Radio and TV In 1919 the first radio broadcast in the world were transmitted in the Netherlands. Other countries soon followed. The emergence of public radio stations caused a huge increase in the demand for radios. Smaller and cheaper The first devices were still made by hand and large, with expensive cabinetry.  With the advent…

Telephones For a long time telephones were made of bakelite. In 1913 the nationalization of the telephone network in the Netherlands began. The Administration of Post and Telegraph, renamed in 1928 as the Governmental Bureau of Posts, Telegraph and Telephone (PTT), offered various devices. They were mainly made in the Netherlands but also of foreign…

Cooking and eating In the twenties and thirties electric power reached more and more households and the demand for consumer goods increased. New technological knowledge made it possible to start production on a much larger scale than before. Bakelite therefore was a very suitable material. The material in powder form could be poured into molds…

Jewellery  Bakelite and other early plastics were very popular during the "Jazz Age", the 1920s and 30s. Plastic was so much cheaper than gold, silver and coral, and could be mass produced. The new plastic jewellery came on the scene and never disappeared. In that period, women owned and wore many pieces of plastic jewellery…

Business & Office The blue KLM tableware is made of melamine formaldehyde and dates from the fifties. Kornelis Caps & Closures produced the serving pieces, of which the PolyPlasticum has two dies and working drawings in its possession. Ink Sets After WWII many office items were made of bakelite. Ink sets, pens, pen and pencil…

For a long time plastic has been associated with terms like “cheap”,” imitation” and “poor quality” That impression, in many cases, has been changed because of the merits of the products themselves. Polymers are also now an integral part of many works of art.  When artist Jan Krikke from Gieten, the Netherlands, was invited in…