Victorian era thermoplastic vanity sets are highly collectible items that offer a fascinating glimpse into the early history of plastics and molding compounds. Here's a brief guide to assist you in collecting these unique and historical pieces:
By following these guidelines, you can build a unique and valuable collection of Victorian era thermoplastic vanity sets while gaining insight into the fascinating history of early plastics and molding compounds.
Alfred Critchlow's experimentation with shellac resin led to the development of a durable substance known as "Florence Compound" around 1850. Derived from shellac resin, Florence Compound was a thermoplastic material capable of reproducing fine levels of molded detail. Critchlow's innovation found its initial application in the production of highly ornamental hinged frames known as "union cases," which were used to hold early photographic processes like daguerreotypes, ambrotypes, and tintypes.
Partnering with Samuel Hill and Isaac Parsons in 1853, Critchlow received a patent in 1856 related to the manufacture of these union cases. However, he was not specific about the composition of the molding compound, merely referring to it as a combination of various materials. This lack of specificity diminished the patent's effectiveness, as similar compounds were already known to manufacturers in the industry.
By 1857, union cases had reached the height of their popularity, prompting Critchlow to sell his interest in the business. The company's name was subsequently changed to Littlefield, Parsons & Company, which continued producing union cases. However, as photography evolved, the demand for union cases declined with the rise of ambrotypes, leading Littlefield Parsons & Co. to sell the company in 1866. The company was then renamed the "Florence Manufacturing Company," transitioning its focus from union cases to the production of beautiful hand mirrors and hairbrushes.
This transition marked a shift in the company's direction, highlighting its adaptability in response to changing market demands. While the era of union cases may have ended, the Florence Manufacturing Company continued to thrive, leaving behind a legacy of innovation and craftsmanship in the realm of decorative accessories.
During the 1870s, the Florence Manufacturing Company and its competitor, the Boston Diatite Company, were leading manufacturers of composition hand mirrors. These mirrors featured a novel design that included a wooden back and a strengthened handle, setting them apart from earlier models.
The construction of these hand mirrors involved several key steps:
- Base Piece: The mirror's base consisted of a wooden back shaped to match the mirror glass, providing support. This wooden piece also included an extension for the handle.
- Handle Strengthening: To reinforce the handle, a strip of metal, rods, or small nails was attached to the wooden base. This reinforcement helped stiffen the handle at its junction with the back and provided stability, reducing the risk of breakage.
- Composition Application: The base piece, along with the handle extension, was placed face down on a mold. A plasticized composition, typically made of shellac compound, was applied to cover the back and extend beyond the edges of the wooden base, surrounding the handle stiffener.
- Molding Process: An upper mold with ornamental designs on its interior was pressed down onto the plastic composition. This process gave the composition a smoothly finished ornamental back and handle, creating the distinctive appearance of the hand mirrors.
The Florence Manufacturing Company used the trade name "Florence," while the Boston Diatite Company used the trade name "Diatite" for their respective products, starting in 1868.
These shellac compound-based items were not limited to hand mirrors; they also included a variety of grooming and sewing accessories such as hairbrushes, patch boxes, nail buffers, scissors, nail files, toothbrushes, ribbon needles, crochet hooks, awls, buttons, button hooks, and thimbles. The shellac compounds were available in black or white, often imitating ivory, and could also be tinted with various colors such as tortoiseshell, offering consumers a range of options to suit their preferences and tastes.
Vulcanized rubber, commonly known as vulcanite or ebonite, played a significant role in the production of various household and ornamental objects, including hand mirrors and brushes. Charles Goodyear's discovery of the vulcanization process in 1839 revolutionized the rubber industry by introducing a method to harden rubber by mixing it with sulfur.
Vulcanite is formed by mixing rubber with sulfur and subjecting it to heat and pressure. The proportion of sulfur can be adjusted to achieve the desired level of hardening. Ebonite, a variation of vulcanite, contains linseed oil in addition to rubber, resulting in a material with a deeper black color and enhanced durability.
Over time, vulcanite can decompose, especially when exposed to heat and light. One of the first signs of deterioration is the appearance of a sulfur bloom on the surface, giving the material a dusty, khaki color. Additionally, when vulcanite is exposed to warm water or subjected to gentle friction, it may emit a faint odor of sulfur, helping to identify it.
Despite its susceptibility to deterioration, vulcanite and ebonite were widely used in the production of various items, including jewelry, combs, buttons, and decorative objects, due to their durability and versatility. Today, collectors value these vintage pieces for their historical significance and unique aesthetic appeal, although proper care and storage are essential to prevent further deterioration over time.
If your item is any of the following, you can try to determine what it is made of:
Dark colors:
- Bois durci (a small bird’s wing was used to indicate the use of the material bois durci.)
- Shellac Composition
- Gutta percha
- Vulcanized rubber
Rigid:
- Bois durci
- Shellac Composition
- Gutta percha
- Vulcanite
Decomposition of Material:
- Vulcanite smells sulphurous when decomposing.
- Shellac Composition fades, crumbles and cracks, exposure of the metal core is evident if the composition has crumbled away..
- Gutta Percha deteriorates with fading (khaki color), crazing, cracking and crumbling.
- Cellulose nitrate smells like camphor (mothballs) when decomposing.
- Cellulose acetate smells like vinegar when decomposing.
Gutta Percha:
Gutta-percha, a natural rubber derived from the sap of the Palaquium gutta tree, was extensively used in the 19th century for a variety of purposes, including household items, frames, jewelry, and even golf balls. Unlike vulcanized rubber, gutta-percha exhibits thermoplastic properties, meaning it softens when heated and hardens when cooled, allowing it to be molded into various shapes.
Items made from gutta-percha were typically molded, although carving was also sometimes employed after molding to achieve intricate designs. One of the distinctive characteristics of gutta-percha is its strength, which surpasses that of vulcanite (hard rubber), making it suitable for items requiring durability.
Additionally, gutta-percha is known for its ability to retain fine, sharp detail, resulting in intricately molded objects with crisp lines and patterns. Despite its strength, gutta-percha has a dull, oily appearance and is lightweight, feeling room temperature to the touch.
A distinctive characteristic of gutta-percha is its smell, which resembles burning rubber. When exposed to warm water or subjected to gentle friction, items made from gutta-percha may release this odor, helping to identify them.
Today, gutta-percha items are highly sought after by collectors for their historical significance, unique aesthetic appeal, and fine craftsmanship. Proper care and storage are essential to preserve the integrity of gutta-percha items and prevent deterioration over time.
Celluloid:
Celluloid emerged as a revolutionary material in the late 19th century, ultimately supplanting vulcanite and gutta-percha due to its versatility and practicality. The first significant advancements in celluloid production occurred in 1869 when John Wesley Hyatt patented the material and established the Newark Celluloid Manufacturing Company.
Celluloid is composed of several key ingredients, including pyroxylin (a form of nitrocellulose), camphor, zinc oxide, and vermillion (a red pigment). This combination forms a mechanical mixture that exhibits unique properties ideal for a wide range of applications.
One of the key advantages of celluloid is its versatility. It is hard, tough, and elastic, making it suitable for use in various products ranging from household items to decorative objects. Celluloid is also a fair non-conductor of heat and electricity, adding to its usefulness in electrical insulation and other applications.
One of the most significant features of celluloid is its thermoplastic nature. It becomes plastic at temperatures between 250 to 300 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing it to be easily molded into different shapes and forms. This property made celluloid highly desirable for the manufacturing of a diverse array of products, including combs, hairbrushes, jewelry, photographic film, and even early film stock.
Celluloid's introduction marked a significant advancement in material science, revolutionizing industries and paving the way for further innovations in the field of plastics. Despite its eventual decline in popularity due to safety concerns and the development of newer synthetic materials, celluloid remains an important milestone in the history of plastic manufacturing.
Bakelite:
The material introduced by Leo Baekeland in 1909 is known as Bakelite. Bakelite is a synthetic thermosetting phenol-formaldehyde resin, which was a pioneering development in the field of synthetic plastics.
Like celluloid, Bakelite could be molded into a variety of objects, making it highly versatile and suitable for a wide range of applications. It was celebrated for its heat resistance, electrical non-conductivity, and durability, which made it particularly well-suited for use in electrical insulators, automotive parts, kitchenware, jewelry, and other consumer products.
Bakelite played a significant role in the advancement of industrial design and mass production, and its introduction marked a turning point in the development of modern plastics. It quickly gained popularity and became widely used throughout the first half of the 20th century.
Today, Bakelite is highly collectible and prized for its historical significance, unique aesthetic qualities, and enduring durability. Its introduction by Leo Baekeland represents a landmark achievement in the field of materials science, and it continues to be appreciated by collectors and enthusiasts alike.
1840 – 1880 Period, Materials and Manufacturing processes:
- Bois durci - Compression moulding
- Gutta percha (first used around 1822)- Compression moulding, extrusion
- Vulcanite - Compression moulding
- Celluloid (cellulose nitrate, patented in 1868) - Compression moulding , fabrication
- Xylonite (cellulose nitrate) - Compression moulding , fabrication
- Parkesine (cellulose nitrate, patented in 1859) - Compression moulding, fabrication
- Shellac - Compression moulding
1880 -1915 Period, Materials and Manufacturing processes:
- Cellulose nitrate - Blow moulding, fabrication, thermoforming
- Shellac - Compression moulding
- Vulcanised rubber - Compression moulding, fabrication, turning
1915 -1925 Period, Materials and Manufacturing processes:
- Casein formaldehyde - Fabrication, extrusion
- Cellulose nitrate - Blow moulding, fabrication, thermoforming
- Phenol formaldehyde - Compression moulding, casting
- Shellac - Compression moulding
- Vulcanite - Compression moulding, fabrication, turning
1925 -1940 Period, Materials and Manufacturing processes
- Casein - Extrusion, fabrication, thermoforming
- Cellulose acetate - Compression moulding, fabrication, injection moulding
- Cellulose nitrate - Blow moulding, fabrication, thermoforming
- Phenol formaldehyde - Compression moulding, casting
- Urea formaldehyde - Compression moulding
- Shellac - Compression moulding
Florence Mfg Co.:
Below you can see the various markings and patterns seen on Florence items.
The History of Florence, Massachusetts, by Charles Arthur Sheffeld, 1895:
"FLORENCE MANUFACTURING COMPANY - In 1854 S.L. Hill and I.S. Parsons became associated with A.P. Critchlow in the manufacture of papier mache buttons, and union cases for daguerreotypes and ambrotypes. The firm was A.P. Critchlow & Co. In 1857 D.G. Littlefield became a partner, and in 1868 Mr. Critchlow sold out and the firm name was changed to Littlefield, Parsons & Co., and so remained till in the summer of 1866, the demand for the daguerreotype cases having declined, George A. Scott, S.L. Hinckley, George A. Burr, Mr. Littlefield, and Mr. Parsons formed the Florence Manufacturing Company, this company being the successors of Littlefield, Parsons & Co. The new firm began manufacturing toilet brushes, mirrors, lockets, etc. The reputation these "Florence" articles enjoy is an enviable one, and from the first the policy of the company has always been to stand at the head for variety of styles and elegance of designs.
The company at the present time manufacture toothbrushes, making a specialty of the Prophylactic, "Cosmeon" pure aluminium goods, "Florence" composition brushes and mirrors, and wood back toilet articles. The aluminium goods possess great merit, and seem destined to be even more popular than the well known "Florence" line. The main factory, a brick building, three stories high, one hundred and forty by forty five feet, was built in 1866. In 1885 a building one hundred by fifty feet, and two stories high, was erected adjoining the main structure, and in 1893 the office addition, thirty by forty five feet, three stories high, was made necessary owing to the constantly increasing business.
The company has a capital of 100,000, and employs from one hundred fifty to one hundred seventy five hands. The present officers are: E.W. Eaton, president; Frank N. Look, treasurer and general manager; J.E. Winchell, secretary; E.W. Eaton, H.R. Hinckley, and Frank N. Look, directors."
The Boston Diatite Company:
The Boston Diatite Company, Boston, Mass., was organized on August 12 1869.
SCOTT'S ELECTRIC
SCOTT'S ELECTRIC,
Old unusual gutta percha hair brush electricity motif. "Electric", with an arm holding lightning and a round design that says, " The Germ Of All Life Is Electricity". It is 9 1/4" long.
Black - quackery cures available in the late 1800's. Each brush could treat about every condition known from headaches to losing hair. Each brush had a magnet embedded in the brush, hence the electric mention. The large black brush is 9.5 inches in length and about 2.75 inches wide. Believed to be boars hair bristles. Gutta Percha handle, black. Marked "No. 5"Shipping with USPS and item will be well protected. Sorry, no returns and no warranty.Enjoy the great value/price instead.Dr. Scott, an Englishman, was the most prolific advertiser and maker of "electric hair brushes"and related quackery in America, in the 1880's. He received his first U.S. patent for a brush handle in 1872, and introduced his line of "electric brushes" in 1880. The Scott brushes and other devices all contain slightly magnetized iron rods in their handles, thus, the curative power could only have been provided by magnetism. However, Scott apparently preferred using the term "electric" in all of his advertising. Although, hair growth and relief from headaches are the two obvious claims that would come to mind for the possible use of an electric hair brush, Scott went on to make many wild claims for the curative power of his electric brushes. The conditions his brushes could cure included constipation, malarial lameness, rheumatism, diseases of the blood, and paralysis. While such claims seem outlandish to most people (and would have in 1880), each disease added to the advertising claims opened up a wider potential market for his brushes. Most of the (financially) successful quacks advertised devices that were claimed to cure almost every ailment, or, at least, the most common ones. Perhaps more outlandish than the medical claims for Scott's brushes is this warning printed on the hair brush box " Inno case should more than one person use the brush. If always used by the same person it retains its full curative power. Families sharing the brush, of course, wasn't in Scott's best interest - better to have two brushes in every home. Perhaps some of the dissatisfied users,for whom brushing their hair didn't cure their constipation, blamed their spouse for sucking up the power of their personal electric brush. In addition to his popular hair and flesh brushes,Scott marketed electric plasters, insoles, rheumatic rings, shoulder braces, throat protectors,nerve and lung invigorators, body belts, wristlets, sciatic appliances, anklets, leg appliances,office caps, and other special appliances made to order. He also offered electric curry combs for horses. His brochure states, " There need not be a sick person in America (save from accidents), if our appliances become a part of the wardrobe of every lady and gentleman, asalso of infants and children."
Unknown Makers:
Celluloid Vanity Boxes:
During the mid to late Victorian era, thermoplastic sets were often sold in celluloid-covered boxes known in catalogs as "toilet stands". "Making up one's toilette" means to perform one's personal grooming routine, which includes washing, dressing, and styling hair, essentially getting ready for the day by attending to one's appearance; it's an old-fashioned way of saying "getting ready" where "toilette" refers to the act of dressing and grooming oneself, not just the bathroom fixture. The phrase comes from the French word "toilette" which originally meant "a small cloth used for dressing" and later evolved to refer to the process of dressing and grooming. Learn more here.
These toilette sets included various grooming and vanity items such as hairbrushes, combs, mirrors, manicure sets and other accessories, all housed within decorative boxes made of celluloid.
Celluloid, being a versatile material, allowed for the creation of boxes with a wide range of decorations and motifs. Some boxes featured simple designs, while others were adorned with elaborate patterns and fancy shapes, often reflecting the popular decorative styles of the Victorian era such as Art Nouveau and Rococo Revival.
These celluloid-covered boxes served both functional and decorative purposes. They provided a convenient and stylish way to store and transport grooming and vanity sets while also adding a touch of elegance to dressing tables and boudoirs.
Today, these Victorian-era celluloid-covered boxes are highly collectible, prized for their historical significance and intricate designs. They offer a glimpse into the decorative tastes and social customs of the time, serving as both functional artifacts and decorative pieces of art.
