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Smoker's Compendium

1930s (manufactured)
Artist/Maker
British Xylonite Co. (manufacturers)
Place of origin
England (manufactured)

Smoker's compendium of mottled brown Bakelite. It comprises of a cigarette box with hinged lid at one end, an ash tray (of 'no-fume' design with a metal insert) opposite, with a pipe rest in the centre. All are housed in a common base.

Object details

Categories
Household Objects
Entertainment & Leisure
Plastic
Smoking Accessories
Object type
Smoker's compendium
Parts
This object consists of 3 parts.

  • Smoker's Compendium
  • Lid
  • Liner
Materials and techniques
Compression-moulded phenol formaldehyde ('Bakelite')
Bakelite
Phenolic
Compression Moulding
Brief description
Smoker's compendium; brown Bakelite; United Kingdom, 1930s
Physical description
Smoker's compendium of mottled brown Bakelite. It comprises of a cigarette box with hinged lid at one end, an ash tray (of 'no-fume' design with a metal insert) opposite, with a pipe rest in the centre. All are housed in a common base.
Dimensions
  • Length: 20.3cm
  • Width: 14.6cm
  • Height: 5.1cm
Measurements taken from paper records - not checked on object.
Production typeMass produced
Marks and inscriptions
'A BEX MOULDING / MADE IN ENGLAND'
Object history
Fred Bulmer, a collector based in Leeds, Yorkshire, offered his collection of ‘plastic antiques’ to the V&A in late 1982. The Museum chose to purchase 59 objects from Bulmer the following year (for acquisition papers see MA/1/B3395). The objects were divided among the Museum’s collections according to object type: Furniture and Woodwork taking 26 objects (W.50 to 75-1983), Metalwork 18 objects (M.49 to 66-1984) and Ceramics and Glass 14 objects (C.41 to 54-1984).
Collection
Furniture and Woodwork Collection
Accession number
W.57-1983

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Record createdJune 24, 2009
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O321773/smokers-compendium-british-xylonite-co/
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