9 2017
Old, Odd, Cool and Collectible advertising piece!!!!
History is shaped by the materials we develope and use.
The first plastic was celluloid, a hard permanent solid at room temps, when heated, it becomes soft and moldable.
Heat and pressure was applied to a mix of cellulose nitrate and camphor producing a useable plastic.
40 years later in 1907, Leo Backland found a formula which by adding formaldehyde created a moldable, heat resistant resin devoid of any significant color – in natural state bakelite is cloudy transparent amber.
Sawdust was added along with color ink/dye.
Today, plastics absorb colors readily and are easy to mold.
True bakelite can be tested by rubbing a tiny bit of simichrome polish on the surface with a cottonball. This extracts the formaldehyde and turns the cotton yellow.