November 2021 Newsletter
IN THIS ISSUE...
- Happy Birthday, Leo H. Baekeland!
- Leo Baekeland at the Mark Twain House and Museum
- The Bakelite Quiz
- Günter Lattermann's Newsletter
- Rosanna Falabella's Phenolic Beads
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HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEO!
Sunday marks the 158th birthday of Leo Hendrik Arthur Baekeland, the inventor of Bakelite, the first wholly synthetic plastic. The eldest son of a cobbler and a housemaid, he rose from his humble beginnings in Ghent, Belgium to become one of the prominent figures of America’s industrial and technological revolution of the early 1900’s.
While the likes of Ford, Edison and Bell were reaping the rewards of their own marvelous inventions, Leo Baekeland was producing the component substance that made all these things affordable, sleek and durable. These qualities of Bakelite, “the material of a thousand uses”, created an explosion of industrial and consumer goods that changed our lives forever and earned Leo Baekeland the sobriquet, “the father of plastic”. The rest is history—and our future. And reason to both celebrate and contemplate that genius immigrant chemist, Leo H. Baekeland, born November 14, 1863.
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Karel and Rosalia Baekeland (Leo's parents) |
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LHB Birth Certificate
(or click image)
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We are grateful to Kristel Wautier, Curator of "History of Sciences" at Ghent University Museum for providing us with photos, the birth certificate and her continuing support of the L.H. Baekeland Project. |
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THE MARK TWAIN HOUSE & MUSEUM TO PRESENT PANEL ON BAEKELAND, BAKELITE, AND PLASTIC
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Fitting that during the week of Leo H. Baekeland’s birthday celebration, The Mark Twain House and Museum will present a panel discussion entitled, “Bakelite, Leo Baekeland & the Legacy of Plastic”.
This virtual event, available through the Mark Twain House and Museum website [or the link below], will be held Wednesday, November 17, 2021, 7:00pm-8:00pm.
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Featured panelists include:
Dr. Joris Mercelis, assistant professor in the Department of History of Science and Technology at Johns Hopkins University and author of BEYOND BAKELITE: Leo Baekeland and the Business of Science and Invention.
Hugh Karraker, great-grandson of Leo Baekeland and Executive Producer of the documentary ALL THINGS BAKELITE: The Age of Plastic.
Bud Mikhitarian, award-winning author and filmmaker, currently doing research on Leo Baekeland and his journals.
Moderator: Dr. Jeffrey L. Meikle, Professor of American Studies at University of Texas at Austin, and author of American Plastic: A Cultural History.
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You will recognize Jeffery Meikle; he is interviewed extensively in our film and provides key information about Leo Baekeland’s life and times.
Hugh and Joris [see photo] first met in Ghent, Belgium. Since then, they’ve crossed paths at the 2009 Baekeland Award ceremony at Rutgers University, doing research at the Columbia University Archives, and most recently for a screening of All Things Bakelite at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C.
And Bud Mikhitarian has been involved with ATB since its early beginnings.
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Joris with cartoon figure of iconic
Belgian lion in Ghent
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Thank you to John Maher, director of ATB, for introducing us to Jacques Lamarre of the Mark Twain House who, in turn, invited us to participate. We are grateful for this opportunity and look forward to a wonderful event. Please share the link with your colleagues, friends and family: https://bit.ly/MTH_Event_11-17-21.
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Our September Newsletter introduced a new element in our audience building campaign: The Bakelite Quiz. The response was gratifying, and we received some good guesses on what was, admittedly, an obscure object. Some thought they were wheels for rolling luggage, or dials for radios, or parts for the carousel of a Kodak slide projector. The correct answer is an impeller for automobile pumps. The impeller, made of injection molded phenolic resin, is manufactured by Helvoet Rubber & Plastic Technologies, in Lommel, Belgium. Owner Eric Germeys sent us a box of them for the Quiz for which we are extremely grateful.
Many thanks to those of you who participated. Now, try your luck on our next Quiz, and have a chance to win some wonderful Bakelite!
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Bakelite Combs, Trays & Razors |
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HERE'S OUR CURRENT OBJECT |
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Clue: This object was used primarily in Europe. Hence, it may be familiar to Europeans, while unrecognizable in other parts of the world.
We want to thank Karel Julien Cole of Ghent, Belgium who gave this object to Hugh. Karel is a professional photographer, collector of Bakelite and an authority on Leo Baekeland.
Email your answer by Friday, November 25, 2021 to info@allthingsbakelite.com. Three winners with the correct answer will be chosen at random in two weeks, and be notified via email. The name of the mystery object and its use will be revealed in our next newsletter.
Please follow, like and share our website link allthingsbakelite.com on your socials, adding #bakelitequiz. And remember, Bonus Prizes will be offered to three additional winners chosen at random who email us a screen shot of their social media post.
Thank you for playing and good luck!
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GÜNTER LATTERMANN'S NEWSLETTER |
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In 2012, Professor Emeritus Dr. HC Lattermann, formerly of Bayreuth University organized an international symposium in Berlin on the preservation of plastic. Hugh attended and screened a 14-minute sample of ATB, which was then in early production.
As a sidebar, this is where Hugh met Cindie Kehlet, professor at Pratt Institute, who introduced us to Professor Katarina Posch. Professor Posch appears in our film speaking about the history and design characteristics of Bakelite, and is also featured in our short film, Katarina Posch Lecture, which you can see on our website and The L. H. Baekeland Project YouTube channel.
Enjoy the 41st edition of his Newsletter. LINK TO PDF (or click image)
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ROSANNA FALABELLA'S BAKELITE BEADS ARTICLE |
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Rosanna Falabella is a member of the Golden Gate Polymer Forum in San Francisco. She earned a degree in polymer science and engineering. Her hobby, collecting antique beads intersected with her professional training when she discovered phenol-formaldehyde (PF) resin beads were used in the African trade.
She became interested in finding out when and where the PF beads were first introduced into Africa as substitutes for natural Baltic amber beads. Rosanna is currently newsletter editor for the Society of Bead Researchers.
Enjoy her excellent article. LINK TO PDF (or click image)
Until next time, stay safe and be well…
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