Apart from resembling ivory, celluloid has other amazing properties as well. Celluloid is a permanent, hard solid at normal temperatures and when heated, it becomes soft and could be moulded or rolled into sheets. Because of these, it was used to make a wide range of products.
By the 1880s, celluloid was used as a substitute for linen. It was used to make detachable collars and cuffs for men’s clothing. Photography wouldn’t have been possible if not for celluloid. 1n1882, John H. Stevens discovered that celluloid could be diluted using amyl acetate. He was working as a chemist at the Celluloid Manufacturing Company then.
Diluting celluloid produced a clear, flexible film. Researchers like Henry Reichenbach of the Eastman Kodak Company further processed it into film for still photography. It was later used to make motion pictures.
These films were inflammable and would discolour with age. But they remained the medium for motion pictures till the invention of cellulose-acetate safety film in the 930s.
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