Vitalite Pocket Billiard Balls
date: label: Date made
content: 1930-1940
label: date made
content: 1937-1960
name: label: maker
content: Albany Billiard Ball Company
notes: label: Description
content: The inscriptions on the side of the box read “HYATT / VITALITE / POCKET BILLIARD BALLS” and “ALBANY BILLIARD BALL COMPANY.”
label: Description
content: In the 1930s, the German firm RASHIG GmbH introduced a new billiard ball with a phenol formaldehyde base developed by a Jewish chemist named Max Kőbner (1872-1947). After fleeing to England in 1937, Kőbner contacted Darryl Warnford-Davis of the Composition Billiard Ball Supply Co. and offered to swap his trade secret in exchange for asylum. A deal was struck, and the English firm was soon producing “Vitalite” balls. Kőbner remained in Britain until his death.
label: Description
content: The Albany Billiard Ball Co. had trademarked the word “VITALITE” in 1930, intending to use it for billiard balls, snooker balls, and bagatelle balls. The Albany firm renewed the trademark in 1954.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: New York, Albany
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Chemistry
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Norman B. Perlov and Dadie Perlov
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2006.0098.0889
label: accession number
content: 2006.0098
label: catalog number
content: 2006.0098.0889
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Set of Billiard Balls
label: Object Name
content: set of billiard balls
label: Object Name
content: Vitalite Pocket Billiard Balls
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: cellulose nitrate (balls material)
label: Physical Description
content: paper (box material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 6 cm x 24 cm x 24 cm; 2 3/8 in x 9 7/16 in x 9 7/16 in
label: Measurements
content: overall: 2 1/2 in x 9 5/8 in x 9 5/8 in; 6.35 cm x 24.4475 cm x 24.4475 cm