"We just got NEW CRAYONS!" exclaimed 4 year old Lily. I was babysitting her and brought along foam stickers and paper. We were going to make pictures. She proudly brought out her new crayons. They had already abandoned the box and were in a bucket.
The excitement in her voice brought back memories of the thrill of a NEW BOX of crayons - that unique smell and the vibrant colors! I remember the orderly procession of nice, new pointed crayons - a box full of possibilities. I don't recall that new boxes of crayons appeared at Oak Street very often - it was a BIG DEAL when they did.I seem to recall the first time we got a 64 color box - with a built in sharpener. That box wasn't introduced until 1958. Now there are boxes of 120 colors. You can also buy "multicultural" crayons - "assortment of realistic skin tones." A new box of crayons always seemed to be a nice gift - for our children and later our grandchildren. I always hoped they would share the excitement I remembered from my childhood.
According to this history, the word crayola includes the word "oleaginous," a word my father liked (read about that here). From Crayola's website: "The Crayola name, coined by Edwin Binney’s wife Alice, comes from “craie,” the French word for chalk, and “ola,” from “oleaginous.” Read more about the history of crayons at the Crayola website.
When I was looking for images, I had fun reading other people's memories of crayons. Check out this. Here you'll find more history and a list of colors, including the fact that Prussian Blue was changed to Midnight Blue at the request of teachers. Flesh was changed to Peach in 1962 in response to the U.S. Civil Rights movement.
Check out the Sesame Street video about making crayons.
Here is Mr. Rogers' explanation of crayon making.
Can you see a difference in approach to presenting the information?
(2/13 This video is no longer available)
A NEW BOX of crayons - what a neat childhood experience!
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