Celluloid was a common material used to manufacture vanity and dresser sets starting in the mid 1800s up until around the 1930s, when it was replaced by other plastics like Bakelite and Lucite.
Wikipedia states that "Celluloid is the name of a class of compounds created from nitrocellulose and camphor, plus dyes and other agents. Generally regarded to be the first thermoplastic, it was first created as Parkesine in 1856 and as Xylonite in 1869 before being registered as Celluloid in 1870.
Celluloid is easily molded and shaped, and it was first widely used as an ivory replacement. Celluloid is highly flammable and also easily decomposes, and is no longer widely used. Its most common uses today are in table tennis balls and guitar picks."
More detailed information on the manufacture and patenting of celluloid, can be found on wikipedia.
Some of the trade names used on the dresser accessories are:
- Pyralin/Pyrolin
- French Ivory
- Agalin
- Celluloid
- Fiberloid
- Ivory Fiberloid
- Ivoroid
- Zylonite
- Ivoris
- Ivorine
- Arch-Amerith
- Goldaleur
- Silvaleur
