ABSTRACT
Peter Hodgson happened upon a blob of silicone that a chemist had left at a friend's home. Fascinated by its possibilities, Hodgson had some chemical engineers in Schenectady, New York produce a few trial batches. When he got what he was looking for, Hodgson patented the name "Silly Putty" and began supplying it to retailers. The item made a great impression upon the public. Mr. Lee Weber, manager of the Doubleday bookshop in New York City, called Silly Putty the "most terrific item the Doubleday shops have been privileged to handle since Forever Amber". Silly Putty continued to sell well over the next 40 years in its trademark container, particularly to a new wave of baby boomers in the early 1960s. During the summer months of 1991, Binney & Smith successfully marketed a phosphorescent version through such giant retail chains as Wal-Mart.
