Etch A Sketch

Etch A Sketch, which was first covered in December 1971, uses technology developed in the 1950s by Andre Cassagnes, an electrician in France. Since its invention in 1960, more than 150 million have been sold worldwide.

How It Works

An Etch A Sketch is a thick, flat gray screen in a plastic frame. There are two knobs on the front of the frame in the lower corners. Twisting the knobs moves a stylus that displaces aluminum powder on the back of the screen, leaving a solid line. The knobs create lineographic images. The left control moves the stylus horizontally, and the right one moves it vertically.

To erase the drawing, you simply turn the toy upside down and shake it. The aluminum powder redistributes across the screen, coating it in a uniform gray and giving you a fresh canvas.

A Baby Boom Icon

The Etch A Sketch was introduced near the peak of the Baby Boom, and is one of the best known toys of that generation. In 2003, the Toy Industry Association named Etch A Sketch to its Century of Toys List, a roll call commemorating the 100 most memorable and most creative toys of the 20th century. It remains popular to this day.

From Accident to Icon

The story of its creation involves a happy accident. Andre Cassagnes was an electrical technician working in a factory when he noticed that pencil markings on a translucent light-switch plate could be seen from the other side when electrostatically charged powder clung to the marks. This observation led him to develop a drawing toy based on the principle.

The Ohio Art Company

The Ohio Art Company purchased the rights to the toy at the 1959 Nuremberg Toy Fair and began manufacturing it in Bryan, Ohio. The first Etch A Sketch cost $2.99 and became one of the best-selling toys of the 1960 Christmas season.

Etch A Sketch Art

While most of us can barely manage a staircase pattern on an Etch A Sketch, some artists have elevated the toy to a serious art medium. Professional Etch A Sketch artists create stunning portraits, landscapes, and architectural drawings using nothing but the two knobs. Some of these artworks sell for thousands of dollars.

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