Is the Plastic Bag History?
This digital and outdoor exhibition explores the history of a familiar object from a surprising number of angles.
On view October 30, 2023–April 26, 2024
Building Façade
It’s strong, cheap, flimsy, recyclable, disposable, engineered, manufactured, and (in some places) banned. But is the plastic bag history?
This digital and outdoor exhibition uses a common grocery bag to explore the histories and legacies of plastic in society. It’s a story that includes a Swedish manufacturer, dry cleaners, and Philadelphia’s own local government.
For more on the history of plastics and other materials, visit the Science of Stuff.
Curator: Roger Turner
Photography: Annabel Pinkney
Design: Nathanael Roesch
You might also like
DIGITAL COLLECTIONS
Plastics & Synthetic Fibers
This collection includes a wide variety of materials documenting the history of the development of plastics and synthetic fibers.
EDUCATION
Conflicts in Chemistry: The Case of Plastics
Students consider the positive, negative, and conflicting perspectives of plastics through a debate of the issues.
DISTILLATIONS MAGAZINE
Richard Hamilton’s Plastic Problem
Pop artists set themselves apart by addressing throwaway culture. But how could they make the disposable last?