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Bakelite was the first plastic used to make radio cases, allowing for sleek, modern designs not possible with wooden construction. Invented in 1907 by Belgian-born chemist Leo Hendrik Baekeland (1863-1944) at his home laboratory in Yonkers, New York, Bakelite was the tradename for a lightweight, easily molded plastic, thermosetting phenolic resin. While the color of Bakelite was initially a translucent amber, the addition of fillers and heat in the manufacturing process changed the plastic into its characteristically opaque, dark brown color. Do you own any Bakelite? Radio is courtesy of Steve Kushman. "On the Radio" is on display, post-security, in Terminal 3. http://bit.ly/RadioSFO This image was posted on April 12, 2018.