Most of us never give plastic a second glance. The Museum Of Design In Plastics, a small collection inside an art school library, makes you look at it closely, whether a Victorian comb dressed up as tortoiseshell or a moulded chair that altered the way furniture was produced. Admission is free, the place is quietly excellent, and hardly anyone beyond the university seems to know it exists.
What to see and do
MoDiP is the shortened name for the Museum of Design in Plastics, the UK's only accredited museum concentrating specifically on design in plastics. The core collection holds roughly 9,000 objects, the majority dating from after 1945 and selected for their design, cultural or historical importance. Two loans sit beside it and broaden the picture a great deal: the Plastics Historical Society collection, which stretches back to the nineteenth century and the first man-made plastics, and over 400 pieces from the Worshipful Company of Horners spanning horn, early synthetics and the tools once used to shape them.
Since the public gallery is small, what is on show is a curated selection rather than the full store. The displays change over time; one past exhibition simply assembled a handful of chairs and asked visitors to sit on them and look. Keep an eye out for the early cellulose nitrate objects sold as Parkesine and Xylonite: combs, hairbrushes, mirrors, decorative lace effects and billiard balls, a number of them made to pass for ivory or tortoiseshell at mass-market prices. A few pieces are presented in a decayed state, a striking demonstration of how unstable those early plastics were. Further along the timeline come packaging, sports equipment, medical devices and the newer sustainable materials.
Should the object you are after not be on display, the whole collection is searchable online, complete with archive photographs and old manufacturers' advertising, and the staff welcome research enquiries.
The setting
Inside the library of Arts University Bournemouth, the museum takes up a modest square room ringed with mirrored glass cabinets. As a home for a museum it is unconventional, and that counts in its favour: the mood is studious and calm, without the throughput of a large civic attraction. Half an hour to an hour covers most visits, more if the cases draw you in or you start a conversation at the desk. Set within a working art school library, the collection feels actively used for teaching rather than merely kept behind glass.
Where it is
You will find MoDiP on the AUB campus at Wallisdown, where Bournemouth meets Poole, a short distance north west of Westbourne. It is on the first floor of the library building, with lift access. Buses link the campus to the town centres of both Bournemouth and Poole. Parking on campus is arranged for staff and students rather than casual visitors, so check what applies before driving. For other ideas in the vicinity, have a look at our guide to Bournemouth attractions.
Good to know
There is no admission fee and the museum really is open to everyone, not just students. Because opening follows library hours, which change with university terms, look at the MoDiP website before you set out. Contact the team in advance if you would like to meet a member of staff, organise a group or school visit, see specific catalogued objects, or talk through access requirements. Design students, makers, anyone fascinated by materials and anyone mildly curious about how the twentieth century was built will all find something here. Follow it with a walk around Westbourne and you have a tidy half day.