Table of Contents
Scope and Contents of the Collection
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Overview of the Collection |
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| Creator: | Viscoloid Company. |
| Title: | Viscoloid Company Collection |
| Inclusive Dates: | 1901-1966 |
| Quantity: | 1 linear ft. |
| Abstract: | Collection consists of stencils for hair combs and ornaments, plans of the Viscoloid plant, and papers related to the company and Bernard W. Doyle. |
| Language: | English |
| Repository: |
Special Collections Research Center, Syracuse University Libraries 222 Waverly Avenue Syracuse, NY 13244-2010 https://library.syracuse.edu/special-collections-research-center |
Biographical History
In 1901, Bernard W. Doyle joined with a few others to establish the Viscoloid Company in Leominster, Massachusetts, and pioneer in the pyroxylin plastics industry of the area. They manufactured hair combs and ornaments, replacing the tradition horn with plastic. The company expanded to other toilet articles in 1910 as sales declined for hair ornaments. By 1914, they entered the plastic toy market. Du Pont purchased the company in 1925-1926.
Scope and Contents of the Collection
The Viscoloid Company Collection consists of papers about and by Doyle, plans for the Viscoloid plant, and stencils for hair combs and ornaments.
Papers contains a history report on the company, a biography on Doyle, and other notes and assorted papers.
Plans contains a plan of the Viscoloid plant in Leominster, Massachusetts.
Stencils contains 80 paper stencils for hair combs and ornaments. Each has a four-digit number starting with 39xx. Although without a definitive date, they were created before the company's sale to Du Pont in 1925.
Restrictions
Access Restrictions
The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advanced notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.
Stencils are EXTREMELY fragile. Great care must be taken when viewing them.
Use Restrictions
Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.
Related Material
Special Collections Research Center has numerous holdings in the areas of plastics and industrial design. Please refer to the SCRC Subject Index for a complete listing.
Subject Headings
Corporate Bodies
Subjects
Genres and Forms
Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Preferred citation for this material is as follows:
Viscoloid Company Collection,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries
Acquisition Information
Transfer from National Plastics Center and Museum, 11/06/2008. Originally, gift of Evelyn B. Hachey, 1998.
Finding Aid Information
Created by: DGI/MM
Date: 2006
Revision history: Feb 2009 - converted to EAD (MRC);
Jun 2009 - adds, new container (MRC);
Jun 2014 - adds, rehoused, processed for offsite (DRF)
Inventory
| Papers | |||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Doyle works of the DuPont Viscoloid Company 1935 - history report written by Doyle for the Leominster Daily Enterprise | ||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Miscellaneous 1900, 1949, 1966, undated - contains a handwritten biography of Doyle, lists of celluloids products, an obituary of Doyle, and other notes | ||||||||||
| Plans | |||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Property plan of DuPont Viscoloid plant, Leominster, Massachusetts 1926 | ||||||||||
| Stencils | |||||||||||
| Oversize 1 | Hair combs and ornaments undated (80 items) FRAGILE | ||||||||||