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POLYMER

@polymer330

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The City of Akron Hates History

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Lighter—Than—Air is now available online at TOA

Link within @polymer330 bio taken in Akron, Ohio by @polymer330

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5 months ago

polymerskateboarding.com by @polymer330

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a month ago

In @jake_grella_‘s closing part from Lighter—Than—Air, The historic Goodyear Research Laboratory makes a few appearances.

Conceived by Paul Weeks Litchfield during World War II, the laboratory opened in 1943 and helped advance synthetic rubber research amid the global shortage of natural rubber. Its distinctive U-shaped brick and stone design is adorned with 54 ancient alchemical symbols.

“Along the edges of the tower and the other walls, there is a series of stone symbols taken from ancient alchemy. Here are the symbols for air, fire, earth, and water, which, according to the ancient Greeks, were the four basic elements out of which the whole universe was built. Here also are the symbols for sulphur, mercury and salt, the three elements which the Arabian scientists of the Middle Ages added to the four of the Greeks, and likewise the alchemical symbols for a number of metals and other substances, including the one for “gumma” , as rubber once was called.” -David Dietz, 1943

The Akron industrialist, and Polymer favorite, Paul Weeks Litchfield is eternalized in bronze, standing proudly on his granite pedestal. In 1962, four years after his death, the statue was erected to honor one of the greatest minds in the company’s history. Honored here for his accomplishments as Chairman, President, and the first CEO of Goodyear Rubber & Tire Co. A visionary leader who spearheaded scientific innovation during one of the industry’s most critical eras. The plaque reads:
“President 1926-1940
Chairman of the Board 1930-1958
Leader of Industry, World Citizen, Pioneer in Human Relations. He joined Goodyear, July 15th 1900, and guided the company to world leadership in the Rubber Industry.”

Litchfield watches over @nathan.morley as he nose manuals the slanted granite slab in a session with Jake. As seen in the Akron Montage from LTA.

Illustrations by Theodore Kautzky.
Skate photo by @mijomarc. taken in Akron, Ohio by @polymer330

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2 months ago

It’s an Ohio thing by @polymer330

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2 months ago

by @polymer330

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3 months ago

@need_skateboarding_akron by @polymer330

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New apparel out now
polymerskateboarding.com by @polymer330

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3 months ago

In November 2022, The Akron City Council unanimously voted for demolition of the former B.F. Goodrich power plant and its iconic smokestacks.

The B.F. Goodrich smokestacks stood as a fixture of Akron's skyline from 1920 to 2024. These towers supplied steam, heat, and electricity to what was once the world's largest rubber factory. As the first rubber company founded in Akron, B.F. Goodrich helped establish the city as the Rubber Capital of the World, making the loss of these iconic stacks a significant blow to Akron's industrial heritage.

“The term Rust Belt, I’m not sure that term really applies any more to a lot of the midwest. Most of the rusted factories have been bulldozed and are gone.”
-David Means, author taken in Akron, Ohio by @polymer330

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New gear 7/24/26 taken in Akron, Ohio by @polymer330

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New gear 7/24/26 by @polymer330

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3 months ago

Titles from Lighter—Than—Air. Video available in full. Link in bio. taken in Akron, Ohio by @polymer330

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5 months ago

@Michaelcohill back 5-0s the plaque of Dale Chihuly’s Polymer sculpture outside of the Goodyear Polymer Center at the University of Akron, one of the most recognizable buildings in Akron’s skyline.

Designed by architect Richard Fleischman, the Polymer building was finished in 1991 and marked a shift from Akron’s rubber manufacturing past to it’s future as a hub in Northeast Ohio’s “Polymer Valley”. A natural progression since rubber was the first polymer.

In 2005, a 30 foot polyurethane and stainless-steel sculpture by artist Dale Chihuly was installed outside of the building. 83 individual forms mounted to a central armature stretch to the sky. Polymers, reimagined as public art.

Polymer isn’t just a name. It’s where we’re from.

1. @michaelcohill 📷 @braun.dv
2. @michaelcohill from “Lighter—Than—Air” 🎥 @braun.dv
3. Above angle of Dale Chihuly’s Polymer sculpture
4. Timelapse of sculpture being built
5. Plaque of sculpture
6. The Goodyear Polymer Center upon completion 1991
7. Preliminary sketch of the building by architect Richard Fleischman
8. Polymer Center under construction
9. Airships over Polymer Center 2002
10-11. Pages from Fleischman’s book “Spaces To Be Shared”
12. Synthetic rubber plaque outside the Polymer Center
13. @michaelcohill 📷 @braun.dv taken in Goodyear Polymer Center by @polymer330

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