The Evolution of Crayons
Crayons have come a long way since their invention in the late 1800s. Over the decades, crayon manufacturers have introduced new colors, shapes, and technologies to make crayons more vibrant, durable, and kid-friendly. But what color was the very first crayon? To answer this question, we have to go back to the origins of the crayon.
While pastels and wax-based drawing instruments existed long before the late 1800s, most historians credit Edwin Binney and C. Harold Smith as the inventors of the first modern crayons. In 1903, Binney and Smith created the Crayola brand with their first box of eight crayons. This box included black, brown, blue, red, purple, orange, yellow, and green. So while black and brown were among the original crayon colors, the honor of being the very “first crayon” is widely attributed to the black crayon.
The Invention of Crayons by Binney & Smith
Edwin Binney and C. Harold Smith were creative entrepreneurs who sought to bring art supplies and educational tools to American homes and classrooms in the late 1800s. Binney owned a company that produced slate pencils used on slate chalkboards in schools, while Smith owned a pigment company that specialized in red oxide pigments used for barn paint.
In 1885, Binney and Smith joined forces to create the Binney & Smith Company in New York City. Together, they developed and produced cost-effective and colorful wax crayons that were a superior alternative to the expensive, low-quality pastels and chalks used in schools at the time.
After years of experiments with different wax and pigment formulations, Binney & Smith finally perfected their wax crayon recipe. They branded their line of crayons as Crayola in 1903. The first Crayola crayons were chunky sticks wrapped in paper labeled “Gold Medal Crayons”. Each box contained 8 sticks priced at 5 cents.
While we don’t know the exact order the original 8 crayons were arranged in, most historians agree that Binney & Smith’s first crayon was likely a black stick, followed by brown, blue, red, purple, orange, yellow and green. So the rich, smokey black crayon deserves the honor of being considered the very first crayon.
The Growth of Binney & Smith’s Crayola Brand
The first Crayola crayons were an instant success. Teachers loved the affordable, high-quality wax crayons that enhanced kids’ learning and creativity. Within a few years, Binney & Smith was churning out millions of crayon boxes each year to keep up with demand. They began offering larger boxes of up to 30 colors.
In 1907, Binney & Smith introduced industrial-strength Crayola crayons molded with stronger pigments, making them more durable for classroom use. These Crayolas also included 8 classic colors in the iconic green and black box recognizable today. They labeled crayons by color rather than generic names like “Number 5”.
By 1913, Binney & Smith enhanced their wax crayon recipe to produce crayons that were smoother and stronger. This longevity helped Crayola become the classroom staple for coloring and drawing projects. The classic, nickel Crayola box with sharpenable crayons debuted in 1935 with new gold and green labels.
Over the decades, Crayola continued expanding its color palette with innovative production techniques and consumer feedback. In 1958, the 64-count Crayola box with built-in sharpener arrived, just in time for the postwar baby boom’s classroom demands. Dozens more colors were added in subsequent decades, as crayon manufacturing technology improved.
While black, brown, blue, red, purple, orange, yellow and green were Crayola’s original colors, the brand now offers boxes with 120 colors, specialty assortments, and even customizable options. But it all traces back to the iconic black No. 1 that paved the way.
Fun Facts About Early Crayola Crayons
– Binney & Smith’s first crayons were modeled after pastels and colored chalks used in schools. They decided to wrap pigmented wax sticks in paper for a neater, more durable classroom crayon.
– The Crayola brand name was chosen by Alice Binney, wife of founder Edwin Binney. She creatively combined the French word “craie” (meaning chalk) with “ola” from “oleaginous” (oily). This described the key ingredient, petroleum, used to manufacture their wax crayons.
– Early Crayola ads marketed their crayons to teachers as an affordable, American-made classroom essential. Their major competitors were costly imported French pastels and lower quality domestic chalks.
– The first Crayola crayons were wider and stubbier than modern crayons. They resembled sticks of chalk wrapped in paper labeled “Gold Medal Crayons No. XX”. Each box contained 8 crayons for 5 cents apiece.
– Binney & Smith sold their first Crayola crayons as singles or in boxes of 8, 12, 16, 22, 28 and 30 sticks. The iconic 8-pack box with gold and green branding arrived in 1907.
– The original colors were chosen based on pigment technology of the late 1800s. It wasn’t until the 1930s that Crayola introduced brighter, bolder colors in their enlarged color lineups.
– Crayola’s first crayon labels only had generic names like “Red” or “Number 5”. The first crayons with creative color names like “Cornflower” and “Raw Umber” appeared in 1918.
– Early Crayola boxes had a coupon on the side that kids could mail away for a free painting booklet and art prints. Crayola wanted to encourage more home and classroom coloring.
– Binney & Smith purchased small companies along with their color pigment and wax patents in order to expand and improve their crayon manufacturing capabilities in the early 1900s.
Crayon Packaging Evolution
Crayon boxes evolved from generic sleeves to cleverly designed, colorful packages that delighted kids. Here’s an overview of how Crayola crayon packaging and branding transformed over the decades:
1900s: Gold Medal Crayons
– 8 count box
– Plain kraft paper box
– Gold foil stamp logo
– Crayon wrappers labeled No. 1-8
1910s: Early Crayola Packaging
– 8, 12, 16, 22, 28 & 30 count boxes
– Kraft boxes with red & black branding
– Crayon wrappers labeled with color names
1920s-1930s: Nickel Crayons
– 5 cent boxes with 8, 12, 24 crayons
– Kraft box with gold & black design
– “Nickel” and “Crayola” logos
– Crayons wrapped in wax paper
1940s-1950s: Gold & Green Box
– Standard 8 & 24 count boxes
– Iconic gold & green branded box
– Built-in sharpener added in 1945
– Foil & paper wrapped crayons
1950s-1960s: 64 Count Box
– Debut of 64 count box in 1958
– Modeling clay and crayon assortments
– Licensed character boxes (Disney, Mr. Potato Head)
– Box art illustrated by Mel Crawford
1970s-1990s: Plastic Boxes & Jumbo Crayons
– Introduced new plastic molded boxes
– Large “Jumbo” crayons for preschoolers
– Licensed character crayon assortments
– Specialty crayon sets & knobby crayons
2000s: New Designs & Innovation
– Colormax bold, bright crayons (2003)
– Twistable crayons (1997)
– Erasable crayons (2001)
– Crayons made with recycled material
– Custom printable crayon labels (2003)
The Most Iconic Crayola Crayon Colors
While Crayola has produced crayons in over 200 colors since 1903, these are some of the most memorable and creative crayon colors from the original boxes:
| Black | The famous original first Crayola crayon |
| Orange | Part of the classic original 8 pack |
| Periwinkle | A light lavender blue color introduced in 1930 |
| Burnt Sienna | A reddish-brown color and one of the original “Gold Medal” hues |
| Cornflower | A bright azure blue crayon from the 1920s |
| Royal Purple | Regal purple made the color lineup in the 1950s |
| Macaroni and Cheese | Added in 1993, named by Crayola fans |
| Cerulean | A lush sky blue color trademarked by Crayola in 1990 |
| Vivid Tangerine | Vibrant orange from the 1990 fluorescent crayons |
| Jazzberry Jam | A wild purple color, named for jazz music |
How Crayola Crayons Are Made
Crayola still makes its classic crayons with a remarkably similar process used since the early 1900s. Wax, pigment, and additives are precisely blended, extruded into sticks, then wrapped by high-speed machines.
Here are the key steps for how Crayola transforms vats of waxy substances into colorful crayons:
1. Pigments
Powdered pigments provide the vibrant colorants for Crayola crayons. Pigments may be organic or synthetic compounds that get mixed into the heated wax. Ultramarine produces Crayola’s recognizable cobalt blue.
2. Wax
Paraffin wax makes up the waxy base of crayons. It’s combined with natural waxes for just the right molding, coloring and binding properties. Stearic acid helps harden the crayon stick.
3. Liquid Mix
The pigments, waxes, and additives are measured, mixed and heated into a dyed liquid compound customized for each color. Exact formulations took decades to perfect.
4. Molding
The liquid crayon mix is poured into labeled molds to cool and set into crayon sticks. Crayons may be molded with wrappers or labeled by high-speed machines later.
5. Wrapping
Wrapping machines roll printed paper labels tightly around molded crayon sticks at up to 155 feet per minute. Labels identify each unique color.
6. Packaging
Individual wrapped crayons are assembled into boxes by sophisticated packaging equipment. Mass production enables affordable pricing.
7. Quality Control
Samples from each batch are tested to ensure colors meet strict quality and safety standards. Computers monitor production efficiency.
Fun Facts About Crayola Crayons
– The largest Crayola crayon box has contained as many as 200 different colors.
– Over 3 billion Crayola crayons are manufactured annually in Easton, Pennsylvania.
– The popular 64-count Crayola box takes 1 full day to make from start to sealed package.
– If laid end-to-end, the number of Crayola crayons made in one year could circle the globe six times.
– Blue is reportedly the most popular Crayola crayon color, followed by red, then green and purple.
– Special edition Crayola boxes featured licensed characters like Mickey Mouse, Sesame Street Muppets, and Star Wars cast.
– Crayola released a 16-crayon Colors of the World box in 2020 representing 40+ global skin tones.
– The largest Crayola crayon ever made was a 15-foot-long “Big Blu” blue crayon produced in 1998 in Italy. It weighed over 1,500 pounds!
– Crayola has a color “naming” factory with 80 dedicated workers who think up creative names and color ideas using client feedback.
– Crayola has renamed one controversial crayon color each decade. In 1962, “Flesh” became “Peach”. In 1990, “Indian Red” turned into “Chestnut”.
Crayola Color Science
Behind the fun colors and creativity, there’s some complex color science powering Crayola’s crayon pigments and dyes. Here are some interesting insights into Crayola’s color chemistry:
Pigments vs Dyes
Crayola crayons use powdered pigment additives that act as suspended particles to reflect certain wavelengths of light. These pigments lend rich, vibrant color when mixed into the wax medium. Dyes chemically bond to materials to impart color through absorption.
Color Mixing
The variety of crayon colors is achieved by carefully mixing different pigments together into the wax base. Combining primary colors like red, blue and yellow creates secondary hues. Additional pigments yield other colors.
Lightfastness
Lightfastness indicates how resistant a pigment is to fading over time. Crayola chooses highly lightfast, colorfast pigments to ensure long-lasting vibrancy of colors like Ultramarine blue.
Metamerism
Metamerism refers to how a color may appear different under various light sources. Crayola crayon pigments are carefully engineered to reduce metameric effects, so colors look truer in different settings.
Opacifiers
Opacifiers like titanium dioxide give crayon colors their rich, opaque appearance. Without these additives, some hues would seem more transparent on paper.
Fluorescence
Some Crayola crayons contain fluorescence, where pigments convert invisible UV light into visible wavelengths, making colors appear to glow. This effect is present in colors like “Shocking Pink”.
The Future of Crayons
Crayola has big plans to keep improving crayon technology and inspiring creativity in future generations. Here’s a glimpse of what’s next for crayons:
– Specialty crayons like Neon, Metallic, Silly Scents, and Glitter colors for creative effects
– Increased color ranges and custom crayon sets for diverse skin tones
– Advanced crayon manufacturing methods for higher pigment density
– Greener materials like recycled plastics and solar-powered facilities
– High-efficiency, high-speed robotic production with more automation
– Creative new crayon shapes, textures and wrappers
– Digital integration & augmented reality features for interactive coloring
– Global expansion of crayon products tailored to international markets
– Innovation centers to tap into consumer suggestions for new crayon ideas
– Focus on environmentally friendly & sustainable crayon materials
– Personalized crayons with custom names, photos, or labels
– Collaborations with schools, educators & organizations to foster the arts
– Support for art therapy, creativity & emotional learning using crayons
Conclusion
Tracing back to the original black Crayola crayon, we’ve seen how these simple wax sticks have become beloved childhood icons. Far from just a writing instrument, crayons represent the creativity within us all. By combining quality, innovation, and joy, Crayola crayons will continue inspiring imaginations for another century and beyond. From its humble start as a classroom essential to a ubiquitous toy box and arts supply staple, the crayon has colored generations of childhood memories…and the first stroke came from a timeless black stick over 100 years ago.
