Although he never perfected his product, Alexander Parkes (1813-1890) invented one of the earliest forms of plastic. It eventually led to the commercial and manufacturing success of plastic products. A talented metallurgist and inventor, Parkes held 66 patents on processes and products related to electroplating and plastic development.

The son of a brass lock manufacturer, Parkes was born on December 29, 1831, in Birmingham, England. He apprenticed to a brass founder at Messenger and Sons before going to work at Elkingtons, the company that invented the electroplating process, which used electricity to deposit a layer of metal. Parkes was put in charge of the casting department, and his attention soon began to focus on electroplating, a recently discovered process.

Parkes took out his first patent (No. 8005) in 1841 on a process for electroplating delicate works of art. His improved method for electroplating fine and fragile objects, such as flowers, was granted a...