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first listed by:
deegee (428 words)
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Originally a cotton-like substance called nitrocellulose, derived from cellulose (a natural material made from plant cells) and treated with sulfuric and nitric acids. Celluloid was discovered/developed in 1868 by John Wesley Hyatt (1837-1920), when he combined nitrocellulose with camphor and produced a colorless material he called celluloid, which was originally used as a substitute for ivory in products such as combs and billiard balls. Since it could also be produced in thin, clear sheets that were stronger and more flexible than paper, others began using it in photographic experiments. In 1887, Hannibal Goodwin (1822-1900) applied for a patent on photographic pellicle, which was essentially celluloid treated with an emulsion of light-sensitive chemicals. The following year, before Goodwin's patent was granted, an engineer in the employ of George Eastman applied for a patent on a similar material, and Eastman's Kodak company began using it in experiments to make motion pictures.
Celluloid was/is highly flammable and deteriorates over time.