Collections Highlight: Historic Formica® Laminate

In 1912, two young electrical engineers, Daniel O’Conor (originally from New York) and Herbert Faber (originally from Cincinnati), discovered that high-pressure plastic resins could replace the mineral mica in insulation material for electrical parts. Mica had long been valued for its excellent electrical and thermal insulating properties, but its brittleness, mechanical weakness, and inconsistent quality made it increasingly impractical as electrical systems expanded. While working for Pittsburgh-based Westinghouse, O’Conor and Faber developed a solution using resin-impregnated paper and fabric, which proved more durable and consistent in performance. They referred to this new material as a substitute “for mica,” a phrase that ultimately inspired the name of the company they later founded, Formica.

The two engineers applied for a patent in 1913, and they started their own business that same year at 2nd & Main Street in downtown Cincinnati, Ohio. By summer 1914, the Formica Products Company had secured a flat press to produce flat sheets of its unique laminate, and the company took off. The patent was officially granted in 1918.

By 1920, the Formica Products Company outgrew its original location and purchased land at Winton Road & Spring Grove Avenue in Cincinnati; this plant would be used to manufacture Formica products until the late 1950s. During that time, the company worked on innovative techniques to improve its iconic product. In 1926, the company produced the first plasticized phenolic laminates; in 1927, Formica’s unique patented process for laminating lithograph-printed sheets was developed. This heat-resistant, wipe-clean laminate of paper with resin is the material Formica is best known for today, in large part due to its benefits in contrast with other common surfacing materials. Unlike marble, laminate is not porous and does not stain; unlike wood, laminate is not easily scratched and does not require regular upkeep; unlike linoleum, laminate does not yellow over time.

By 1930, the company expanded its focus from industrial applications to decorative laminate products for furniture and countertops. The material was colorful, durable, and cigarette-proof; these traits ensured the material’s popularity for interiors such as cafes and nightclubs. The market expanded into transit options like railway cars and luxury ocean liners as the decade continued.

During World War II, the Formica plant contributed to the war effort by producing parts for the armed forces, such as cable control pulleys, instrument panels, factory truck wheels, bomb buster tubes, electrical parts and panels, and ignition breaker arms, among others. When the war ended, Americans entered a period of newfound prosperity, and Formica® Laminates popped up all over the country in suburban kitchens and dinettes. Over time, the brand became synonymous with modern living and began expanding worldwide.

This expansion led to several exciting partnerships with designers like Raymond Loewy and Brooks Stevens, both of whom contributed to iconic Formica patterns such as Skylark (now called Boomerang) and Milano (created with an innovative kaleidoscope-print method, which ensures no two sheets of laminate are exactly alike). The next few decades also saw several name changes for the company, going from “The Formica Insulation Company” to “The Formica Company” in 1948, and then to “The Formica Corporation” in 1956. The latter change also reflected a new ownership structure, with the corporation becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of American Cyanamid, the producer of the unique resin used in Formica laminates.

Design became increasingly important through the 1960s and 1970s, marked by the creation of an in-house design studio in 1965 and the establishment of the Design Advisory Board in 1974. Rather than constraining creative exchange, these developments strengthened Formica’s ability to nurture internal talent and innovation during a pivotal period. The result was a series of enduring patterns by in-house designers—such as Fleurette, Travertine, and Mirage —that helped define Formica’s midcentury design legacy.

Today, Formica Group is the world’s largest manufacturer of high-pressure laminate and global stewards of the Formica brand. An important step in this stewardship has been amassing a comprehensive understanding of the company’s history and contributions to design. In 2024, Formica Group, Inc. donated its extensive archive of pattern samples to the National Building Museum. Subsequent donations from Formica Group, Inc. and others have built upon this unique timeline of laminate design from a powerhouse in the field.

To conduct research using the Historic Formica® Laminate Collection, please fill out a Research Request Form. You can learn more about other collections held at the Museum by searching our online database!