Celluloid Billiard Ball
date: label: Date made
content: 1868
name: label: inventor
content: Hyatt, John Wesley
label: originator
content: Hyatt, John Wesley
notes: label: Description
content: This billiard ball, a gift of the Celanese Corporation, is made of cellulose nitrate, a substance eventually known as "celluloid." John Wesley Hyatt, a printer, was encouraged to develop the new substance when he saw an ad offering $10,000 to the person who invented a usable substitute for ivory in billiard balls. Hyatt eventually achieved success with his new material, forming the Celluloid Manufacturing Co. in 1871, but never received the $10,000 award.
label: Description
content: The ball is mounted on a walnut stand with a silver label stating, "Made in 1868 of Cellulose Nitrate, Celluloid. The Year John Wesley Hyatt Discovered This First Plastics Resin."
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Chemistry
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content: Sports & Leisure
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content: Industry & Manufacturing
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Celanese Plastic Company
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: CH.334572
label: accession number
content: 310799
label: catalog number
content: 334572
objectType: label: Object Name
content: billiard ball
label: Object Name
content: Celluloid Billiard Ball
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: plastic, resin, celluloid (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood, walnut (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: wood; celluloid; silver plated metal (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 13 cm x 14 cm x 9 cm; 5 1/8 in x 5 1/2 in x 3 9/16 in
label: Measurements
content: base: 75 mm x 34 mm; x 2 15/16 in x 1 5/16 in
label: Measurements
content: billiard ball: 57 mm; x 2 1/4 in
label: Measurements
content: overall: 5 1/8 in x 5 1/2 in x 3 1/2 in; 13.0175 cm x 13.97 cm x 8.89 cm