Franz Kolb

Franz Kolb was a Munich-based pharmacist who invented the plasticine 1890.

Invention of plasticine

End of the 19th century Munich was a city of the arts and artists and Schwabing a favorite haunt of the artistic bohemian. Franz Kolb, at that time owner of a pharmacy at Kapuzinerplatz in Munich, mixed and composed in addition to ointments and tinctures and other products: intelligence and Copiertinte, watchmakers oil, Essence or a new impression material for dental technicians. His friends included also notable sculptors such as Ferdinand Freiherr von Miller.

In conversations with his sculptor friends piston learned of their large and small concerns: What do you do when the wet modeling clay constantly freezes hopelessly in winter in the ice-cold, large roof studios and is then not to process? Franz Kolb returned to the issue of his friends, analyzed, experimented and presented the solution: A new " Kunstthon ", who was not only insensitive to process, but also ideal to cold. A material that had not existed until then. He called the product plasticine. For its preparation, he founded in 1890 the company Franz Kolb.

Academy professors, art school directors and particularly the sculptors were excited about the new Künstlerton plasticine. Finally she had the modeling, after they had sought for so long. Effusive letter of thanks witnessed the acceptance of Kolb'schen Plastiline. The name of the piston - product " plasticine " eventually became a generic term.

Famous works

One of the sculptures that were accomplished with the help of plasticine, include, for example, the Angel of Peace by Henry Duell, George Pezold and Max Heilmaier, William of Rümanns lion in front of Feldherrenhalle or stucco Amazon.

History

Franz Kolb founded in 1890 a company on his behalf for the production of his invention plasticine. 1915, the company was sold and was followed by " Franz Kolb successor ". The company " Franz Kolb GmbH " is now modeling for the next Craft Supplies and Clay for design studios still the original Munich artists plasticine ago.

However, production focus for 20 years, industrial plasticine for the design model and especially for the automotive industry. The " Kolb Technology GmbH" founded in 2001, manages and develops this industrial area with CAD -based solution procedure to speed up the design cycle between digital and physical form-finding.

Plasticine

In the English-speaking world is a plasticine similar material, but having a different formulation under the name " Plasticine ". Was invented by the Englishman William Harbuttder it here in 1897 for a patent.