Plasticine was developed in Bath by the Director of the Bath School of Art, William Harbutt, as a synthetic modelling paste for sculpture students. Demand quickly grew for educational use in schools and in the home. By 1900 production had moved from the Harbutt family home to a factory in Bathampton to satisfy demand from across the world. Bath Harbutt and his wife were well respected artists and many of their artist friends were asked to illustrate the original packaging on display. The only Plasticine factory on Earth, at Bathampton, finally closed in 1983.
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