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Advertisements, Ephemera

"The Test Tube Girl"

  • Part of Blazing the Trail to New Frontiers Through Chemistry
  • 1940

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Unknown Copyright Status No Known Copyright

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Inset illustration of Du Pont's "Test Tube Girl," named as such given her outfit is made entirely of Du Pont plastic products. Her dress and gloves are made of rayon, her hat and bag of cellulose film, her heels are "Pyraheel" plastic, and she wears "Lucite" plastic and nylon hose.

Du Pont's "Test Tube Girl" debuted at the 1940 New York World's Fair along with nylon stockings. Otherwise known as the Chemical Girl, the "Test Tube Girl" modeled nylon stockings and other Du Pont plastic products.

This illustration comes from a promotional booklet advertising various products manufactured and sold by the E. I. Du Pont De Nemours & Company. Includes neoprene; dyes; fragrances; safety glass; seed disinfectants, fertilizers and sprays; "Cellophane;" explosives; "Lucite;" nylon; auto finishes; coated fabrics like "Fabrikoid;" viscose; "Acele;" "Plastacele;" "Cel-O-Glass;" non-flammable photographic film; electroplating; bleaching agents; and dry-cleaning fluids. Also includes how salt, chlorine, coal, sand and oil aid in chemical processes. Last pages include a history of Du Pont. Included with booklet is an informational pamphlet about the Du Pont photographic contest in cooperation with the Photographic Society of America for the best photograph taken during the 1940 World's Fair suggesting this promotional booklet could have been distributed at the 1939-1940 World's Fair in New York City, where Du Pont debuted nylon stockings.

Property Value
Publisher
  • Dow Chemical Company
Place of publication
  • Delaware--Wilmington
Format
  • Image
  • Text
Genre
  • Advertisements
  • Ephemera
Language
  • English
Subject
  • Advertising
  • Advertising, Industrial
  • Cellophane
  • E.I. du Pont de Nemours & Company
  • Lucite
  • New York World's Fair
  • Nylon
  • Rayon
Rights No Known Copyright
Credit line
  • Courtesy of Science History Institute

Physical location

Department
  • Museum

Learn More

Historical biography
Nylon: A Revolution in Textiles

Related Items

  • Blazing the Trail to New Frontiers Through Chemistry
  • A New World Through Chemistry
  • DuPont Announces for the World of Tomorrow... a new world and a new material NYLON

Cite as

“‘The Test Tube Girl.’” Blazing the Trail to New Frontiers Through Chemistry. Wilmington, Delaware: Dow Chemical Company, 1940. Science History Institute. Philadelphia. https://digital.sciencehistory.org/works/ej5g6p0.

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"The Test Tube Girl"

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Rights

Unknown Copyright Status No Known Copyright

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The Science History Institute recognizes there are materials in our collections that may be offensive or harmful, containing racist, sexist, Eurocentric, ableist, or homophobic language or depictions. The history of science is not exempt from beliefs or practices harmful to traditionally marginalized groups. The Institute is engaged in ongoing efforts to responsibly present and address the evidence of oppression and injustice inextricable from the history of science. If you would like to learn more about our ongoing efforts or if you encounter harmful, inaccurate, or insufficient descriptions, please contact us at digital@sciencehistory.org.

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