Friday 31 July 2015

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)

Monday 27 July 2015

A different view #17

There are many ways to look at the objects in the MoDiP collection.  With this series of posts I want to highlight the interesting views of objects that we may ordinarily miss.  These include the underside of an object, the surface pattern, or traces of manufacturing processes.


Title: Goblin Teasmade
Designer: W H Brenner-Thornton and Hermann William
Manufacturer: Goblin
Object number: AIBDC : 0_2417
 
 

Louise Dennis (Assistant Curator)

Friday 24 July 2015

Did you know? #24

Did you know that you know that we will be encouraging live tweeting at our conference?


Each theme will have its own hashtag so that delegates can respond to our speakers and join in the debate.


We have some really exciting speakers discussing the following themes:


  • Plastic reality: the provocative nature of plastics
This session will focus on the challenging reality of plastics in promotion, product and packaging. #PlasticReality
  • Plastic environment: plastics and world sustainability
This session will focus on ways to improve the impact of plastics on the environment. #PlasticEnvironment
  • Plastic muse: the inspirational characteristics of plastic
This session will focus on how the different characteristics of plastic materials can contribute to creativity. #PlasticMuse
  • Plastic printing: 3D printing as inspiration
This session will focus on the potential of 3D printing as a resource for artists and as a contributor to public appreciation of plastic materials. #PlasticPrinting
  • Plastic legacy: plastics remembered
This session will focus on issues relating to plastics heritage within museums. #PlasticLegacy
  • Plastic value: the emotional and economic price of plastics
This session will focus on plastics in relation to different value systems and their changing fortunes within these value systems. #PlasticValue

#ProvocativePlastics



Louise Dennis (Assistant Curator)

Monday 20 July 2015

BXL photographic archive #0088

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 bags being filled with raw material.


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--0421

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)

Friday 17 July 2015

What could this be?

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)

Monday 13 July 2015

A different view #16

There are many ways to look at the objects in the MoDiP collection.  With this series of posts I want to highlight the interesting views of objects that we may ordinarily miss.  These include the underside of an object, the surface pattern, or traces of manufacturing processes.


Title: Lola lampshade
Designer: Marcus Leon
Manufacturer: Box.X.
Object number: AIBDC : 000904


Louise Dennis (Assistant Curator)

Friday 10 July 2015

Did you know? #23

Did you know that you have less than a month to buy your ticket to our Provocative Plastics Conference at the Early Bird rate?


We have some really exciting speakers discussing the following themes:


  • Plastic reality: the provocative nature of plastics
This session will focus on the challenging reality of plastics in promotion, product and packaging. #PlasticReality
  • Plastic environment: plastics and world sustainability
This session will focus on ways to improve the impact of plastics on the environment. #PlasticEnvironment
  • Plastic muse: the inspirational characteristics of plastic
This session will focus on how the different characteristics of plastic materials can contribute to creativity. #PlasticMuse
  • Plastic printing: 3D printing as inspiration
This session will focus on the potential of 3D printing as a resource for artists and as a contributor to public appreciation of plastic materials. #PlasticPrinting
  • Plastic legacy: plastics remembered
This session will focus on issues relating to plastics heritage within museums. #PlasticLegacy
  • Plastic value: the emotional and economic price of plastics
This session will focus on plastics in relation to different value systems and their changing fortunes within these value systems. #PlasticValue

#ProvocativePlastics

Don't miss out on this great rate.

Louise Dennis (Assistant Curator)

Monday 6 July 2015

BXL photographic archive #0087

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 large duct.


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--0580

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)

Friday 3 July 2015

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)