To Emigrants! The following GUTTA PERCHA articles will be found of great value to emigrants especially such as are proceeding to the GOLD DIGGINGS
Maker
Gutta Percha Company
(1845 - 1864)
Date1852
Object number00018300
NamePoster
MediumInk on paper
DimensionsOverall: 206 x 129 mm
ClassificationsPosters and postcards
Credit LineANMM Collection
DescriptionAdvertising poster reading 'To Emigrants! The following GUTTA PERCHA articles will be found of great value to emigrants especially such as are proceeding to the GOLD DIGGINGS'.HistoryGutta Percha is a form of natural rubber derived from trees in South East Asia and northern Australia, its properties were first discovered in the West in 1842, companies such as the Gutta Percha Co. commercialised its use in a variety of products, it was not replaced with synthetic materials until well into the 20th century.
As gutta percha softens at high temperatures and returns to a solid form as it cools, it proved easy to mould into many decorative and functional objects by pressing the heated material into cold moulds. The Gutta Percha Co. were the original leaders in the field and produced a large array of domestic and commercial objects. They were most recognised for the production of tubes and cables and were instrumental in the 1851 cross-channel cable between Britain and France. They became so successful in this field that their merged with the cable manufacturer Glass, Elliot & Company in 1865 to form the Telegraph Construction and Maintenance Company, or 'Telcon'.
Percy Cruikshank
1850-1859
