author
Maximilian Toch
1864–1946
A paint chemist, manufacturer, and art expert, he brought practical science into everyday materials and even contributed a concrete filler method used in the construction of the Panama Canal. His writing made the chemistry of paints and permanent artistic materials accessible to both industry professionals and artists.
1 Audiobook
How to paint permanent pictures
by Maximilian Toch
About the author
Born in New York in 1864, Maximilian Toch became an American industrial chemist and paint manufacturer whose work connected laboratory science with the real-world problems of buildings, coatings, and art materials. He is remembered for developing a concrete filler method that was used in the construction of the Panama Canal, and for serving in leadership roles in New York paint and varnish firms.
Toch was also known as an expert on painting materials and authenticity, which gave his career an unusual mix of industry and art. His books and manuals focused on paints, varnishes, and durable artistic materials, helping manufacturers, artists, dealers, and collectors better understand how those materials behaved over time.
That combination of technical knowledge and plainspoken explanation made him a distinctive figure in early twentieth-century American chemistry. Even now, he stands out as someone who treated paint not just as a product, but as a subject where science, craft, and art all met.