LIVE24SEVEN // Fashion, Health & Beauty


A Buyer’s Guide PLASTIC FANTASTIC!


Although plastic-like materials had existed in the 19th century, it wasn’t until 1907 that Belgian chemist Dr Leo Hendrik Baekeland, perfected the combination of two commonly found chemicals to create the first truly synthetic plastic. Marketed as ‘the material of a thousand uses’, the resilient product lived up to its name and revolutionised the world, being used in homes and factories, on clothes and even in motor cars.Today's collectors tend to regard Bakelite as a generic term for both this and the other related plastics discovered in the inter war years.


The big attraction for most collectors is the sheer variety available from cameras to cocktail shakers and tape measures to table tennis bats. In short, there appears to be little in either domestic or decorative products which this wonder material failed to infiltrate. Easily and economically moulded and coloured, Bakelite is most commonly found in a mottled brown colour, but can also be found in black or creamy white. Harder to find and more desirable to collectors are the brighter colours of mottled green, blue and red. One good way to identify Bakelite is to rub it hard with your finger until warm. This creates a ‘phenolic’ chemical smell, not unlike mothballs.


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Collectors are most likely to come across objects made for the home. Most of these are functional, and can include kitchenalia such as pots, cups, toast racks, and even light switches and door handles. Desk accessories are also commonly found and can fetch more. Prices remain very affordable, ranging from a couple of pounds upwards, depending on size, colour and the type of object.


COLLECTORS ARE MOST LIKELY TO COME ACROSS OBJECTS


MADE FOR THE HOME. MOST OF THESE ARE FUNCTIONAL, AND CAN INCLUDE KITCHENALIA


SUCH AS POTS, CUPS, TOAST RACKS, AND EVEN LIGHT


SWITCHES AND DOOR HANDLES ❞


But it’s colour and style that really make collectors’ reach for their wallets. The 1920s and 30s were undoubtedly the ‘golden age’ of plastics, which exploded in a rainbow of different colours and types, both led by the fashionable Art Deco style of the period. Think clean geometric lines, stepped sides, bright greens, reds and yellows, and shiny chrome.


SO WHAT TO BUY….. The celebrated jeweller and glass maker Rene Lalique


experimented with designs for a square powder box moulded with cherries. Found in red and black and valued at £400-£500. The heat and electrical resistant properties of this early plastic was not lost on the industrial designers of the day. The US designer Walter Dorwin Teague was keen to introduce streamline elements and his rocket shape vacuum cleaner could be yours for about £150.


Desk fans when found in working order are always popular; the most desirable at £200 is the EMI Bandelero complete with cloth safety blades. The 'picnic' appears to have enjoyed a particular popularity during the inter war years. Enter the Bakelite Thermos Flask, prices start at £20 up to £80 for an


Where would we be today without plastic? Just think of how many plastic things you handle from the moment you wake up. First there’s your alarmclock, then your toothbrush, and of course your computer and mobile phone. Plastic is everywhere, and in a way that's thanks to the success of Bakelite.


BG


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