Born Birmingham. Initially worked on improved methods of electroplating. 1856 patented Parkesine, a celluloid recognised as the first man-made plastic (chewing gum, shellac and natural rubber are all classified as plastics).
1866 he set up The Parkesine Company at Hackney Wick intending to manufacture Parkesine cheaply in bulk but this was not successful and closed in 1868. Died London.
This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Alexander Parkes
First plastic in the world, known as 'parkesine', invented by Alexander Parke...
Thomas Henry Huxley. Biologist and anthropologist. Born Ealing. An early adherent to Darwin's theory of evolution, he was a strong supporter while also pointing out what he saw as flaws. At the R...
Born near Dundee. In 1857 Kirkaldy helped form the Institution of Engineers in Scotland and was the first person to set up a load testing machine for construction materials powerful enough to deal ...
The NPL's history page concentrates on their work (e.g. they weighed Concorde, no mean feat) rather than their buildings. NPL began its life housed in the former royal residence, Bushy House, in B...
Chemist and physicist. Born Norfolk. Trained and worked as a doctor. 1797 moved to London and in 1801 stopped working and concentrated on his interests, setting up a private laboratory at 14 Buckin...
Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them