Can you turn detective in the name of plastics?

The Museum of Design in Plastics (MoDiP), based in Bournemouth, UK, has launched a research project that it hopes will unearth some previously unknown facts about the history and origin of some of the products in its collection.

The museum, which is the only accredited museum in the UK with a focus on plastics, is working in partnership with the University of Brighton and Adaptive Technologies Ltd in undertaking the research, which will take the form of an online game to crowdsource discovery and verification of previously undocumented facts about some of its plastic artefacts.

Inspired by the FBI’s ‘Ten Most Wanted’ website, the project will combine the web, social media and gaming to motivate the public to search for unrecorded information; enable players to work together and to reach out to other groups for assistance; and encourage them in physical enquiry as well as online research. MoDiP hopes it will also help to grow public interest around the collection and stimulate interest from the plastics industry.

Typical examples of the ‘wanted’ facts are the designer and precise dates of manufacture of everyday products, as in the case of this Swan Kettle (see image), as well as more obscure artefacts, such as this duck-shaped clothes brush (see image).

“Lettering on it tells us it [the duck clothes brush] was made in England and there is evidence of injection moulding,” commented Susan Lambert, Head of MoDiP. “Wanted information includes who designed it, who made it, when it was made and the particular plastics used in its manufacture.” 

The project will be going live in October and MoDiP will provide updates as to how to be involved with the game and the wider research. You can see all the objects in the first ten being targeted on the project website: www.10most.org.uk

Ten Most Wanted is supported by Nesta, Arts and Humanities Research Council and public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.

Do you have a fascinating plastic object at home or in the workplace that you would like to know more about? BP&R would love to hear from you – please get in touch by emailing editorial@britishplastics.co.uk