Welcome to The Plastics Historical Society
PHS was formed in 1986 and was first to draw attention to the heritage of the plastics industry and to celebrate all things plastic.
News & Announcements
The History of 3D Photography Wednesday 4th October 2017 at IOM3 HQ at 297 Euston Road. For Details Click Here.
Browse the Site
History of Plastics
When we talk of a substance being “plastic” (the adjective) most people would agree on its meaning, but when we turn to defining “plastics” (the noun) we have problems. Read more…
Virtual Museum
Many ancient peoples worldwide used naturally occurring plastics for a range of decorative and functional purposes. Read more…
Articles & Papers
Articles on this site are premium content restricted to registered members. Articles and papers on this website are regularly updated.. Read more…
Plastics in Society
In today’s society we have a tendency to take plastic materials for granted. In fact it is probably true that most of us cannot imagine our lives without them. Read more…
People & Polymers
Many discoveries are made accidentally, whilst others result from the ideas and work of many people, often over a long period of time. Read more…
PHS Library
The library is located at the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining, 297 Euston Road, London NW1 3AQ. Tel. 0207 451 7300. Read more…
Experiencing Plastics
Plastics differ from each other in their care needs. The exact recipe of each plastic, including its range of additives, influences how it will age. Read more…
Design & Manufacture
Plastics have become major design materials of the 21st century and they are increasingly shaping the objects we use and rely on every day. Read more…
Join the PHS
Members receive regular copies of the Society’s journal Plastiquarian (published twice yearly) together with Newsletters (published four times per year) and unlimited access to the Society’s archive of articles and newsletters on this website. In addition, PHS holds an extensive library of books and other publications, all of which are available for members to see.
Membership is open to all and costs between GBP 20 and GBP 40 per year.
Premium Content for Members
Recently added articles and newsletters.
The Amsterdam Bakelite Collection
The Amsterdam Bakelite Collection PHS member Reindert Groot, chairman of the Amsterdam Bakelite Collection on the phenomenon of how collections expand. Figure 1. Colour samples on ball chains. Figure 2. Samples on rod in display [...]
Rutland Plastics
Rutland Plastics PHS Chairman Steve Akhurst reports on Rutland Plastics. Figure 1. An early company van. Note the old format telephone number. From the smallest English county comes a story of enterprise, ingenuity and perseverance. [...]
Plastics and Rubber Weekly
John Whitehead, who spent nearly 30 years with the industry’s familiar newspaper Plastics and Rubber Weekly, reports on its half century milestone this year. Figure 1. First day cover – PRW’s first edition in 1964 [...]