The Museum of Design in Plastics

Welcome to the blog of the Museum of Design in Plastics (MoDiP).  We are a University Museum based at The Arts University Bournemouth (AUB).   AUB is a specialist university college in art, design, media and performance. Established in 1883 it has developed to become one of the leading providers of teaching, learning and scholarship in its subject areas.

The Museum of Design in Plastics (MoDiP) was set up in 1988 as a collection of objects for learning and teaching entitled the ‘Design Collection’. It became a registered museum in 2001. Following a decision to focus on plastics, it changed its name to the Museum of Design in Plastics in 2007. The following year it obtained full accreditation under the Museums, Libraries, and Archives Council’s scheme. MoDiP is now acknowledged as the UK’s leading resource for the study and interpretation of design in plastics.

The collection consists of over 9000 items complemented by large long-term loans from the Plastics Historical Society and The Worshipful Company of Horners. Together the collections present an in-depth history of the use natural plastics along with their synthetic cousins since their invention in the middle of the 19^th century to the present day.

Through this blog we will share with you some of the work that we do with staff and students at the AUB, some behind the scenes glimpses of the museum and the collection, our exhibitions, and our work with external organisations.  

Susan Lambert (Museum Head), Pam Langdown (Collections Manager)
and Louise Dennis (Assistant Curator)