What is Celluloid?
Celluloid is a material made by plasticizing nitrocellulose with the assistance of camphor. This substance was first invented in the 1800s as a replacement for ivory and bone, and its uses later greatly expanded, perhaps most notably into the world of film. By the 1950s, however, the disadvantages of celluloid had lead to a general decline in the market for the material, and today it can be challenging to find. Nitrocellulose is made by exposing cellulose to a nitrating agent. When plasticized with camphor, the resulting material is very easy to mold, shape, and handle. However, it has a very distinct disadvantage: it is highly flammable. Celluloid is so flammable that it will continue to burn even when dunked in water, making it a serious fire hazard, as one might imagine. It is also not very light stable, decaying rapidly when exposed to light. Although flammable, celluloid is also extremely durable, making it useful for a wide range of tasks. In corsets, for example, the material co
