Bakelite, an early plastic, was once tagged “the material of a thousand uses.†Inexpensive and versatile, Bakelite was everywhere in the 1930s and 40s. Manufacturers used Bakelite — fire resistant and an excellent insulator against heat and electricity — 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. “Bakelite 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 — 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 — 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 — conceived and created to appeal to women — 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 — 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 — a similar but less expensive and less toxic plastic — 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 — or "fakelite" pieces — 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 — 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 — 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 — and very fun — 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 Parry’s books. For more information email info@plasticfantastic.com.
Matt Burholz, widely known as “The Bakelite King,†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.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.
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Berkshire County Homes Celebrating Holiday Cheer
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
There's holiday cheer throughout the Berkshires this winter.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
We asked the homeowners questions on their decorations and why they like to light up their houses.
In Great Barrington, Matt Pevzner has decorated his house with many lights and even has a Facebook page dedicated to making sure others can see the holiday joy.
Located at 93 Brush Hill Road, there's more than 61,000 lights strewn across the yard decorating trees and reindeer and even a polar bear.
The Pevzner family started decorating in September by testing their hundreds of boxes of lights. He builds all of his own decorations like the star 10-foot star that shines done from 80-feet up, 10 10-foot trees, nine 5-foot trees, and even the sleigh, and more that he also uses a lift to make sure are perfect each year.
"I always decorated but I went big during COVID. I felt that people needed something positive and to bring joy and happiness to everyone," he wrote. "I strive to bring as much joy and happiness as I can during the holidays. I love it when I get a message about how much people enjoy it. I've received cards thanking me how much they enjoyed it and made them smile. That means a lot."
Pevzner starts thinking about next year's display immediately after they take it down after New Year's. He gets his ideas by asking on his Facebook page for people's favorite decorations. The Pevzner family encourages you to take a drive and see their decorations, which are lighted every night from 5 to 10.
In North Adams, the Wilson family decorates their house with fun inflatables and even a big Santa waving to those who pass by.
The Wilsons start decorating before Thanksgiving and started decorating once their daughter was born and have grown their decorations each year as she has grown. They love to decorate as they used to drive around to look at decorations when they were younger and hope to spread the same joy.
"I have always loved driving around looking at Christmas lights and decorations. It's incredible what people can achieve these days with their displays," they wrote.
The Wilsons' invite you to come and look at their display at 432 Church St. that's lit from 4:30 to 10:30 every night, though if it's really windy, the inflatables might not be up as the weather will be too harsh.
In Pittsfield, Travis and Shannon Dozier decorated their house for the first time this Christmas as they recently purchased their home on Faucett Lane. The two started decorating in November, and hope to bring joy to the community.
"If we put a smile on one child's face driving by, then our mission was accomplished," they said.
Many homeowners are showing their holiday spirit by decorating their houses. We asked for submissions so those in the community can check out these fanciful lights and decor when they're out.
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