Bakelite: A Revolutionary Early Plastic
Text by Lloyd Fadem and Stephen Z. Fadem, M.D.
IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE that one can combine two
unlikely substances like carbolic acid and formaldehyde to produce a beautiful
and versatile substance such as phenolic resin or "Bakelite," a
revolutionary, non-flammable, early plastic. "The material of a thousand
uses," as it was called, made a splash in the 1920s, '30s and '40s.
Around the turn of the century, the Belgian born scientist Dr. Leo
Baekeland, working as an independent chemist, came upon the compound quite by
accident. Anyone familiar with the newspaper printing business is aware of the
Velox used as a proof; that was his first discovery. Velox was invented in 1899
and is still in use today. After selling the rights to this product to Eastman
Kodak for three quarters of a million dollars, he started developing a less
flammable bowling alley floor shellac; bowling was becoming the latest rage in
New York City. Dr. Baekeland soon realized that a resin that was both insoluable
and infusible could have a much wider appeal when used as a molding compound. He
obtained a patent and started the Bakelite Corporation around 1910.
Phenolic resin could be produced in a multitude of colors, commonly yellow,
brown, butterscotch, green and red. Ommitting the pigment could produce a
transparent or translucent effect. The resin could be molded or cast, depending
on variations in the formula. For molding, the formula was cooked until
resinous, spread out in thin sheets to harden, then ground to a fine
consistency. At this point, powdered fillers and pigment were added, to enable
the resin to be molded and to add color. This mixture was then put through hot
rollers which created large sheets of colored, hardened resin. These sheets were
then ground into a very fine powder which was molded under high heat and
pressure into the final product form. As a molded material the resin's drawback
was the limited range of colors which could be created. For casting, the formula
was modified slightly, enabling the resin to be poured into lead molds and then
cured in ovens until it polymerized into a hard substance. The liquid resin
could be tinted to any color or "marbelized" by mixing two colors
together.
For the first ten years or so after its introduction, the resin was used
primarily to make electrical and automobile insulators and heavy industrial
products. Eventually, uses for the resin spread into the consumer market.
Castings were made in the shape of cylinders or blocks, and then sold to novelty
and jewelry makers. Industrial designers began experimenting with the new
material. Fine craftsmen sculpted the molded products on fast wheels with
razor-like tools to carve out designs that the world has not seen since; after
World War II, most companies switched to creating designs through the use of
patterned molds, instead of hand-carving. Bakelite replaced flammable celluloid,
previously the most popular synthetic material for molded items, as a major
substance for jewelry production.
The process to the collector of today may not be significant, as Bakelite is
now treasured for its unique, unreproducible beauty. A deeply carved half inch
bangle bracelet may sell for $225.00, and a two and one half inch bangle may
command $900.00. Bakelite often acquires a patina within a few months to a few
years of its date of production, and metamorphisizes into a completely different
appearing color. The red, white and blue Bakelite designs of yesterday have
mellowed into lovely yellows, reds and blacks, enhancing further the value of
those rare pieces which have continued to maintain their original color and
luster.
Bakelite's many uses allowed it to become a standard item in the family home
of the 1930s and 1940s. It was frequently found in the kitchen, in the form of
flatware handles, rabbit or chicken napkin holders, salt and pepper shakers, or
serving trays. During the Depression Bakelite sold more than any other
commercial product, and was loved by the public for its brilliant and cheerful
colors and its affordability.
When the Bakelite patent expired in 1927, it was acquired by the Catalin
Corporation that same year. They began mass production under the name "Catalin,"
using the cast resin formula which enabled Catalin to add 15 new colors to the
original five produced by the Bakelite Corporation, which used the limited color
range molded formula, as well as the now-famous marbelized effect. One of their
most notable products was the Fada bullet radio. The Catalin Corporation was
responsible for nearly 70% of all phenolic resins that exist today.
Bakelite-Catalin was sold mostly by Saks Fifth Avenue, B. Altman and Bonwit
Teller, but was also on the shelves of F.W. Woolworth and Sears. To the wealthy
socialites, whose husbands had fallen on tough times during the Depression, with
Tiffany diamonds and Cartier jewelry now well beyond their means, the vibrantly
colorful carved jewelry adorned with rhinestones became de riguer for cocktail
parties and formal dinners. Yet, Catalin and Bakelite were within everyone's
reach with Depression prices ranging from twenty cents to three dollars. Diana
Vreeland, editor of Vogue, often spoke of the versatility of Bakelite, as did
Elsa Schiaparelli, who was constantly contracting with the Bakelite and Catalin
Corporations for exclusive buttons for her dress designs.
But in 1942 Bakelite and Catalin suspended sales of their colorful cylinders
to costume jewelry manufacturers in order to concentrate on the wartime needs of
a nation which had totally shifted its focus. Defense phones and aviator
goggles, as well as thousands of other Bakelite products, found their way to
armed forces around the world. The scheme shifted from the 200 vibrant colors
which brightened the dark days of the Depression to basic black, the no-nonsense
symbol of a nation at war. By the end of the war, new technology had given birth
to injection-molded plastics, and most manufacturers switched to less
labor-intensive and more practical means of developing products. The next
generation of plastics had been born - lucite, fiberglass, vinyl and acrylic -
and they were molded into products commonplace in our everyday lives today.
Bakelite and Catalin became obsolete, but survive in the hearts of
collectors who hunt flea markets, swap meets and antique shows for the
Depression treasures of a generation now consigned to the pages of history.
Bakelite was given a boost in the mid-1970s by artist, photographer, and flea
market icon Andy Warhol who fell in love with Bakelite carvings and whimsical
Martha Sleeper pins, and amassed one of the largest collections.
Upon Warhol's untimely death in 1987, Bakelite reached the high prices which
it ironically had never been able to command during its peak in the Depression.
It is still quite possible and most exciting to discover that a deeply carved
bracelet or a Martha Sleeper designed pin purchased for $10.00 in a junk shop
has a real value between $900.00 and $1,500.00!
In conclusion, Bakelite, an early plastic, represented an affordable
solution for a unique and short time in history when a nation hinged on the edge
of economic disaster and needed a cheerful substitute for the lost elegance of
the 1920s. Now, while its usefulness as a practical product has long been
replaced, Bakelite exists as a treasure. The prospective collector should
acquire a sense and appreciation for Bakelite's true value, and a network of
reliable dealers to purchase from.!!
Bakelite Buttons
Red Bakelite Buttons
Yellow Bakelite Buttons
Bakelite Button Collection
