The history of the crayon dates back to the 19th century, when the first modern crayons were invented and manufactured. Crayons have become an iconic and beloved children’s art supply, allowing young artists to express their creativity in color. But who exactly invented the first crayons that started it all? The origins of the first commercially produced crayons can be traced back to several key innovators who paved the way for crayons as we know them today.
The Evolution of Crayons
Crayons have humble beginnings, stemming from chalk and charcoal sticks that were used for drawing long before the 19th century. Primitive crayon-like sticks made of charcoal mixed with gum arabic date back to ancient Egypt. The word “crayon” itself comes from the French word “craie,” meaning “chalk.”
The first step towards modern crayons came when industrial pigments started being combined with ingredients like oil and wax to create thicker, colored sticks. Artists like Leonardo da Vinci experimented with wax crayons to add color to their chalk drawings. However, early wax crayons were costly to produce and not manufactured on a wide commercial scale.
The first commercially successful crayons similar to modern versions were developed in Europe during the early 1800s. German inventors were at the forefront of early crayon innovations, though French, English, and American makers also started producing early crayons around this time.
The Innovations of Joseph Hardtmuth
An early pioneer in crayon manufacturing was the Austrian Joseph Hardtmuth. Hardtmuth founded a company in Vienna in 1790 that produced pencils and other art supplies. Around 1814, Hardtmuth started developing and mass-producing high-quality crayons. He is credited with inventing the process of encapsulating pigments in a mixture of clay and wax. This innovation produced crayons that were hard enough to be sharpened to a point.
Hardtmuth crayons also incorporated powdered pigments, allowing for brighter and more vibrant colors compared to the duller charcoal and chalk sticks previously used for drawing. The Hardtmuth crayon products were a major advancement towards convenient, affordable, and colorfast drawing tools. By the 1830s, the Hardtmuth crayon factory was producing up to 30,000 crayons per day and had become the leading crayon manufacturer in Europe. Though not the absolute first crayons, the quality and success of Hardtmuth crayons helped establish and popularize the crayon as an important artistic medium.
The First American Crayons
At around the same time Hardtmuth crayons were gaining popularity in Europe, American innovators started producing their own early crayon products. Most sources credit Edward N. Savage with making some of the first American crayons. Savage was an American artist living in England who reportedly invented a process for mass-producing crayons around the late 1820s. His method involved mixing powdered pigment with hot wax then molding the wax into convenient stick shapes.
Savage received British patents for manufacturing “crayon paints for artists” in 1834. He moved back to the United States and established a crayon factory in Massachusetts. Savage crayons were sold commercially in the U.S. as early as 1833. Making high-quality crayons widely available for artists and children helped inspire a growing American market for the colorful drawing sticks.
The First Crayons for Children
Up through the mid-1800s, most early crayons were marketed primarily to professional artists for sketching and adding color to drawings. But in the later 1800s, American crayon makers started specifically targeting children as a key consumer demographic. Educational theories at the time encouraged teaching drawing skills to children at a young age. With their bright colors and ease of use, crayons were the perfect art medium to foster creativity in children.
Binney & Smith became one of the leading crayon companies catering to the growing children’s market in America. They purchased their first crayon maker, the Munsell & Co. crayon factory, in 1885. Binney & Smith developed their own superior wax crayon formula which became popular among educators for school use. By 1903, their Crayola brand crayons were a favorite back-to-school item. The box of 8 or 24 Crayola crayons packaged with built-in sharpeners became iconic for generations of budding artists.
Key Innovators in Crayon Manufacturing
| Innovator | Contribution | Time Period |
|---|---|---|
| Joseph Hardtmuth | Early high-quality mass produced artist crayons | Early 1800s |
| Edward N. Savage | Earliest American manufactured crayons | 1830s |
| Binney & Smith | Pioneers of crayons for children | Late 1800s |
While Joseph Hardtmuth, Edward Savage, and Binney & Smith stand out for their key innovations, crayon manufacturing was also taking off in England, France, and Germany during the 19th century. The improvements in color pigments, wax formulas, and molding and labeling equipment all combined to make crayons a widely used art supply on both sides of the Atlantic by the late 1800s.
The Growth of Crayon Popularity
The development and commercialization of crayons in the 1800s could not have come at a more opportune time. During the Industrial Revolution, efficient manufacturing processes resulted in more consumer goods being produced for a broader population. Growing numbers of children also had access to formal education, creating demand for school supplies.
As crayons became widely available at affordable prices, they fueled an explosion of creativity and self-expression. Coloring books emerged to feed the crayon craze. By the early 1900s, many American households and classrooms contained a coveted box of crayons for their children. What started as an experiment in wax and pigments had become a childhood rite of passage.
The convenience of crayons as coloring tools made them a preferred medium over paints and inks. Their invention arrived just as the theory of childhood development stressed the benefits of art as an early learning activity. The bright colors, safety, and ease of use perfectly suited the hands of budding young artists.
While paintings trace back thousands of years, crayons helped pioneer a new art form – one expressive stick figure, imaginary creature, or scribbled rainbow at a time. The simple crayon labeled with a color name could unlock a world of creativity in a child’s mind. More than any artist’s tool before, crayons helped sow the seeds that grew young imaginations.
The Evolution of Crayon Design
Once crayons hit the mainstream market, the basic concept remained the same, but innovations in manufacturing and design expanded the options available:
– Wax formulas – Beeswax, paraffin wax, and carnuba waxInfluence texture, durability, and color.
– Pigments – Various powdered mineral pigments create different colors. Toxic pigments like lead and arsenic were eventually phased out.
– Shape – Hexagonal and cylindrical shapes made for easier gripping.
– Paper wrapping – Individual crayons first wrapped in paper labeled with color name.
– Built-in sharpeners – Crayon boxes designed with integrated sharpeners for convenience.
– Ergonomic shape – Some brands later introduced curved shape for comfort while coloring.
– Jumbo size – Larger diameter crayons for ease of grasp by young children.
– Specialty crayons – Glitter crayons, smelly crayons, glow-in-the-dark crayons, and more novelty varieties introduced over the years.
The Growth of Major Crayon Brands
While many companies entered the crayon market over the decades, these became some of biggest, most recognizable brands:
– Crayola – Created by Binney & Smith in 1903, now offers widest assortment of crayon products. Known for trademark bright colors and creative names.
– Cra-Z-Art – Major competing brand founded in 1923. Produces budget-friendly crayons.
– Prang – Acquired by Binney & Smith in 1927. Produced first 16-color premium crayon set.
– Laurentien – Founded in Quebec in 1926. Leading Canadian crayon brand known for rich wax formula.
– Staedtler – Long-established German brand dating to the 1800s. Known for high-quality artist crayons.
– Faber-Castell – Historic German company founded in 1761. Produces a popular triangle-shaped crayon.
– Stabilo – Inventor of the first erasable colored pencil in 1967. Makes specialty eraseable crayons.
– MEGA Brands – Canadian company specializing in jumbo crayons for young kids.
The Digital Age
While wax crayons have remained basically physically unchanged for over a century, computing technology has opened up new possibilities for coloring and drawing. As children spend more time on digital devices, crayon manufacturers have adapted with more digital offerings:
– Websites and apps – Digital coloring books and games allow coloring on devices. Can incorporate animated effects.
– Stylus crayons – Special crayons with stylus tips work on touch screen devices. Allow combining digital and traditional.
– 3D modeling – Digital 3D design tools like TinkerCAD integrate an online “crayon” material for modeling.
– Digital assistants – Voice services like Amazon’s Alexa offer crayon-themed games for family play.
– Crayon facts – Brands engage kids online by sharing crayon history and fun facts.
– Contests – Digital contests like Crayola’s “What if Crayons Could…” online challenge boost brand awareness.
While beloved physical crayons are still going strong, brands continue evolving digitally to engage future generations.
The Legacy
Tracing the origins of the first crayons reveals an evolution from charcoal sticks to touchscreen stylus tips over many centuries. Pigments ground into wax turned out to be the perfect medium to unleash expression and promote early childhood development. Though many innovators contributed to crayon’s success, arguably no “inventor” could have predicted how the crayon’s simple form wields such creative power and emotional connection.
From babies’ first scribbles to priceless refrigerator art to mind-expanding digital apps, crayons color the worlds inside little minds. The iconic crayon, snapped in two, still conjures memories of childhood creativity. Long after outgrowing the school supply aisle, the nostalgia for that bright yellow wrapper and the smell of opening a fresh crayon box remains. More than any painter’s masterpiece, a child’s crude crayon creation represents the blossoming of young imagination.
The crayon’s invention not only transformed manufacturing, but changed how generations create, learn, develop, and see the world. Its impact continues today as crayons inspire the creative leaders of tomorrow.
