A worker examines moulds at the Bakelite factory, 1954.

ENGLAND - MAY 06: Bakelite, invented in 1907 by Leo Baekeland was the first successful synthetic plastic and the material became hugely popular during the 1930s. Bakelite is synonymous with elegantly designed art deco products. The objects were made from a resin mixture of formaldehyde and phenol, shaped by heated moulds. The infinity symbol, part of the company trademark , suggested the myriad uses of the plastic materials. The photograph shows fibre glass production, a later development of the UK branch of Bakelite. Photograph by Walter Nurnberg who transformed industrial photography after WWII by using film studio lighting techniques. (Photo by Walter Nurnberg/SSPL/Getty Images)