Alexander Parkes - Definition and Overview

The first Celluloid's were invented in Birmingham England by Alexander Parkes although he did not live to see their full impact on film. Alexander Parkes was a metallurgist and inventor and amongst his inventions was one of the earliest forms of plastic. He held 66 patents on processes and products related to electroplating and plastic development. The son of a brass lock manufacturer, Parkes was born on December 29, 1813, in Birmingham, England and died in London June 29, 1890. He apprenticed to a brass founder at Messenger and Sons before going to work at Elkingtons, the company that invented the electroplating process, which used electricity to deposit a layer of metal. Parkes was put in charge of the casting department, and his attention soon began to focus on electroplating, a recently discovered process. Parkes took out his first patent (No. 8005) in 1841 on a process for electroplating delicate works of art. His improved method for electroplating fine and fragile objects, such as flowers, was granted a patent in 1843.