Respected leather technician dies
24/05/2017
Debansu Dasgupta, known to many as David Dasgupta, also wrote a book on leather technology and was an avid reader of World Leather.
After graduating from the Bengal Leather College, he began his career at Shaw Mills tannery in Harrogate in the 1950s. After a stint at the Kanpur Tannery And Footwear Corporation Of India, he moved to Ireland to manage the Monaghan Tannery owned by Geoffrey Dickinson. There, he made leather for shoe suppliers including the Clarks factory at Dundalk.
“He was always studying how to improve the quality of leather, going deeply into the chemistry,” said his son, Robin Dasgupta. “He had a good relationship with the top European chemical companies of that time. He would never blindly use a chemical, he would understand the chemistry of the products and then determine its application.”
When the Monaghan Tannery closed in the 1970s he returned to India to launch the Tower Tanning Company, supplying to Ecco and Hush Puppies.
“I learnt from him the value of innovation,” added Robin. “He would constantly run the experimental drum, giving new ideas and leather a platform for development.”
He finally moved back to Kolkata where, as member of the Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists, his expertise was called on until his death.
“During the last few years he was very much involved in developing vegetable tanned leathers with a technician called Chandan Dutta and tannery owner Mr Haque. Every Wednesday he would sit with them and discuss the leather processes and motivate them to face the challenges the industry threw at them,” said Robin.
A condolence meeting was held at the local Leather College in his honour after he passed away earlier this year.
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