This interview describes Dr. Edgar W. Spanagel's life, focusing on his contributions to nylon research at the DuPont Company. Although his father died when he was fourteen, leaving his mother alone with four children,…

Joseph Labovsky opens the interview with a discussion of his childhood in Ukraine and his family experiences there after his father emigrated to the United States in 1914. Labovsky moved with his mother and siblings to…

Advertisement by the American Plastics Council, featuring food stored in plastic packaging. The text praises how plastic food storage prevents food from spoiling quickly.

Beginning in 1993, the American Plastics…

Advertisement by the American Plastics Council, featuring two gallons of milk. The ad boasts that plastic packaging is lightweight, shatter-resistant, and comes with a tamper-evident seal.

Beginning in 1993, the…

This interview with Frederick J. Karol begins with a short discussion of Karol's family background and childhood near Boston, Massachusetts. Following an early interest in chemistry, Karol in 1946 enrolled at Boston…

Advertisement by the American Plastics Council, featuring a bottle of cold medicine with a broken plastic seal. The ad argues that the durability of plastic packaging is essential to safety in sports gear,…

Advertisement by the American Plastics Council, featuring food on a picnic blanket in plastic packaging and food storage. The text praises how plastic keeps food fresh and is environmentally friendly.

Advertisement by the American Plastics Council, featuring children playing football. The ad highlights how, from egg cartons to sports equipment, plastic can be used to keep people safe.

Beginning in 1993, the American…

This is a promotional work created by the National Plastics Center and Museum to advertise their educational video, Passing Through. Passing Through is a film for teenagers and high school science students in which a…

A high school student who is nervous about failing his chemistry test is transported to a vaguely Middle Ages, high fantasy castle where he meets a wizard trying to invent better armor for a knight. The student teaches…

Four views showing various stages of the extrusion of saran bubbles from a rolling machine at the Dow Chemical Company plant in Midland, Michigan. The employee visible in the photographs is unidentified. During…

Advertisement by the American Plastics Council, featuring two people in a car with deployed airbags. The ad promotes the use of plastic in life-saving products such as airbags, bike helmets, fire-resistant clothing, and…

Advertisement by the American Plastics Council, featuring a fridge filled with food in plastic packaging. The text praises plastic recycling and gives examples of products that are produced from plastic bottles.
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This interview with James R. Fair begins with a discussion of Fair's childhood in the Midwest, highlighting high-school experiences in Little Rock, Arkansas, and early interests in science. Fair attended The Citadel as…

General view of an unidentified man measuring a piece of Styrofoam insulation at a construction site. Invented in 1941 by researchers in Dow's Chemical Physics Lab, "Styrofoam" properly refers to the Dow Chemical…

A 3-piece plastic tableware set featuring McDonald's Corporation character mascots, Ronald McDonald, the Hamburgler, Grimace, a pink "Fry Kid", and Birdie the Early Bird. The characters are promoting the eco-friendly…

General view of an unidentified employee inspecting a piece of Styrofoam insulation at a Dow Chemical Company facility. Invented in 1941 by researchers in Dow's Chemical Physics Lab, "Styrofoam" properly refers to the…

Black and white reproduction of a portrait of Nathaniel C. Wyeth (1911-1990) used for a newspaper publication's announcement of his death. The original portrait of Wyeth was taken in 1986, and this print ran in 1990.
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Aerial view of the Dow Chemical Company's polystyrene plant located in Cartagena, Colombia. Constructed in the 1960s, the Cartagena plant subsequently underwent four expansions and boasted a manufacturing capacity of…

Aerial view of the Dow Chemical Company's polystyrene plant located in Cartagena, Colombia. Constructed in the 1960s, the Cartagena plant subsequently underwent four expansions and boasted a manufacturing capacity of…

Aerial view of a section of the Dow Chemical Company's polystyrene plant located in Cartagena, Colombia. Constructed in the 1960s, the Cartagena plant subsequently underwent four expansions and boasted a manufacturing…

General view of Dow Chemical Company engineer Ray McIntire (1918-1996) posed with a Santa Claus figurine carved out of Styrofoam. McIntire invented foam polystyrene in 1941 while working in Dow's Chemical Physics Lab.…

Two views of an unidentified employee observing the extrusion of a saran bubble from a rolling machine at the Dow Chemical Company plant in Midland, Michigan. During production, saran film passed through a series of…

General view of a saran bubble as it is extruded from a machine during the production of saran film at the Dow Chemical Company plant in Midland, Michigan. The individuals visible behind the bubble, likely taking a tour…

Color photograph showing a saran bubble as it is extruded from a machine during the production of saran film at the Dow Chemical Company plant in Midland, Michigan. The individuals visible behind the bubble, likely…