ARTICLE - A PLASTIC WORLD
Impossible as it is for us to imagine a world without plastic, there was a time when its use was not only rare but also incredibly hazardous, and we owe today’s conveniences to yesteryear’s undaunted inventors whose efforts resulted in plastic being voted one of the top 100 news events of last century. Plastic is a hugely popular collectable in the antiques world. From radios Vulcanite: A combination of natural rubber and sulphur. It was developed by American Charles Goodyear (of Goodyear Tyres fame) in 1839, and patented four years later. Almost always black, although it could be coloured with the addition of dyes and shellacs to the surface, vulcanite was used largely in the manufacture of jewellery and other small items. Parkesine: An organic material created when cellulose nitrate was dissolved in solvent. Parkesine was introduced by its inventor, Englishman Alexander Parkes, at the 1862 London International Exhibition, where he won an ‘award for excellence’. Although not specifically a scientist, Parkes worked in the area of rubber manufacture during the discovery of vulcanisation and the introduction of the first plant machines. He was interested in developing a cheaper rubber substitute to supply a market that was already rapidly growing. Parkesine could be heated and moulded, but would retain its shape once it was cooled; it could also be carved. It could be transparent or coloured, and according to its inventor it was indeed cheaper than rubber. However, just two years after he established the Parkesine Company, Parkes was forced to close due to financial failure. Celluloid: Derived from cellulose and alcoholised camphor. Originally Xylonite: An organic material almost identical to Parkesine, xylonite was developed by Daniel Spill, an associate of Alexander Parkes. Introduced to the market in 1869, and used for the commercial manufacture for products such as combs, cuffs, collars and dressing table ware, the company of Daniel Spill & Co went bankrupt in 1874 but Spill continued production of the plastic under the British Xylonite Company, formed in 1877. Casein: Milk protein combined with formaldehyde. First exhibited at the 1900 Paris Exposition under the name of galalith, casein was created by adding resin to fat-free milk; the resulting curds were dried, processed and coloured before being extruded into rods and sheets and hardened in formaldehyde. It could be easily coloured by adding surface dyes, and was a popular plastic for the manufacture of buttons, buckles, fountain pens, knitting needles and dressing table ware. Frenchman E.O. Weekes, who was awarded a Legion of Honour by the French government for his work in improving casein manufacture following the Second World War, wrote: ‘…there can be no doubt that casein is the king of material for buttons. No other material can approach it for beauty, for polish, or for its silky, satisfying touch.’ Bakelite: A polymer of formaldehyde and phenol. Bakelite was discovered by Belgian-born New York scientist Dr Leo Hendrik Baekeland in 1909. Baekeland had already invented Velox photographic paper, for which the Kodak Company paid him US$750,000; a man of independent means, he established the Bakelite Corporation in 1910 after obtaining a patent. ‘Before the end of 1907,’ he wrote, ‘I had started the limited scale production of the new material, but in 1910 I established the General Bakelite Company for the production of the new synthetic resin. From the United States the new industry spread very quickly to the other industrial countries.’ For the first ten years of operation the company manufactured industrial products, with production of Bakelite jewellery beginning in the early 1920s. Although the jewellery could be made in a variety of colours, yellow, The plastic was widely used in the manufacture of radios, kitchen utensils, dinnerware, telephones, pens, early car parts and even dice, and was a key ingredient in the manufacture of weaponry, but became obsolete after the Second World War when a new generation of plastics emerged. Catalin: A similar material to Bakelite, catalin was introduced in 1927 after the expiry of the Bakelite patent. The Catalin Corporation was able to add a range of fifteen colours to their catalin plastic, in addition to those already available for Bakelite. Catalin was used extensively for the casing of radios, replacing the more traditional wooden cases. Lucite: A methyl methacrylate (resin). Developed by chemists at DuPont in 1937, lucite was stronger than previous plastics. Ranging from opaque to transparent, available in almost any colour and resistant to UV rays, it was further developed into Plexiglas, with both plastics being used extensively for war supplies. Lucite was used in the manufacture of jewellery and handbags after World War Two, reaching its peak of popularity in the late 1940s and 1950s. What’s the difference?
The price of plastic If it’s quirky and in good condition, there’s no telling how much plastic someone might be prepared to flash to own it. In late 2006 a set of six 1930s to ‘50s Bakelite and plastic table lamps sold for an amazing $5000, against an upper estimate of $500; and a chromium plated Bakelite and glass lamp by Joseph Lucas Ltd doubled expectations to sell for $3250. Last year a shagreen and Bakelite mounted cigarette/cigar box with a fitted interior sold for five times its estimate at $1250, and in April this year a Marquett Bakelite type 63 radio receiver was bid to $2000 against an upper estimate of $300. This information appeared in Issue 28 of Antiques and Collectables for Pleasure & Profit.
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to handbags, buttons to
napkin rings, vintage plastic is sought after by collectors across many demograhics. But what do you really know about the development of this wonder material and the people behind it? Read on to find out…
developed in the UK in
the 1850s but first commercialised by American John Wesley Hyatt in 1868, jewellery made from celluloid was popular during the Art Deco period. It is usually lighter and thinner than its Bakelite cousin, and will often crack if subjected to very
high temperatures (which in itself is not a good idea as it is also highly flammable). Celluloid was used as a substitute for ivory in the manufacture of billiard balls, but more famously became the medium for the first flexible photographic film
used for motion pictures and still photography. It was the world’s first thermoplastic: a material that could be moulded under heat and pressured into a shape that was retained once the plastic was cooled. It was also widely used in the
manufacture of dental impressions, replacing vulcanised rubber which was far more expensive. Between the late 1800s and the 1940s literally millions of buttons were made from celluloid, which was also used in the manufacture of dolls, hair
accessories, mirrors, hat pins, toys, fountain pens, knife handles and letter openers, to name just a few.
butterscotch, brown, green and
red were the most common. Marbled items – two colours mixed together – were popular; Bakelite could also be transparent. Unchangeable once it was firmly set, the plastic would not boil, burn, melt or dissolve in standard solvent or acid. It is
electrically resistant, chemically stable, heat-resistant, shatterproof, and will not crack, fade or discolour from exposure to sunlight.
