Binney & Smith was an American company best known for inventing Crayola crayons. The company had a long and storied history before becoming part of the larger Crayola brand.
History of Binney & Smith
Binney & Smith was founded in 1885 by Joseph Binney and Harold Smith in New York City. Binney had previously created the first dustless chalk, while Smith was his business partner and provided the initial capital to start Binney & Smith.
The company’s first major product was a red oxide pigment called Thistle Brand Rubber Cement, which was used for bonding tires. This helped establish Binney & Smith as a supplier of color pigments.
In 1900, Binney’s wife Alice Stead Binney created the first Crayola crayons using pigments supplied by Binney & Smith. The first box of eight Crayola crayons was sold for 5 cents. The word “Crayola” combines “craie,” the French word for chalk, and “ola” for oleaginous or oily.
The iconic gold and green Crayola crayon boxes were first created in 1905. Binney & Smith obtained the Crayola trademark in 1906 and began distributing Crayola nationwide. The first Crayola crayons were created by combining powder pigments with petroleum jelly.
Over the next decades, Binney & Smith expanded their Crayola line with new boxes of crayons in different count sizes. They also innovated by creating washable Crayola crayons in 1917 and chalk versions in the 1920s.
Growth and Expansion
Beyond crayons, Binney & Smith expanded into school art supplies like markers, colored pencils, and modeling clay. They also created lines of industrial products used for coating, marking, and coloring.
In the 1930s and 40s, Binney & Smith introduced finger paints and scented crayons. By the 1950s, they had over 200 employees and were producing more than 4,000 crayon colors.
The 100 billionth Crayola crayon was produced in 1996, illustrating the massive popularity and reach of the brand. Beyond just crayons, Crayola became a powerhouse brand in the school supplies and crafts market sectors.
Over the decades, Binney & Smith purchased other school and art supply companies and merged them under the Crayola brand. This included the Silly Putty brand in 1977.
Notable Inventions
Here are some of the most notable inventions and innovations of Binney & Smith over the company’s history:
- First dustless chalk (Joseph Binney)
- Thistle Brand Rubber Cement
- First Crayola crayons (Alice Binney in 1900)
- Iconic Crayola gold and green boxes (1905)
- Washable Crayola crayons (1917)
- Crayola sidewalk chalk (1920s)
- Finger paints (1930s)
- Scented crayons (1940s)
- Soap crayons (1940s)
- Flip-top Crayola boxes (1958)
Beyond products, Binney & Smith made innovations in marketing by branding Crayola crayons for children. They also pioneered unique crayon shapes and safety advances.
Acquisition by Hallmark
In 1984, Binney & Smith was acquired by the Hallmark Cards company of Kansas City. This provided more capital and distribution resources to expand the Crayola line.
After the acquisition by Hallmark, Binney & Smith continued to introduce new crayon products:
| Year | New Crayon Product |
|---|---|
| 1987 | Crayons with safety tips |
| 1990 | Changeable crayons |
| 1997 | Color Mix-Up crayons |
| 1999 | Gel FX crayons |
Hallmark sold Binney & Smith to Crayola LLC in 2007, but Crayola continued to use the Binney & Smith name until 2017. Now it markets products solely under the Crayola brand.
Crayola Today
Crayola LLC remains one of the most recognizable brand names for creative play and children’s coloring.
Here are some facts about the current Crayola company:
- Based in Forks Township, Pennsylvania
- Over 3,000 employees worldwide
- Manufactures over 3 billion crayons annually
- Offers over 120 different crayon colors
- Has global sales exceeding $235 million
While best known for crayons, Crayola also markets many other arts and crafts materials like markers, colored pencils, paints, modeling clay, and children’s paint brushes. Their products encourage open-ended creativity and self-expression.
Conclusion
Binney & Smith has a long legacy of innovations in the crayon and coloring industries. Starting from humble beginnings in 1885, they pioneered wax crayons, clever marketing techniques, and safety advances.
The Binney & Smith inventions live on through Crayola, now one of the most iconic and beloved brands for creative play. Their crayons and arts supplies bring color and self-expression to children worldwide.
So next time you pick up a Crayola crayon or modeling clay, remember the long history and innovations of the Binney & Smith company that started it all.
