We hope you are staying healthy and safe... |
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NEWSLETTER TABLE OF CONTENTS
- Pandemic suspends public screenings, opening up new possibilities
- Thailand television uses ATB footage
- Podcast at the Goethe Institute – Bakelite and other inventions
- DVDs selling at Bakelite exhibition in Vienna, Austria
- Videos added to website and YouTube channel
- Nancy Byck Welch Collection update
- William Bregar, writer for Plastics News passes away
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Exploring ways to show our film
The pandemic has suspended public screenings and our national public television contract is ending spring 2021. Also, we've had several requests to view the film via internet streaming. These circumstances lead us to seek other options for showing the film. We are now talking with companies to make it available on the internet through various platforms. We also intend to make it available on our website. We will keep you posted.
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ATB footage used in STEM television broadcast in Thailand |
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Earlier this year, the STEM Team at the Royal Thai Army Radio and Television Channel asked if they could use specific footage from ATB in a TV program for the National Science Museum (NSM) under the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation of Thailand. We authorized the right to reproduce, adapt and publicly distribute the selected footage. In July, "STEM one day one word toward Thailand 4.0” was broadcast on the Royal Thai Army Radio and Television Channel, and MOST Channel (YouTube). The L.H. Baekeland Project, LLC will be credited.
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Bakelite and other plastics -
from problem solver to problematic.
Podcast from the Goethe Institute
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Veronica Zaragovia, a writer from the Goethe Institute asked for permission to include a section of ATB in her podcast. She claims many inventions solve problems, but the inventors can’t foresee the consequences. In our film, we maintain the invention of Bakelite was the result of well thought out processes, and Baekeland didn’t consider how later plastics would be so ubiquitous and problematic.
Featured are Wolfgang Meyer, President and Owner of Plastic Business Consultants and President of the Plastics Pioneers Association, Susan Freinkel, author of “Plastic, a Toxic Love Story”, Susan Mossman, Vice-Chair of The Plastics Historical Society, London, Shelley Wilks Geehr, Director at the Science History Institute, Philadelphia, Joris Mercelis, Professor at John’s Hopkins University, author of “Beyond Bakelite” and Stephanie Kwollek, inventor of Kevlar.
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DVDs of our film are available for sale in the MAK Museum Design Shop |
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The MAK Museum in Vienna, Austria is exhibiting historical Bakelite items from the Georg Kargl Collection through October this year. Find out more.
DVDs of our film will be for sale at the MAK Design Shop. We deeply appreciate Mr. Mario Piskor, Head of the Design Shop for his assistance in making this happen.
A side-story is that Austrian born, Katarina Posch, former Professor of the History of Design at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, who appears in our film is now living in Vienna. We hope she will visit the exhibition and give us a review.
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Videos added to our website and YouTube Channel |
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We’ve added some videos with the others already posted to the Gallery section of our website and on our Youtube Channel The L.H. Baekeland Project, LLC. One of them, an interview with Hugh’s uncle, Peter Baekeland Roll, is only available on the website.
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Cornelia "Dicki" Bagoratti Interview
Dicki, George Baekeland's daughter, recounts her memories of LHB's homes, Snug Rock and The Anchorage and her grandmother, Céline Baekeland.
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Music videos from All Things Bakelite |
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In 2014, ATB Director, John Maher, Composer, Marty Fegy and Shaun Branigan of Esther’s Follies, a comedy troupe in Austin, Texas wrote three satirical songs for our film related to Bakelite and plastics. They are performed by Esther’s Follies founder, Shannon Sedwick and cast members Ellana Kelter, Nathalie Holmes and Shaun Branigan on the Follies stage.
Plastic Dream is launched by the line… “Leo leaned against a doorway to a wide-open world…”. The song expresses the exuberant beauty and intrinsic value of plastic.
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Drastic Plastic expresses the negative aspects of this material. The song follows the shot of a flaming plastic garment bag dripping molten plastic.
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Future Strange raises questions about the effect of plastic on people now and in the future. “Even body parts are plastic”.
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Video interviews you may have missed |
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The UCC/Dow Chemical Roundtable
A research session guided by John Maher with employees of the Bound Brook facility. Much of the discussion led to writing the script for ATB. Two of the participants are featured in the film.
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John Maher interviews Joseph Zuccarelli
Joe gives a lively account of working in Human Resources at the Perth Amboy, New Jersey plant in the 1930s and in security at Bound Brook.
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Loretta Gardner Interview
Loretta worked in product quality control for the Bakelite Corporation and Union Carbide.
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Nancy Byck, Three Interviews
The daughter of Lawrence Byck, chemist hired by LHB in 1910 and worked at Bound Brook until his death in 1957. Nancy shares memories about her father, his early 1920s Bakelite jewelry business, Embed Art and her visit to LHB's Florida home, The Anchorage.
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Remembering The Anchorage
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Nancy Byck Welch Collection |
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As featured in previous newsletters, work continues on the inventory of Nancy’s collection. The images created by John Maher, Craig Mikhitarian and Burk Wagner are being selected and categorized by Marc and Hugh. The final inventory will be viewable on our website. |
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Two pages from the Embed Art jewelry catalogue |
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Bakelite Embedded Silhouette, Parakeet pendants and a Paperweight |
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Bill Bregar, writer for Plastics News passes away |
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Plastics News photo by Caroline Seidel |
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William “Bill” Bregar, senior reporter for the industry magazine, Plastics News and a big fan of Leo Baekeland, Bakelite, and our film, unexpectedly passed away in April 2020. He was 58. We are truly saddened by his passing.
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In April 2020, Plastics News celebrated Bill’s life with, “Memories of Bill Bregar”. Jim Johnson, former staff reporter at PN commented: “Bill had a strong interest in the history of plastics and the movers and shakers who helped shape the industry. He saw it as his duty to pay respects to those in the industry who passed by writing their obituaries for Plastics News. And now it's time to do the same for Bill.”
We are truly grateful to Don Loepp, Editor at Plastics News for his kind assistance in presenting our tribute to Bill.
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All Things Bakelite: The Age of Plastic
Official Trailer
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All Things Bakelite: The Age of Plastic
Official Trailer with Open Captioning
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