Hair Comb Manufactured by India Rubber Comb Company Patented by Charles Goodyear ca. 1851 This hair-comb is made of vulcanite (India rubber that has been treated with sulfur), and features an applied border in the shape of a seven-link chain atop a six-tooth comb. The back of the piece is marked " COMB CO GOODYEAR 1851." The process of vulcanizing rubber was discovered by Charles Goodyear and patented in 1844. By the 1850s vulcanite had become a popular substitute for more expensive materials such as tortoiseshell or jet and was frequently used by American jewelers and accessory makers.

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Photo credit: © MET/BOT / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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