BXL photographic archive #0057

In 2010, MoDiP was donated a large archive of images relating to a single company. Bakelite Xylonite Ltd, also known as British Xylonite Ltd or BXL, was possibly one of the first British firms to successfully manufacture a plastics material in commercial quantities.  The company was established in 1875 and after a long history went into liquidation in the late 2000s.  The images we have in the collection are concentrated around the 1960s through to the 1980s and show us glimpses of the manufacturing process, products and the company’s employees during this time.  We plan to share an image each week to give a flavour of the archive.  If you want to see more you can view the whole collection on our website.

This week’s image shows an inflatable leg brace.

To get a better view of the image and find out more have a look at it on our website http://www.modip.ac.uk/artefact/bxl--13991

We are still working on the documentation of the archive, some of the images we know more about than others.  It would be fantastic if we could fill in some of the gaps in our knowledge, if you know anything about the company or specific images it would be good to hear from you.

Louise Dennis (Assistant Curator)

Guess the object

MoDiP has the kind of collection that you may think you are very familiar with. We have objects which we all use every day, and some pieces which are more unusual.

By looking at this distorted image are you able to guess what the object is? What do you think it could be used for?

Post your answer in the comments below or to find the answer click here and you will be taken to the MoDiP catalogue.

Louise Dennis (Assistant Curator)

BXL photographic archive #0056

In 2010, MoDiP was donated a large archive of images relating to a single company. Bakelite Xylonite Ltd, also known as British Xylonite Ltd or BXL, was possibly one of the first British firms to successfully manufacture a plastics material in commercial quantities.  The company was established in 1875 and after a long history went into liquidation in the late 2000s.  The images we have in the collection are concentrated around the 1960s through to the 1980s and show us glimpses of the manufacturing process, products and the company’s employees during this time.  We plan to share an image each week to give a flavour of the archive.  If you want to see more you can view the whole collection on our website.

This week’s image shows a church spire.

To get a better view of the image and find out more have a look at it on our website http://www.modip.ac.uk/artefact/bxl--1093

We are still working on the documentation of the archive, some of the images we know more about than others.  It would be fantastic if we could fill in some of the gaps in our knowledge, if you know anything about the company or specific images it would be good to hear from you.

Louise Dennis (Assistant Curator)

Can you see what this is?

MoDiP has the kind of collection that you may think you are very familiar with. We have objects which we all use every day, and some pieces which are more unusual.

By looking at this distorted image are you able to guess what the object is? What do you think it could be used for?

Post your answer in the comments below or to find the answer click here and you will be taken to the MoDiP catalogue.

Louise Dennis (Assistant Curator)

BXL photographic archive #0055

In 2010, MoDiP was donated a large archive of images relating to a single company. Bakelite Xylonite Ltd, also known as British Xylonite Ltd or BXL, was possibly one of the first British firms to successfully manufacture a plastics material in commercial quantities.  The company was established in 1875 and after a long history went into liquidation in the late 2000s.  The images we have in the collection are concentrated around the 1960s through to the 1980s and show us glimpses of the manufacturing process, products and the company’s employees during this time.  We plan to share an image each week to give a flavour of the archive.  If you want to see more you can view the whole collection on our website.

This week’s image shows Bluebird.

To get a better view of the image and find out more have a look at it on our website http://www.modip.ac.uk/artefact/bxl--1386

We are still working on the documentation of the archive, some of the images we know more about than others.  It would be fantastic if we could fill in some of the gaps in our knowledge, if you know anything about the company or specific images it would be good to hear from you.

Louise Dennis (Assistant Curator)

Puzzle over this

MoDiP has the kind of collection that you may think you are very familiar with. We have objects which we all use every day, and some pieces which are more unusual.

By looking at this distorted image are you able to guess what the object is? What do you think it could be used for?

Post your answer in the comments below or to find the answer click here and you will be taken to the MoDiP catalogue.

Louise Dennis (Assistant Curator)

Closed Monday 9th June

MoDiP will be closed on Monday 9th June.  We will be open as normal on Tuesday 10th June.

Bournemouth Wheels Festival

During the Spring Bank Holiday at the end of May I took in the joys of the very first  Bournemouth Wheels Festival.  If you like cars, bicycles, motorbikes, anything with wheels this is the festival for you.  There were Supercars, vintage cars, Monster trucks, Bears on Bikes and a night ride for bicycles covered in lights and reflectors.

There was so much to see including a couple of plastics spotting gems.

I am sure that I have mentioned F1 cars in this blog before, as a life long fan it is difficult to avoid, especially as it is such a excellent illustration of the use of carbon fibre composites.

Carbon fibre composites were first introduced to the paddock in 1981, and offer a material which is 10 times stronger than steel and yet much lighter. This reduction is weight and yet still maintaining the strength allows the teams to build very safe, fast cars. The video below shows an interesting piece by Red Bull Racing about how to build an F1 car.

I have been to a race and testing at Silverstone, I have stood in the garage next to a running F1 car but nothing really prepares you for the sight of these amazing cars on the street in what is generally known as quite a sleepy, seaside town in glorious sunshine. Especially when they include Michael Schumacher's Benetton, the car in which he won his first Grand Prix race in Belgium 1992, here driven by Lorina McLaughlin.

How do you top F1 cars? With the classic Sinclair C5 of course.  It was a completely unexpected treat to see one of these environmentally conscious electric and pedal powered vehicles in the flesh.  

This little beauty, made of ICI supplied polypropylene injection moulded by LinPac, with a top speed of 30 mph was launched in January 1985. Unfortunately, with its low profile, fears of safety in traffic meant that the C5 was restricted to 15 mph making it feel very slow and eventually leading to its downfall as a desirable vehicle for British city streets.  However, it seems to be gathering popularity in Holland, the Dutch having wide, flat, cycle friendly and therefore C5 friendly roads.

If this year is anything to go by and you like cars you can't go wrong by getting yourselves down to Bournemouth next May for this spectacular event.

Louise Dennis (Assistant Curator)

BXL photographic archive #0054

In 2010, MoDiP was donated a large archive of images relating to a single company. Bakelite Xylonite Ltd, also known as British Xylonite Ltd or BXL, was possibly one of the first British firms to successfully manufacture a plastics material in commercial quantities.  The company was established in 1875 and after a long history went into liquidation in the late 2000s.  The images we have in the collection are concentrated around the 1960s through to the 1980s and show us glimpses of the manufacturing process, products and the company’s employees during this time.  We plan to share an image each week to give a flavour of the archive.  If you want to see more you can view the whole collection on our website.

This week’s image shows an oil boom on water.

To get a better view of the image and find out more have a look at it on our website http://www.modip.ac.uk/artefact/bxl--16044

We are still working on the documentation of the archive, some of the images we know more about than others.  It would be fantastic if we could fill in some of the gaps in our knowledge, if you know anything about the company or specific images it would be good to hear from you.

Louise Dennis (Assistant Curator)