Franz Kolb
Encyclopedia
Franz Kolb was a German pharmacist and the inventor of the modeling paste Plastilin. In English-speaking countries this material is also known as "plasticine
." Because of different patent
rights in Germany
and England
there are different views about who actually invented plasticine. In England, William Harbutt
is seen as the inventor, while in Germany it is Franz Kolb. Kolb's German patent is from 1880 while Harbutt's English one is from 1897. The exact formulation of the two products is different.
Plasticine
Plasticine, a brand of modelling clay, is a putty-like modelling material made from calcium salts, petroleum jelly and aliphatic acids. The name is a registered trademark of Flair Leisure Products plc...
." Because of different patent
Patent
A patent is a form of intellectual property. It consists of a set of exclusive rights granted by a sovereign state to an inventor or their assignee for a limited period of time in exchange for the public disclosure of an invention....
rights in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
there are different views about who actually invented plasticine. In England, William Harbutt
William Harbutt
William Harbutt was a painter and the inventor of Plasticine.Born in North Shields, England, Harbutt studied at the National Art Training School in London, and eventually became an associate of the Royal College of Art...
is seen as the inventor, while in Germany it is Franz Kolb. Kolb's German patent is from 1880 while Harbutt's English one is from 1897. The exact formulation of the two products is different.