Plastics (1944)
A site dedicated to the history of the American Zylonite Company of Adams, Massachusetts, including history, photos of Zylonite products, texts of patents and information and photos about the subsequent history of the manufacturing site.
The site provides information on the history and design of Catalin radios, especially popular in the 1930s. Scores of photos of different models are included.
HCH mission is to educate its members and the public about horn working and its history. The HCH has over 300 members and publishes a newsletter called The Horn Book, which comes out three times per year. Archives of past newsletters and other historical notes can be found on the website, as well as information about current activities and events.
History of Invicta Plastics of England.
Good histories and lots of pictures of various radios that were designed and built using plastic casings and parts.
The Plastics Academy, Inc. was founded to administer and perpetuate the tradition of honoring individuals who have contributed significantly to the development of plastics or the plastics industry in the United States by inducting then into the Plastics Hall of Fame.
The Plastics Historical Society was formed in 1986 and was first to draw attention to the heritage of the plastics industry and to celebrate all things plastic. It is an independent society affiliated to the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining, 1 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5DB, UK and run by a committee elected at the AGM each year.
Hosted by the British Plastic Federation, this compilation is a source of vast information about plastics, with a good timeline of plastics history.
Plastic Warrior was launched in 1985 as a non-profit making newsletter with the aim of putting plastic soldier collectors in touch with each other at a time when the established modeling and collecting press ignored their interests.
A German site about early plastics, including publications and illustrations, with original plastic objects for sale.
A site dedicated to plastic dime store toys popular in the 1050 and 1960s. It includes extensive information on Islyn Thomas and the Thomas Manufacturing Company (makers of Thomas Toys) as well as other contemporary toymakers and their products. The site includes photos of hundreds of toys, as well as catalogues, advertisements and some company records.
National Museum of American History Blog Essay by curator Cory Bernat about Food Packaging.
This site offers extensive information on the history of Elisha and George Waters and Waters & Son boat builders of Troy, New York. In the 19rth century the Waters family patented and produced popular laminated paper boats and observatory domes, the forerunners of later laminated and reinforced plastic shells.
This site includes a wealth of information about melamine plastics, especially kitchenware.
Steve Davis' collection of 1930s and 40s Art Deco style radio, features stunningly crisp high resolution photos. The site showcases a range of models from manufacturers like General Electric, Fada, Truetone, Zenith, Emerson, and more. And it offers special sections on radios made with early trademarked plastic resins like Bakelite, Plaskon, Beetle, and Catalin. Also featured are some console and transistor radios, and early TV sets.
The Plastics Division of the American Chemistry Council (ACC) represents leading manufacturers of plastic resins.
The British Plastics Federation (BPF) is the leading trade association for the UK Plastic Industry, with over 400 members and 1200 affiliated members. Encompassing the whole plastic industry supply chain including raw material suppliers, processors, machinery suppliers and recyclers. BPF membership represents over 75% of the plastics industry by turnover.
Located in Philadelphia, the Chemical Heritage Foundation (CHF) is an independent, nonprofit organization that fosters an understanding of chemistry's impact on society. The foundation maintains major collections of instruments, fine art, photographs, papers, and books with a museum open to the public. CHC also host conferences and lectures, supports research, offers fellowships, and produces educational materials.
Serving the needs of the professionals representing all segments of the global plastics industry, plastics.com is the world's largest online plastics community with over 70,000 members. The website features technical advice, blogs, calendars, resources, articles, news, forums and a marketplace.
The Plastics Pioneers Association is an organization of individuals who are persons of accomplishment in the Plastics Industry, and who wish to foster the bonds of friendship and fraternalism among them. The objectives of the organization are to recognize achievements in the fields of plastics and/or polymer science, engineering, technology, education, sales/marketing, or management; to support industry-wide educational programs; and to promote the study and improvement of plastics and/or polymer science, engineering, and technology in the plastics industry.
A very good source on companies that recycle plastics and on the technologies and costs of plastic recycling.
The Society of Plastics Engineers is home to nearly 20,000 plastics professionals in more than 70 countries around the world. SPE is the "go to" resource for plastics technical information. The Website is an important portal to technical and professional information and resources.
SPI is the plastics industry trade association representing the third largest manufacturing industry in the United States. SPI's member companies represent the entire plastics industry supply chain, including processors, machinery and equipment manufacturers and raw materials suppliers. This is the primary industry website with up-to-date news on all aspects of plastics including economic, legal, health and political. The site links to directories, histories, guidelines, recommendations, studies, press materials and much more.
The Western Plastic Association (WPA) is a trade association dedicated to representing the broad interests of the Plastic Industry in the Western States and Canadian Provinces of North America. The association's goal is to unify the Industry and educate legislators and the public through programs and newsletters. WPA was created out of the trade organization, the California Film Extruders and Converters Association (CFECA). CFECA has been in existence since the 1970's and represented the interests of the film and bag industry in California and the Pacific Northwest for over 30 years. CFECA had many successes in the legislative arena, and provided its members with the opportunity to network on a monthly basis. The new name for CFECA, The Western Plastics Association, represents our expansion as a plastics trade association to all the sectors of the industry.
Filmmaker and photographer Reindert Groot has assembled collection of several thousand Bakelite articles, many of which have been the basis for important exhibitions. The well designed and well illustrated site has much important historical information about Leo Baekeland and the development of Bakelite.
The site provides links to several collectors sites with disparate information and varied photos of antique combs including many made of early plastics.
The Kunststoff-Museums-Verein (German Plastics Museum Society) in Dusseldorf possess over 10,000 plastic items which comprising one of Germany's most extensive collections. A selection of these objects can be referenced on-line as part of a virtual museum. The German Plastics Museum is also a mobile museum, mounting exhibits to unusual locations: A shopping mall, a foyer of a cinema, a banking institute or a town hall.
The Hagley Museum and Library located in Wilmington, Delaware, collects, preserves, and interprets the history of American enterprise. Its collections document the interaction between business and the cultural, social, and political dimensions of our society from the late 18th century to the present and include many items pertaining to the history of the plastics industry and the DuPont Company in particular. The library is organized into five departments: Manuscripts and Archives, Pictorial Collections, Imprints, Conservation, and the Center for the History of Business, Technology, and Society. Holdings comprise 34,000 linear feet in the Manuscripts and Archives Department, 2 million visual items in the Pictorial Collections Department, and 280,000 printed volumes in the Imprints Department.
The Museum for the History of Sciences of Ghent University organized in 2007 an exhibition about Leo Baekeland and Bakelite.
The focus of this EU-funded project is on art museum collections created with synthetic polymers (such as cellulose nitrate, cellulose acetate and poly(vinyl chloride) with a special interest in polyurethanes objects and the application of coatings) and will focus on three dimensional objects as these frequently exhibit physical degradation. The objective is to develop a European wide accepted strategy to improve conservation and maintenance of plastic objects in museum collections. Based on scientific studies and experiences gathered from partners, it is proposed to evaluate and establish recommended practices and risks associated for exhibiting, cleaning and restoring these artifacts.
Cannon-Sandretto Plastics Museum located in Pont Canavese, near Turin. It is the first Italian Museum of Plastics, founded in 1985. Today it houses more than 2,500 catalogued pieces. The Museum is a property of the Cannon Group, a leading manufacturer of industrial equipment for Plastics, Energy & Ecology, Aluminium Diecasting and Industrial Electronics. Hundreds of pieces from the permanent collection and storage areas can be viewed online. The website also has a display of 92 images of contemporary artwork made of plastic.
Website on German the exhibition Bakelit100 Kunststoff aus Erkner erobert die Welt (Bakelite100 plastic from Erkner conquers the world). The exhibition celebrates the centennial of German production of the world's first all-synthetic plastic in Erkner (Brandenburg). The Friends of Erkner Chemistry Museum Association organized an exhibition.
This extensive collection of antique radios includes beautiful photos and detailed historical descriptions. The site also provides answers to beginners' frequently asked questions, step-by-step restoration case studies, some vintage radio literature, and a vintage TV section.
A selection of 114 plastic dolls from the Wisconsin Historical Society's larger online collection of 1200 dolls.