The Formica Corporation was founded in 1913 by two men after they created an innovative new product to insulate electrical wiring. At the time of the discovery, both men worked at Westinghouse in Pittsburgh, PA. Daniel O’Conor worked there as an engineer and Herbert Faber as a sales manager. They had created a new substance that was a type of laminate intended to encase electrical wiring. It was made from cloth that had been coated with resin. Just weeks after being paid the standard $1 by Westinghouse for their patent, they decided to venture out on their own.

The trademark name of Formica has an interesting story attached to it. Prior to Formica’s discovery, electrical wiring was insulated using mica, a naturally occurring mineral. This new laminate was a substitute insulator that could be used as an alternative “for mica”, so the inventors gave it the name “Formica”.

New applications for Formica were researched and developed and it was installed in diners on countertops and tables and on the walls of ocean liners and trains. Formica engineers developed a cigarette-proof surface that was used in the construction of Radio City Music Hall that opened in NYC in 1932. They also created wood-grain laminates that were used in the building of the ocean liner, The Queen Mary, which was completed in 1934. During WWII, the Formica Corporation manufactured airplane propellers that were made from plastic-impregnated wood, or “Pregwood”. Formica’s largest single order was from the US Government to make a bomb component called “burster tubes”. Of course Formica was also developed as laminated kitchen countertops in residential homes. Although the company was hugely successful before and during WWII, their most profitable time came during the postwar building boom. In the early 1950s, one in three newly constructed homes had Formica countertops.

In 1956 the Formica Corporation was purchased and became a subsidiary of American Cyanamid. In 1985 Shearson Lehman bought the Formica Corporation from American Cyanamid. Today the Formica Corporation offices are based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The brand is so well known today that people generally refer to all laminated countertops and furniture as “formica” whether or not they were actually the manufacturer. The brochure pictured shows the Sunrise collection designed by Raymond Loewy Associates for Formica in 1953. These appear to have been the lineup through to 1960, when the colors and patterns were updated again. It’s interesting to see what was in style then, and you may see some you recognize yourself. As the retro look is popular again today, so are some of these laminates. You can also download these images in the Retro Planet PDF Library . Look for the Formica Sunrise Brochure link.

This Formica brochure is from 1951, when postwar residential construction was booming. Total Formica Corporation sales in that year were almost two times what they had been during their most successful war years. Inside the brochure is a quaint little story called “Open Formica Inspection”. In the story Mother falls asleep while Dad takes the family out on their Sunday afternoon drive. She dreams of arriving at a model home and being told that Formica has been installed throughout the house. The dream guide describes what it is and how beautiful and durable it is. This is a great bit of advertising that you probably couldn’t get away with today. We’re a little too cynical to sit and read a story like this. But it is awfully quaint.

The brochure explains that there was a 16MM color movie available called “Living with Formica” that could have been sent away for to learn more about the virtues of Formica. And the back of the brochure has photos of a great bathroom renovation. With the installation of a Formica Vanitory and wall laminates, an outdated bathroom gets a clean, modern look. It truly is a modern-looking bathroom, resembling photos of new bathroom designs you can see today.

This brochure is also available as pdf files in the Retro Planet PDF Library.