Tickled pink and 63 other colors
Crayola's 64 pack celebrates its 50th birthday
Who doesn't remember the excitement of opening a box of crayons and starting to color the world — whether on a simple piece of paper that could be hung on the refrigerator or in a coloring book?
Then in 1958, there was an explosion of color: a giant box of crayons in 64 exotic colors such as goldenrod, raw umber, carnation pink, burnt sienna, periwinkle and wisteria. Plus it came with its own built-in crayon sharpener. Did life get any better than that?
The Crayola 64 pack turns 50 this year. "It debuted on the 'Captain Kangaroo' show," says Stacy Gabrielle, a spokeswoman for Crayola. "It's a classic toy, unlike any other. I think it's one we all have an emotional connection to."
Plus, there's that distinctive smell — one that a Yale University study ranked 18 on the list of the 20 most recognizable smells (coffee was No. 1; peanut butter was No. 2).
In the past 50 years, some 200 million Crayola 64 boxes have been sold — containing 12.8 billion crayons, or enough to circle the Earth 24 times. Just think of the coloring they've done.
It belongs there for a variety of reasons, according to David Shayt, cultural history curator for the Smithsonian. "Opening a box is like stepping through the door to Oz. It's like opening a box of memories for adults, and walking into the process of discovery for children. There's a community of colors inside the box that peppers everyone's imaginations."
That same year, the box was also inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame.
The first Crayola crayons were introduced in 1903 by Edwin Binney and his cousin C. Harold Smith, who owned a chemical plant in upstate New York.
They specialized in making the pigments that were used on the red barns of the day. But after noticing a need in schools for safe and affordable wax crayons, the pair introduced the first box of eight crayons: black, brown, blue, red, violet, orange, yellow and green. It sold for a nickel. The name was chosen by Edwin's wife, Alice, a former school teacher. It comes from "craie," the French word for "chalk," and "ola" from "oleaginous."
Over the years, Crayola added more colors to its repertoire. Some 120 colors in all have been developed for various collections, but the 64 pack has remained fairly consistent, except for a few special changes.
Recent comments
What a great article. Makes me want to go home and color. (Yes,...
K | June 24, 2008 at 9:26 a.m.
What a colorful story. Thanks.
Fred | June 24, 2008 at 9:21 a.m.
