The Hollow

The History of Shellac, Part 4: An Enduring Finish

The chemistry that split shellac in two after WWII, what survived the contraction, and why button lac still matters to the people who do the work. Part 4 of four.

The History of Shellac, Part 4: An Enduring Finish

The chemistry that split shellac in two after WWII, what survived the contraction, and why button lac still matters to the people who do the work. Part 4 of four.

The History of Shellac, Part 3: A Fading Shine

The History of Shellac, Part 3: A Fading Shine

How nitrocellulose lacquer, the factory spray line, and the vinyl record nearly finished shellac off between 1920 and 1950. Part 3 of four.

The History of Shellac, Part 3: A Fading Shine

How nitrocellulose lacquer, the factory spray line, and the vinyl record nearly finished shellac off between 1920 and 1950. Part 3 of four.

Rediscovering Button Lac

Rediscovering Button Lac

It quietly slipped out of the catalogs, then out of the conversation, until it survived only in the hands of people who refused to let it go. A thing that...

Rediscovering Button Lac

It quietly slipped out of the catalogs, then out of the conversation, until it survived only in the hands of people who refused to let it go. A thing that...

The History of Shellac, Part 2: A Brilliant Century

The History of Shellac, Part 2: A Brilliant Cen...

Bleaching, the cloth pad, and a hundred years when shellac was the wood finish of the Western world — plus the adulteration problem that shadowed the trade. Part 2 of...

The History of Shellac, Part 2: A Brilliant Cen...

Bleaching, the cloth pad, and a hundred years when shellac was the wood finish of the Western world — plus the adulteration problem that shadowed the trade. Part 2 of...

The History of Shellac, Part 1: An Ancient Resin

Where shellac comes from — the lac insect, five thousand years of use, and why even the French cabinetmakers once kept it at arm's length. Part 1 of four.

The History of Shellac, Part 1: An Ancient Resin

Where shellac comes from — the lac insect, five thousand years of use, and why even the French cabinetmakers once kept it at arm's length. Part 1 of four.

Common Questions About Shellac

The questions we get most often, answered plainly. Is shellac old-fashioned? Yes, in the sense that the Indian subcontinent has been working with it for five thousand years and Europe...

Common Questions About Shellac

The questions we get most often, answered plainly. Is shellac old-fashioned? Yes, in the sense that the Indian subcontinent has been working with it for five thousand years and Europe...