Queen City Printing Ink Company
A historic Cincinnati manufacturer of printing inks that became a major regional supplier before merging into International Printing Ink Corporation in 1928.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Queen City Printing Ink Company was a nineteenth- and early twentieth-century American manufacturer of printing inks based in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its history began in 1860, when George H. DeGolyer and John Rychen operated the business under the name DeGolyer & Rychen. The firm developed and marketed a successful product line under the Queen City Inks name, adopting Queen City Printing Ink Company as its corporate identity after incorporation in 1877. The company emerged during a period when Cincinnati was a significant commercial and publishing center in the developing American Midwest. Its geographic position allowed it to serve newspapers and printers west of the Allegheny Mountains, a region that contemporary promotional writing described as the American “West.” Queen City presented itself as a pioneer in producing high-quality printing ink in that market and used the slogan “The Oldest and Largest Printing Ink Works in The West.” Its product range covered both industrial newspaper work and finer commercial printing. The company manufactured black ink for newsprint in quantities ranging from small lots to several hundred pounds, while its finer grades were offered for magazines and other smaller printing jobs in packages as small as one ounce. Reported production capacity reached approximately three and a half tons of ink per day. Queen City supplied Cincinnati’s daily newspapers and sold to printers in cities including St. Louis, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Nashville, Atlanta, New Orleans, and Buffalo. It also supplied ink for The American Israelite for a period. The business experienced the operational risks associated with nineteenth-century industrial manufacturing. Fires were reported at its Cincinnati establishments in 1880 and 1881; the latter incident caused reported property damage, although the company continued operating. By 1904, its commercial reach had expanded through branches in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Toronto, indicating a distribution network that extended beyond its home market into major American printing centers and Canada. Advertising was an important part of Queen City’s brand building. Between roughly 1903 and 1908, the company commissioned colorful posters and magazine advertisements, especially in The Inland Printer and related printing-industry publications. More than a dozen advertisements were created by illustrator Augustus L. Jansson. The advertisements featured imaginative “Ink Beasts,” a memorable visual device that helped distinguish the company in a technical and highly competitive industrial market. Contemporary and later commentary regarded these advertisements as unusually elaborate examples of trade advertising for printing supplies. Queen City remained independent until 1928, when it merged with the New York-based Philip Ruxton Company and the Cincinnati-based Ault & Wiborg Company. The transaction created International Printing Ink Corporation, described at the time as potentially the world's largest ink manufacturer. The constituent companies formally dissolved on May 31, 1928, ending Queen City Printing Ink Company as an independent corporate entity. International Printing Ink Corporation was renamed Interchemical Corporation in 1938. The successor business was later sold to Carrier Corporation in 1968 and to BASF in 1985, although those later ownership changes belonged to the successor enterprise rather than to Queen City as a standalone company.
History
Queen City Printing Ink Company originated in Cincinnati in 1860 as DeGolyer & Rychen, founded by George H. DeGolyer and John Rychen. The company was established to manufacture printing ink for the expanding newspaper and commercial-printing industries of the nineteenth-century Midwest. Its Queen City Inks product identity became sufficiently successful that the business adopted the Queen City Printing Ink Company name when it incorporated in 1877. Cincinnati was an important base for the company because it served as a commercial and transportation center for communities west of the Allegheny Mountains. Queen City promoted itself as a pioneer producer of fine printing ink in this region and used the description “The Oldest and Largest Printing Ink Works in The West.” The company manufactured black ink for newsprint as well as finer grades intended for magazines and smaller printing jobs. Its products were sold in both large industrial quantities and small packages for more specialized users. The company developed substantial production capacity. Contemporary descriptions stated that its factories could produce approximately three and a half tons of ink daily. Its customers included all of Cincinnati's daily newspapers and printers in a wide range of other cities, including St. Louis, Chicago, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Detroit, Nashville, Atlanta, New Orleans, and Buffalo. The company also supplied ink to The American Israelite for a period. This customer base made Queen City an important regional supplier rather than merely a local Cincinnati manufacturer. Industrial hazards periodically affected the business. A minor fire was reported at the Eighth Street works on May 3, 1880. Another fire occurred at the New Court Street establishment on January 28, 1881, causing reported damage while leaving the company able to continue its operations. These incidents were part of the practical risks faced by ink manufacturers operating in dense urban industrial settings. By 1904, Queen City had branches in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Toronto. The expansion reflected both the growth of the American printing trade and the importance of local sales and distribution networks for industrial supplies. The company also invested in distinctive trade advertising. From about 1903 through 1908, it commissioned a series of elaborate posters and magazine advertisements, particularly for The Inland Printer. Illustrator Augustus L. Jansson produced more than a dozen of these works. Their colorful imaginary “Ink Beasts” gave the technically oriented product a recognizable visual identity and became one of the most notable elements of the Queen City brand. Queen City operated independently until 1928. That year it merged with Philip Ruxton Company of New York and Ault & Wiborg Company of Cincinnati. The resulting International Printing Ink Corporation was presented as potentially the largest ink manufacturer in the world. The original companies formally dissolved on May 31, 1928, marking the end of Queen City Printing Ink Company as an independent entity. International Printing Ink Corporation later changed its name to Interchemical Corporation in 1938. The successor company was sold to Carrier Corporation in 1968 and subsequently to BASF in 1985. Those transactions concern the corporate lineage created after the 1928 merger rather than the continuing operation of Queen City as a separate brand.
- 1938
Successor renamed Interchemical Corporation
[1]International Printing Ink Corporation, the successor created through the 1928 merger, adopted the Interchemical Corporation name.
- 1928
Merger created International Printing Ink Corporation
[1]Queen City merged with Philip Ruxton Company and Ault & Wiborg Company; the constituent companies dissolved on May 31.
- 1904
Branches documented in four additional cities
[1]The company had branches in Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia, and Toronto.
- 1903
Start of Ink Beasts advertising series
[1]Queen City began commissioning a notable series of colorful trade advertisements, many illustrated by Augustus L. Jansson.
- 1881
Fire damages New Court Street facility
[1]A fire caused damage at another Cincinnati facility.
- 1880
Fire at the Eighth Street establishment
[1]A minor fire was reported at the company's Cincinnati works.
- 1877
Queen City Printing Ink Company incorporated
[1]The successful Queen City Inks brand became the basis for the company's formal corporate name.
- 1860
Business established as DeGolyer & Rychen
[1]George H. DeGolyer and John Rychen established the Cincinnati printing-ink business that later became Queen City Printing Ink Company.
Products and positioning
A pioneering, large-scale Midwestern printing-ink manufacturer positioned around technical quality, dependable supply, broad newspaper coverage, and service to printers across the United States and Canada.
Printing inks
Queen City Inks
The company's principal branded family of printing inks. It included products for newspaper, magazine, and commercial printing and helped establish the Queen City name as the firm's corporate identity. The range was sold in quantities suited to both large newspaper plants and smaller printing operations.
Newspaper printing ink
Newsprint black ink
Black ink formulated for newspaper production and supplied in large quantities, including packages ranging from several pounds to several hundred pounds. It was a core industrial product for Queen City's newspaper customers in Cincinnati and other North American cities.
Magazine and commercial printing ink
Fine printing inks
Higher-grade inks intended for magazines and smaller or more refined printing jobs. These products were available in much smaller quantities than the company's newspaper inks, including packages for individual or specialized printers.
Marketing campaigns
- 1903Ink Beasts advertising series
United States · Canada
Queen City used colorful posters and magazine advertisements to promote its inks to printers and ink buyers. The campaign featured imaginative creatures associated with printing ink and appeared particularly in trade publications such as The Inland Printer.
Outcome. The advertisements became a distinctive example of industrial trade advertising and strengthened recognition of the Queen City brand among printing professionals.
Brand decisions
1928
Merged into International Printing Ink CorporationM&ABackground
The company operated in an increasingly consolidated printing-ink industry alongside Philip Ruxton Company and Ault & Wiborg Company.
Action taken
Queen City combined with the two other manufacturers to form International Printing Ink Corporation.
Aftermath
Queen City ceased to exist as an independent company, while the successor later became Interchemical Corporation.
1903
Invested in illustrated trade advertisingStrategyBackground
Printing inks were technical industrial products sold to a specialized professional audience.
Action taken
The company commissioned elaborate posters and magazine advertisements, including work by Augustus L. Jansson.
Aftermath
The resulting Ink Beasts imagery gave Queen City an unusually memorable identity in printing-industry advertising.
1877
Adopted the Queen City corporate identityStrategyBackground
The Queen City Inks product name had gained enough commercial traction to serve as the basis for the company's formal identity.
Action taken
DeGolyer & Rychen incorporated as Queen City Printing Ink Company.
Aftermath
The new name linked the corporate entity directly to its established product brand and Cincinnati identity.
Sources1 sources
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