This 1950s Fleetwood model 1201A radio is encased in molded plastic called polyoxybenzylmethyleneglycolanhydride, or the more marketable name, Bakelite, after its inventor, chemist Leo Baekeland. It was the world's first plastic made from synthetic components phenol and formaldehyde in 1907.

Science History Institute
Philadelphia, PA

02.08.18