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Handheld Bakelite No. 7 Microphone

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Black Bakelite handle with a large button on its side; product information engraved in white on front of handle; circular grated area has a raised enclosure; four copper wires coated in brown synthetic fiber emanate from the handle bottom.

Bakelite was invented in 1907 by Belgian chemist Leo Hendrik Baekeland (1863-1944). It is formed by mixing carbolic acid with formaldehyde and is considered the first synthetic plastic. In 1993 it was designated as a National Historical Chemical Landmark by the American Chemical Society.

Format
Genre
Medium
Extent
  • 17.1 cm H x 7.3 cm W x 5.1 cm D
Inscription
  • (On handle) "MICROPHONE / HAND No7"
  • (On button) "PRESS"
Subject
Rights Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Credit line
  • Courtesy of Science History Institute

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Department

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Scientific Biography
Leo Hendrik Baekeland

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Science History Institute. Handheld Bakelite No. 7 Microphone. Photograph, 2016. Science History Institute. Philadelphia. https://digital.sciencehistory.org/works/n583xv01b.

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