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The American Catalin Corporation was founded in New York, N.Y., in 1927; it developed the light-colored, transparent, filler-free Bakelite resin in a wide range of colors. Bakelite is the first synthetic plastic, developed by Dr. Leo Baekeland between 1907 and 1909. American Catalin Corporation used its form of the resin for costume jewelry, fashion accessories, radios, and other products. By 1942, the company suspended its manufacture of jewelry and cast items to concentrate on wartime production. After the war, petroleum-based plastics gained favor. Collection comprises a salesman's sample book in a black leather album used to provide a visual guide for the company's products. The album contains primarily 34 black-and-white 8x10 photographs (8 photographs are laid in, all but two are linen backed, those not laid-in are stamped on the back with "Johnston & Tunick Commercial Photographers"), as well as 17 typeset pages containing inter-office memos, sales tips, information regarding the company's competition, and customer testimonials. Several of the memos are written to the attention of D. J. Kelly, who was the salesman for whom the sample book was prepared. There is also a two-page key to the main group of 19 photographs, identifying the Bakelite products in each photograph, as well as the item's final producer. Seven of the laid-in photographs show the corporation's factory, including three of factory workers on the job. The American Catalin Corporation was founded in New York, N.Y., in 1927; it developed the light-colored, transparent, filler-free Bakelite resin in a wide range of colors. Bakelite is the first synthetic plastic, developed by Dr. Leo Baekeland between 1907 and 1909. American Catalin Corporation used its form of the resin for costume jewelry, fashion accessories, radios, and other products. By 1942, the company suspended its manufacture of jewelry and cast items to concentrate on wartime production. After the war, petroleum-based plastics gained favor.

2 ANS. In one note, Dechambre refers to Ch. Bouchard and P. Brouardel.

ANS.

Letter (ALS). As Director of the New York State Lunatic Asylum, Brigham writes with news about the affairs of and events at the Asylum.

Holograph, signed. Certifies that Alfred Church studied at the School for six months. Gives details of Church's work during this period.

ALS. Refers to the contents of a periodical, presumably the Magasin encyclopedique, which he edited between 1795-1816.

ALS. Sends Mrs. Allen of Providence, an autograph collector, an autograph of financier Robert Morris. Writes of Morris' disastrous land speculations.

ALS, in French. Humboldt writes to P.H. Azais and Jules Berger de Xivrey on politics, philosophy, his expeditions, ethnology, natural history and the influence and inspiration of French thought. In 1966 Fritz Lange, of the Alexander-von-Humboldt-Kommission, writes to the Duke Medical Center Library regarding the Kommission's project to locate world-wide all correspondence to and from Humboldt.

ALS. Stevens writes a letter of recommendation for a Doctor Morgan and comments upon a case of Pott's Disease.

ALS. Fisher writes of his journal, presumably of the expedition of the H.M.S. Dorothea and Trent in 1818, and of the publication of Parry's account of the same. He writes of a future expedition, aboard the H.M.S. Hecla.

Holograph, signed. Promisory note for forty-five dollars to be paid to Joseph Basset.

Note (ANS) inviting Gilman to an evening with the "Gesellschaft naturforscher Freunde."

ALS regarding a social engagement.

Letters (ALS, TLS) relating to sample bacterial cultures sent by Castellani to Smith.

ALS. Malcolm Flemyng writes, in English, to Haller on medical matters. He sends a second letter, in Latin, in which he refers to Haller's Physiology and to John Locke. Haller writes, in French, to Ignazio Somis, reporting on fever in the family, malaria in Germany and other matters.

TLS. Hart answers John Thomas Lee's inquiries regarding Alexander Hamilton's Itinerarium. Also included is a letter from J.R.H. Moore to Lee, in which Moore describes his copy of the book, which he wishes to sell.

ALS. Gives various details about his life, citing correspondents of note and relating his part in the "Willie Patterson affair", in which Payne knocked down Patterson, apparently a prizefighter, for attacking Usher Parsons.

ALS to his father, congressman Thomas Lawyer (1785-1868), of Lawyersville, Schoharie Co., New York. Letters generally refer to his medical studies.

Papers include letters from Dixon Hall Lewis and, in German, from Constantine Hering; prescriptions; and notes relating to social engagements.