blue Dyes for Pod Work, 1967. 4 1

Mouse Tumor Testing Program for Compounds - Lab Results, 1969-1972. 4 2

Cyanine Dye Scale-Up, 1969. 4 3

Poly Pyrazolyl Borates as Ligands, 1971-1988. 4 4

Miranol Microcrystals/Micelles, 1973-1980. 4 5

IR Dyes, 1981-1984. 4 6

Bleachable Dyes, 1982-1983. 4 7

ORR (Notes in binder - loose notes laid in.), 1982-1984. 4 8

- Page 10 - Papers of Myron S. Simon III. Series III. Notebooks

Polacolor Notes - Miscellaneous Notes, undated. 4 9

Anthrapyridone Magentas and Anthraquinone Cyans - Miscellaneous Notes 4 10 (In a binder.), 1958-1977.

OPAX: "Opacification 1986" - Meeting Notes in Binder, 1986. 5 1

OPAX: "Opacification 1987-A" - Meeting Notes in Binder, 1987. 5 2

OPAX: "Opacification 1987-B" - Meeting Notes in Binder, 1987. 5 3

OPAX: "OPAX '88" - Meeting Notes in Binder, 1988. 6 1

Spectra of Phtalein Dyes, 1967-1968. 6 2

References for 3-Methyl-4-Phenanthrol, 1987. 6 3

"Chronology of the Long Wavelength Opacification Program" - Lecture 6 4 Overheads, 1988.

Simon, M.S. "Organic Chemical Research on Indicator Dyes and 6 5 Desensitizers Supporting Project Aspirin", 1967 November 27.

III. Series III. Notebooks, 1965-1988. Series Description

Arranged chronologically by year, this series consists of eight notebooks kept by Myron S. Simon while employed by Polaroid Corporation between 1965 and 1988. Three of the notebooks document research conducted by Simon at Polaroid. Five of the notebooks provide documentation of conferences and symposia attended by Simon.

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box folder

"Developer Dropping Dyes", 1965. 7 1

Polaroid Laboratory Notebook No. 369 - 03/80-08/81, 1980-1981. 7 2

Polaroid Laboratory Notebook No. 404 - 07/81 (Contains notes taken 7 3 by MSS at Gordon Research Conferences - Conference on Heterocyclic Compounds.), 1981.

Research Notebook - 08/81-02/84, 1981-1984. 7 4

Meetings 1985 - Contains Notes Taken by MSS at the 9th Internationales 7 5 Farbensymposium, Engelberg, Switzerland, 1985.

Untitled Notebook - Contains Notes Taken by MSS at the 11th 7 6 International Congress of Heterocyclic Chemistry, Heidelberg, Germany, 1987. General Note