Savannah Relics

1860’s Screven House Business Card

The Screven House opened on October 20th, 1857 on the corner of Bull and Congress (The building was replaced in 1912 with what is now known as the Manger Building, which will reopen in 2026 as a new hotel, ).

George McGinly was the proprietor of the hotel in the 1860’s. The business card is printed on Parkesine, an early type of plastic.

Alexander Parkes patented Parkesine in 1856, and unveiled it at the 1862 Great Exhibition, where it won a bronze medal. Parkes attempted to develop Parkesine commercially, but failed due to the high cost and general production difficulties. The introduction of Parkesine is generally regarded as the birth of the plastics industry. However, the Parkesine company went out of business in 1868.