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Side view of a Valentine typewriter showing the red body and black keys.

Valentine typewriter

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Side view of a Dropp bowl showing the matt outer surface and glossy inner surface.

Dropp! bowl

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Top view of a skateboard showing the fish shape.

Minnow Skateboard

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Side view of a storage container showing the head and tail.

Roomii

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Side view of a bangle showing the thickness of the material.

Trees cuff

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Top view of an umbrella showing the patternof the fabric.

Mary Quant umbrella

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Front view of a telephone showing the dial.

GPO Model 746 telephone

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Side view of a ball showing the well used surface.

Parkesine snooker ball

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Side view of a pile of pellets showing the mainly black sample.

Recycled polyethylene pellets

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Side view of a cable sample showing the stranded and plied outer armour.

Submarine cable

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Side view of a pipe showing the ventilation spaces in the top.

Terrain Hydromax siphonic roof drainage system

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Top view of a snuff box showing the moulded portrait.

Oval Charles I snuff box

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Front view of a clock showing the spherical shape.

Presta alarm clock

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Front view of a pair of shoes showing the basket weave appearance.

Children's red jelly sandals

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Museum of Design in Plastics

MoDiP is a specialist research resource at the Arts University Bournemouth.

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Home schooling?

Learning resources

We offer a variety of ways to engage with the collection and learn more about plastics materials and the objects made from them. 

Our online resources include portfolio exercises for prospective students, an object analysis form for object-based learning, a pilot activity for exploring materials and manufacturing processes, creative writing and critical thinking exercises, as well as digital resources for schools and families.

AIBDC 004956

MoDiP collection

The MoDiP collection offers a wide spectrum of objects, from the 19th, 20th & 21st centuries, which illustrate the role of plastics against social and historical contexts.

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PHSL 1

PHS collection

The Plastics Historical Society, which was formed in 1986, is an independent society affiliated to the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining.

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WCHL 455

Horners collection

The Worshipful Company of Horners is both an ancient craft guild and a modern City of London Institution promoting the interests of the polymer industry.

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Visiting MoDiP

We are currently not able to open the museum, however, we have a number of resources which might help you in the meantime:

  • To find out more about the museum including an introductory video see About us
  • To see what we have in the collection see Collections
  • View our physical and digital Learning resources
  • To find out more about accessing the collection during our closure please Contact us

 

When we are able to open our doors to the public, we welcome individual and group visits.

The museum is on the first floor of the Arts University Bournemouth library and can be accessed via a lift.  For more information about coming to the museum for a visit, to do research, or have a group session, click on the link below.

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Studying the collection

MoDiP Blog

Fascinating finds from MoDiP's Reference Library

20 Jan 2021

Whilst undertaking research in the MoDiP library, before lockdown #3, I found a mountain of ‘useful’ information, but not that little bit of information I was looking for. Still, it is a fascinating way to spend a few hours and quite a bit of what I came across relates to objects in our collections. 

One of those objects is a No. 2 Hawkette camera with a Bakelite case (…

Horn combs

13 Jan 2021

The museum recently (pre-covid) took receipt of a selection of 139 horn combs, acquired by the Worshipful Company of Horners to be accessioned into their collection, which has been cared for by MoDiP since 2010.

Horn has been used since prehistoric times as a cheap, readily available, easily worked material from which essential tools, as well as decorative items, were made. It is…

My plastics at home: part 3

5 Jan 2021

Another year, another lockdown so obviously time for another My plastics at home blog!

I was thinking about the last blog we had written in this series where each member of the museum team had chosen a plastics object from home that was important to them in some way. It suddenly occurred to me that there is another object that I use on an almost daily basis that has proven…

Current & Past Exhibitions

MyPlastic reissued

20 Jan 2021 - 31 May 2021

We surround ourselves with powerful objects that either spark memories of times gone by or that we would find hard to live without.  They can comfort us, make our lives a little easier, or remind us of special people. In these unpredictable times of national lockdown, partial opening, and then closing down again we have decided to reissue a project which explored these emotive objects. The…

Beside the sea

1 Jun 2021 - 3 Dec 2021

Due to the National lockdown this exhibition opening has been delayed.  The launch date is subject to confirmation.   A family friendly exhibition exploring fun seaside leisure activities as well as the more serious issue of ocean plastics and pollution. 

Friend and faux

10 Dec 2021 - 11 Mar 2022

This exhibition will look at how plastics have replaced animal products, for example ivory, fur, and leather. 

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Arts University Bournemouth