Did you have an Etch A Sketch as a child? The toy, created by French inventor Andre
Cassagnes, first rolled off the factory line on July 12, 1960. Although the toy's exterior has been
available in different colors, the inner workings remain the same.
Invention and Sale of
the Etch A Sketch
Many references cite Arthur Granjean as the inventor of the
Etch A Sketch. According to Ohio Art's
website, the inventor was Andre Cassagnes.
So who was the actual inventor?
It was Cassagnes, who did not have the money to register his
patent. Eventually, Paul Chaze invested
in the toy. Chaze's accountant Arthur
Granjean filed the patent and his name became associated with it.
Cassagnes developed the toy in the late 1950s and named it
L'Ecran Magique (The Magic Screen). Chaze
convinced Cassagnes to relinquish his rights to the toy outside France for
$10,000. It was first marketed in
England as the DoodleMaster Magic Screen and was eventually bought by the Ohio
Art Company and marketed under the name we know today.
How the Etch A Sketch
Works
- Horizontal and vertical knobs are turned
- A pulley system moves an internal stylus
- The stylus "etches" a sketch onto an aluminum
powder-coated glass window
- Styrene beads move powder evenly to erase the
drawing when the toy is shaken
Etch A Sketch Facts
- One of the first toys advertised on TV
- 150 million sold in the U.S.
- An image can be made "permanent" by drilling a
hole in the back of the toy and removing the aluminum powder and plastic beads
Resources:
About.com - Inventor
of the Week: Arthur Granjean
Idea Finder - Etch a
Sketch
Ohio Art - Our
Story
Today I Found Out - How
an Etch A Sketch Works
Wikipedia - Etch A Sketch
Wired - July
12, 1960: Etch A Sketch? Let Us Draw You
a Picture
http://cecilbuffington.com/photo_122.html [image]
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