MATERIAL MATTERS
The ‘material of 1,000 uses’ proved revolutionary in the early 20th century, and many Bakelite designs have retained an irresistible aesthetic appeal, reveals Jenny Oldaker
Why the appeal of revolutionary Bakelite endures
In today’s society, where plastic is widely reviled for its adverse environmental impact, it is di !cult to conceive of a time when the arrival of a new plastic would be celebrated. But, back in 1907, when the Belgian-American chemist Leo Baekeland created Bakelite – the "rst totally synthetic plastic – the world was eager to embrace this versatile new material. Baekeland patented his novel creation in 1909 and its enormous potential quickly became apparent. Hard, heat-resistant and easy to mould, Bakelite – the trade name for Baekeland’s phenolformaldehyde resin – was found to be useful for a huge number of items, from telephone and radio casing to billiard balls and kitchenware. Bakelite was marketed as ‘the material of 1,000 uses’ and lived up to this slogan. Patrick Cook, consultant in vintage design and plastics, and founder of the Bakelite Museum in Somerset, explains why: ‘ It really took the world by storm, enabling vast improvements in domestic, motor, electrical, health, communications industries and more,’ he reveals.
It also succeeded in overhauling accepted notions of design. ‘ The fact it was a material that required moulding, and
had to be successfully ‘released’ from the mould, dictated a reduction of ornament and excess detail, thereby concluding the excesses of Victorian design,’ says Patrick. ‘ The simpler the design, the stronger and more functional the product became.’
Fashionable Following
Bakelite can be tactile, colourful and fun, believes Patrick. However, its earliest incarnations were far from colourful (Bakelite was initially created in just black and brown). It wasn’t until the 1920s that it became available in a bright pale e of colours – particularly as other companies began to produce similar phenolic resins, such as Catalin and