Information On The History Of Plastics...Celluloid and Bakelite!

History of Plastics:
The first human-made plastic was invented by Alexander Parkes in 1855 [7]; he called this plastic Parkesine (later called celluloid). It was unveiled at the 1862 Great International Exhibition in London. The development of plastics has come from the use of natural plastic materials (e.g., chewing gum, shellac) to the use of chemically modified natural materials (e.g., rubber, nitrocellulose, collagen, galalite) and finally to completely synthetic molecules (e.g., bakelite, epoxy, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene).

Cellulose-based plastics
In 1855, an Englishman from Birmingham named Alexander Parkes developed a synthetic replacement for ivory which he marketed under the trade name Parkesine, and which won a bronze medal at the 1862 World's fair in London. Parkesine was made from cellulose (the major component of plant cell walls) treated with nitric acid and a solvent. The output of the process (commonly known as cellulose nitrate or pyroxilin) could be dissolved in alcohol and hardened into a transparent and elastic material that could be molded when heated.[8] By incorporating pigments into the product, it could be made to resemble ivory.

Bois Durci is a plastic moulding material based on cellulose. It was patented in Paris by Lepage in 1855. It is made from finely ground wood flour mixed with a binder, either egg or blood albumen, or gelatine. The wood is probably either ebony or rose wood, which gives a black or brown resin. The mixture is dried and ground into a fine powder. The powder is placed in a steel mould and compressed in a powerful hydraulic press whilst being heated by steam. The final product has a highly polished finish imparted by the surface of the steel mould.

Bakelite
Main article: Bakelite
The first plastic based on a synthetic polymer was made from phenol and formaldehyde, with the first viable and cheap synthesis methods invented in 1909 by Leo Hendrik Baekeland, a Belgian-born American living in New York state. Baekeland was searching for an insulating shellac to coat wires in electric motors and generators. He found that mixtures of phenol (C6H5OH) and formaldehyde (HCOH) formed a sticky mass when mixed together and heated, and the mass became extremely hard if allowed to cool. He continued his investigations and found that the material could be mixed with wood flour, asbestos, or slate dust to create "composite" materials with different properties. Most of these compositions were strong and fire resistant. The only problem was that the material tended to foam during synthesis, and the resulting product was of unacceptable quality.

Baekeland built pressure vessels to force out the bubbles and provide a smooth, uniform product. He publicly announced his discovery in 1912, naming it bakelite. It was originally used for electrical and mechanical parts, finally coming into widespread use in consumer goods in the 1920s. When the Bakelite patent expired in 1930, the Catalin Corporation acquired the patent and began manufacturing Catalin plastic using a different process that allowed a wider range of coloring.

Bakelite was the first true plastic. It was a purely synthetic material, not based on any material or even molecule found in nature. It was also the first thermosetting plastic. Conventional thermoplastics can be molded and then melted again, but thermoset plastics form bonds between polymers strands when cured, creating a tangled matrix that cannot be undone without destroying the plastic. Thermoset plastics are tough and temperature resistant.

Bakelite was cheap, strong, and durable. It was molded into thousands of forms, such as cases for radios, telephones and clocks, and billiard balls. The U.S. government even considered making one-cent coins out of it when World War II caused a copper shortage.[citation needed]

Phenol-based ("Phenolic") plastics have been largely replaced by cheaper and less brittle plastics, but they are still used in applications requiring their insulating and heat-resistant properties. For example, some electronic circuit boards are made of sheets of paper or cloth impregnated with phenolic resin.

Phenolic sheets, rods and tubes are produced in a wide variety of grades under various brand names. The most common grades of industrial phenolic are Canvas, Linen and Paper.

(I have more on the industrial use.) This is very informative! Thank you wikipedia! :O)

So, celluloid was used for jewelry in the early 1900's, but it is more flammable! Plastic progressed to bakelite, used for household items in the 1920's, then to catalin in 1930, when the company was sold.
(I'll add jewelry photos soon!)

New Facebook Fan Page For Luv2LuvAntiques.com

Please 'Like' my fan page for Luv2LuvAntiques.com : Luv2LuvAntiques Facebook Fan Page

Vintage Japanese With A Twist!

I keep finding wonderful things at estate sales! What is really interesting was a sale where I found several vintage items that were directly from Japan, brought to Texas by a world traveller!
The twist is that when you purchase items made in Japan in the U.S.A., they are stamped Japan, or Made In Japan. When a visitor to Japan purchases products not designed for export, they are unmarked.
I have a gorgeous 7 piece Japanese Salad Bowl Set listed at
Luv2Luv Antiques that was a direct purchase in Japan!


Vintage 1950s Japanese Salad Bowl Set

Old Fashioned Charm.Com's Blog Is Up And Running!

Come and follow my second website's blog...Old Fashioned Charm.Com
and see how a 'picker' got lucky and found antique treasure!

Vintage Country Cottage In The Woods

Vintage Country Cottage was the fourth theme idea that I had for my vintage and antiques websites, but I just needed the proper site banner. On one of my estate sale jaunts, I found the perfect framed vintage print of a country cottage with surrounding gardens...my dream of heaven!
And of course I had always liked vintage photos of ladies in their turn of the century garb (now last century!), so I thought a couple of younger ladies would look very much at home there! Vintage wreath and floral wallpaper, with the young ladies, some victrola music, and my direct links to the store, and other sites, welcome you on the main page.
At 'Cottage Comforts' you will find comfy handmade pillows.
'Linens and Lace' has dresser scarves, table runners, doilies, and lacy items for your perusal.
'Delectable Decorations' is where you will find pitchers, vases, vanity/candy dishes, and cake plates, to name a few.
'Gran's Kitchen' holds vintage linens, such as aprons, tea towels, tablecloths, and curtains, cups and saucers, serving dishes, and much, much more!



1940s Ladies Cotton Voile Butterfly Cocktail Apron at Gran's Kitchen


'Country Trappings' is where the down home country look can be found, such as a chenille country horse.



Vintage Chenille Bedspread Country Horse at Country Trappings


So...come down to my little Vintage Country Cottage in the woods, sit and visit a spell, and see what is going on in 'Gran's Kitchen'!

The Vintage Crows Nest...

I have always had a luv of the sea and all things nautical! I'm very interested in the denizens of the deep, and those that wash up on the seashore!
On my third website, I want to feature unique things from vintage 1970's, all the way back to antiques from Victorian times, that have to do with the sea!
On the front page of the site you can see the site banner, which is U.S. Coast Guard life rings laid against a hammock, on the side of my back yard fence. Believe it or not...these were discards of my neighbor!
Next is a slideshow of photos taken at Mustang Island, of Bob Hall Pier. My Kodak Easyshare Camera was the best thing I could ever have purchased! All you have to do is point and click, according to my son! LOL
The background on the main page was made from a photo of my Wilendur Lobster towel, that I faded out...the photo...not the tea towel! LOL
The direct links to some of the listings are next. You can click on them and go directly to the item. Or, you can use the shop entrance on the banner at the top.
Then I have my email link, and links to my three other websites, and a link to the second page for my favorite links. The music player features a vintage song for your enjoyment!
The second page features a background from one of my beach photos...the waves and sand on the beach! The banner at the top has only one life ring, and the slideshow features photos of a really neat shop on Padre Island!
Another slideshow I made up features a seashell frame with a vintage 1950s couple from a Coca Cola ad. My email life ring, another favorite beach photo, links to the Vintage Tablecloth Lovers Club, Lace Fairy, Sherry's (Ebay ID - Vintagetresors) Vintage Barkcloth Style Names, links to other favorite sellers, and another player with a vintage sea related song, follow!
I had so much fun designing this website! And it gives me much satisfaction to see my ideas starting to come together, especially as I learned each step of the way!
So visit Captain Kidd's Treasure Chest for your favorite costume jewels, Anne Bonny's Booty for knick knacks for your home, Jean Lafitte's Galley for kitchenware, items, and vintage linens, Calico Jack Rackham's Locker for all your clothing needs (whether it be a bathrobe, belt, hat, or scarf), Henry Morgan's Cantina for all your barware needs, Black Beard's Cabin for everything you would find in a captain's cabin...(ie. vintage seashell mirror), and much, much more to come!



Vintage Nautical Tea Towel at Jean Lafitte's Galley



Vintage Nautical Bathrobe at Calico Jack Rackham's Locker

Old Fashioned Charm.com would not wait!

Even before I had completed the two pages of www.luv2luvantiques.com, www.oldfashionedcharm.com became a reality. The picture of the Victorian Lady stood out in my mind, and I remembered my Gramma, and Grampa, in Edwardian clothing...
I must have a site that I could put vintage and antiques, from the '50's all the way back to the Victorian times...a good mixture of the family tree, so to speak! I decided to make it all flowery, and feminine, as there is at least a bit of that in every female!
I hope to showcase things my, and my husband's, aunts, uncles, parents, and grandparents use to value, or have in their time! Take a look at the shop categories, and you will see what I mean...
And I will also have a second page there, for my favorite sellers, and sites.
These beautiful 1800's Victorian Pink "Fish", Cased Glass, Salt and Pepper Shakers, from the Consolidated Lamp and Glass Company, are an excellent example of gorgeous Victoriana!



Antique Victorian Pink Fish Salt and Pepper Shakers at Miss Margaret's Dining Table