You might be asking yourself what a synthetic plastic invented in 1907 has to do with weddings. Well, a lot, if you’re planning to decorate or accessorize with some of our vintage umbrellas.
Bakelite was discovered by Dr. Leo Baekeland, a Belgian chemist that came upon the compound that was created by a chemical reaction between phenol and formaldehyde. I promise I won’t go into too much science here, so let’s just skip ahead to the part where Dr. Baekeland secured a patent and started the Bakelite Corporation around 1910. At first Bakelite was used to make electrical, automobile, and industrial products. Later, jewelry makers got into the game. That’s when it gets really interesting for people like us.
Products containing Bakelite were often found in homes during the 1930s and 1940s, incorporated into everyday items like flatware handles and napkin holders. People loved it because it was colorful and affordable. In 1927 Bakelite was acquired by the Catalin Corporation, which created nearly 70% of this material that exists today. During the Depression Bakelite was used to create affordable jewelry for stylish women, and acknowledged and appreciated by Vogue editor Diana Vreeland and designer Elsa Schiaparelli, who often used the substance for buttons on her dresses.
Bakelite and Catalin stopped selling to jewelry makers in 1942 and shifted their focus to products for soldiers at war. Production of Bakelite and Catalin eventually stopped after newer plastics like lucite, fiberglass, vinyl, and acrylic took over, but lucky flea market and vintage shop frequenters can still find pieces. Andy Warhol was a big fan of Bakelite and Martha Sleeper pins and had a huge collection that was auctioned off at Sotheby’s in 1988, a year after his death.
Who says you can’t learn something on Wedding Wednesday?
Reference: Bakelite: A Revolutionary Early Plastic by Lloyd Fadem and Stephen Z. Fadem, M.D.
Additional sources: Glamour Kitten, Church Boutique, Kaufmann Mercantile
Wednesday, August 29, 2012 at 5:00AM 
