Bakelite returns to lift spirits

12:00AM / Wednesday, October 16, 2002Print Story | Email Story

Bakelite, an early plastic, was once tagged â€œthe material of a thousand uses.â€ Inexpensive and versatile, Bakelite was everywhere in the 1930s and 40s. Manufacturers used Bakelite â€” fire resistant and an excellent insulator against heat and electricity â€” to case radios, toasters and telephones. It appeared in everything from lamps to irons to flatware. Replaced by other materials after World War II, the plastic dropped out of sight ... until recently. â€œBakelite is a "collectible whose time has come around," says expert and author Karima Parry. In a telephone interview, Parry, who sells Bakelite jewelry her web site (www.plasticfantastic.com), noted a common thread to the popularity of Bakelite in 1942 and in 2002. "It's an anti-depressant. It makes you feel better," said Parry. Bakelite jewelry is especially popular, as evidenced by a search of the Internet or the online auction e-bay. As in the past, Bakelite jewelry offers a way to express patriotism and to attempt happiness in an unhappy time, she said. "These days we all need something that makes you feel better that's not fattening." Cheerful in the face of war A great era of Bakelite design was during the war, when the jewelry often had patriotic and political motifs, said Parry. She described several pins: a map of the United States with a heart in the middle; "USA" spelled out in red, white and blue. Women wore pins of the air force symbol, signifying they had a son in service. This was literally wearing your heart on your sleeve in every way, noted Parry. "America's reaction to 9-11 was to bust out in red white and blue," she said. Parry said she still has problems finding red Bakelite as collectors snap those pieces up. Bakelite is part of that sentiment â€” that public expression of patriotism, she said. "It doesn't surprise me to see this renaissance." As Americans face an unhealthy economy and a possible war looming in the near future, there are a number of troubling echoes to the past, said Parry. The same reasons why Bakelite was appropriate back then exist today, she said. Bakelite jewelry was cheap, loud, colorful and clackety â€” basically it was fun, said Parry. Pins that weren't patriotic were often playful in spirit, fashioned to represent dogs, flowers or fruit. The rise and fall of Bakelite jewelry Dr. Leo Baekeland, a Belgian immigrant and chemist, invented Bakelite in 1907. For about 15 years following this discovery, Bakelite was produced in only a few colors for use primarily in electrical and industrial products. In 1927, the patent on Baekeland's formula expired, allowing other manufacturers to produce Bakelite. As chemists fooled around and tweaked the process, they discovered how to create color. By adding wood byproduct as filler, it was possible to make a wide range of colors; for example, green Bakelite could be translucent, transparent or opaque, said Parry. The original pieces from the Depression tend to be simple, she continued. Essentially the manufacturer took tubes of Bakelite, like the inside of a roll of paper towels, and sliced them into a stack of bangles. When the country went to war, costume jewelers had a hard time getting metal and began exploring more readily available, cheaper materials, said Parry. With its full palette of colors, Bakelite was a decent mimic. Green Bakelite looks sort of like jade, cream looks sort of like ivory and so on, explained Parry. Its chemistry also set Bakelite apart from other materials. Unlike celluloid, an earlier plastic, Bakelite is baked and cured. Once cured, it cannot be melted and re-formed. Therefore it behaves something like wood, which allows it to be carved in intricate patterns. "You see amazing examples of artisanship, of craftsmanship in late 40s Bakelite," said Parry. Though the material was inexpensive, hours went into the design of heavily carved pieces. With Bakelite, it's the labor and design that collectors are buying, she noted. Parry said as a collector, she places Bakelite in its historical context. The 1940s were an amazing time for women: they were going out to work for the first time. Bakelite â€” conceived and created to appeal to women â€” was part of that. The big chunky jewelry stood up to women dressed like workers and wearing suits in the style of Joan Crawford, she said. This was also jewelry that women bought for themselves; it wasn't so expensive that a working woman couldn't set aside a bit of money, she explained. Plus, some of it was absolutely silly, like a pin of a mailbox out of which dangles a love letter, she laughed. Or a pin of a giant strawberry â€” what man would buy this? What man would want his woman dressed up like fruit? But women loved it, said Parry. Just as a number of factors converged to make Bakelite so popular, several things conspired in its demise. At the end of the war, metal became available, as did an influx of imported rhinestones from Czechoslovakia, said Parry. Fashion changed in the 50s as well and as women wore princess-style dresses, they favored daintier jewelry like charms and matching sets. The advent of lucite â€” a similar but less expensive and less toxic plastic â€” also helped to drive Bakelite out. There were toxic characteristics to Bakelite; some recipes contained Formaldehyde, she explained. Bakelite jewelry went into the back of the drawer. Hippies discovered Bakelite beads, but the plastic didn't come back with a bang until the 1980s, she said. Bakelite renaissance Bakelite started to become trendy in certain circles in the 80s; artist Andy Warhol was an early collector, said Parry. But the real renaissance happened more recently. Parry said when she became interested in Bakelite in the early 90s, only a few expensive coffee table books existed on the subject. "It was a 'look at my collection' mentality," she said. Convinced of the fundamental truth that Bakelite is fun, Parry set about making it more accessible. She started a web site, naming it a Jefferson Airplane song "Plastic Fantastic Lover." Parry also wrote Bakelite Bangles: Price and Identification, a textbook for beginning Bakelite collectors. Parry said she created a shared lexicon for collectors and benchmark tests for identifying Bakelite. Noticing that collectors spent paragraphs on the description of colors, she came up with standard tags such as "paprika." There are fakes â€” or "fakelite" pieces â€” out there. Parry said she deliberately made her web site educational; "It's a pleasure to be a resource, to do what I can, " she said. "An educated collector is a confident collector," she added. By experimenting in her kitchen, she discovered a simple test: swipe a piece with a q-tip dipped in Formula 409. If a yellowish stain appears on the q-tip, it's Bakelite. Another classic Bakelite test involves placing a piece in steaming hot water: if it produces an acrid smell, similar to nail polish remover, it's the real thing. Bakelite is also heavier than Celluloid and Lucite, and it doesn't have mold lines, said Parry. When buying Bakelite jewelry, which is between 50 and 60 years old, collectors should also look for appropriate signs of wear, she added. Along with her web site and Bakelite Bangles, Parry wrote Antiquing and Collecting on the Internet, Bakelite Pins and the recently published Shultz Bakelite Jewelry. Shultz Bakelite is the work of Ron and Ester Shultz, contemporary Bakelite artisans. The husband and wife team create beautiful pieces, often with inlaid polka dots or a checkered pattern, out of recycled Bakelite, said Parry. "The first time I got Shultz Bakelite, I almost had a heart attack," said Parry. Used to colors ranging from mellow green to deep red, Parry was startled to see Bakelite in aqua and bright pink. Because Bakelite oxidizes, with time it's as if a golden veil descends over a color, explained Parry. A bracelet that was originally aqua appears brown today. By buffing and polishing the Bakelite they put together in new ways, the Shultzs' restore the original palette â€” hot colors unlike what we're used to, she said. "When we think of the 40s, we don't think of screaming egg yolk yellow," yet these are very much the colors used, she said. Shultz Bakelite is the collectible of the future: the pieces are hand-made, one of a kind and signed by the artists, said Parry. Their work is also great fun; "it's a hoot and a half and the book is like a candy box," she added. Collecting Bakelite today The Internet revolutionized the world of collecting, said Parry. Today the online auction e-bay provides an efficient way for serious and knowledgeable Bakelite collectors to find and acquire jewelry. When Parry started her business 10 years ago, finding Bakelite required pounding the pavement and scouring flea markets, she said. E-bay put collectors in touch with each other and allowed them to shop from home. Parry, who along with her books writes for the Vintage Fashion Costume Jewelry Newsletter, said that in recent years collectors have become more discerning; more people are willing to sink $200 or $300 into one piece, she explained. So, while there are thousands of pieces of Bakelite on e-bay, there's a shortage of middle to better pieces. They get snapped up fast and stay off the market, in one person's collection. Collectors have existed since the beginning of human history, said Parry. She described the process â€” the thrill of the hunt, the adrenaline rush that comes with the kill. Next comes the ritual of showing off the trophy; then the thrill is gone and it's out to hunt again. An enthusiastic collector creates a "personal museum of sorts," she added. There's a sense of the stewardship of beautiful things and responding to objects, their meaning and what went into their creation, said Parry. On a basic level, people put money into the things they enjoy, the things that gives them pleasure. Bakelite is a living collection; it doesn't just sit on a shelf, said Parry. Most women wear their pieces, buying jewelry to match specific outfit. "It's contagious once you buy one piece," she explained. Parry noted that in recent years her customer base widened from 30- to 50- year olds to include 20-somethings. Bakelite is "not a taste that's going to go out of style any time soon," she said. Most desirable are bangle bracelets with beautifully carved designs and inlaid polka dots, though recently there's been interest in necklaces and pins. It's still possible to find less expensive â€” and very fun â€” pieces, said Parry. As in the past, Bakelite fits with the wardrobe and budget of working women. Stacks of skinny bracelets, beads and earrings are a few options to acquire Bakelite at a small investment. As a colorful and spirited "anti-depressant" Bakelite appeals to every one these days. Parry said lshe never leaves the house without wearing red, white and blue Bakelite. Kids love it, older people tell me they remember it well and fashionistas want to know where to get it, she said. Visit www.plasticfantastic.com for Bakelite, celluloid, lucite and other vintage plastic costume jewelry from the 1920s-60s and to order Karima Parryâ€™s books. For more information email info@plasticfantastic.com. Matt Burholz, widely known as â€œThe Bakelite King,â€ has an extensive Bakelite collection in his shop Route 66, 14 Main St. in Chatham, N.Y. Open Thursday- Monday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. or by appointment.

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Clarksburg OKs $5.1M Budget; Moves CPA Adoption Forward

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
08:44PM / Wednesday, May 29, 2024

Newly elected Moderator Seth Alexander kept the meeting moving.

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — The annual town meeting sped through most of the warrant on Wednesday night, swiftly passing a total budget of $5.1 million for fiscal 2025 with no comments.

Close to 70 voters at Clarksburg School also moved adoption of the state's Community Preservation Act to the November ballot after a lot of questions in trying to understand the scope of the act.

The town operating budget is $1,767,759, down $113,995 largely because of debt falling off. Major increases include insurance, utilities and supplies; the addition of a full-time laborer in the Department of Public Works and an additional eight hours a week for the accountant.

The school budget is at $2,967,609, up $129,192 or 4 percent over this year. Clarksburg's assessment to the Northern Berkshire Vocational School District is $363,220.

Approved was delaying the swearing in of new officers until after town meeting; extending the one-year terms of moderator and tree warden to three years beginning with the 2025 election; switching the licensing of dogs beginning in January and enacting a bylaw ordering dog owners to pick up after their pets. This last was amended to include the words "and wheelchair-bound" after the exemption for owners who are blind.

The town more recently established an Agricultural Committee and on Wednesday approved a right-to-farm bylaw to protect agriculture.

Larry Beach of River Road asked why anyone would be against and what the downside would be. Select Board Chair Robert Norcross said neighbors of farmers can complain about smells and livestock like chickens.

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