Rexine Charts

Rexine is the registered trademark of an artificial leather leathercloth fabric produced in the United Kingdom by Rexine Ltd of Hyde, near Manchester, England. It was made of cloth surfaced with a mixture of cellulose nitrate, camphor oil, pigment and alcohol, embossed to look like leather.

Used as a bookbinding material and upholstery covering, Rexine was also widely used in trimming and upholstering the interiors of motor vehicles produced by British car manufacturers beginning in the 1920s, its cost being around a quarter that of leather. It was used by the British Motor Corporation in the 1960s and 70s, particularly as a covering for 'crash padding' on dashboards and doors. It was also used for British teddy bear paw and foot pads from the late 1930s to early 1960s.

The author George Orwell, writing in his wartime diary on April 29, 1942, reported on his visit to the British House of Lords: "Everything had a somewhat mangy look. Red rexine cushions on the benches - I could swear they used to be red plush at one time.