With televised advertising and seals of approval from both Good Housekeeping and Parents magazines, the Etch A Sketch became a mainstay in the toy industry. The toy went into production in 1960 and a successful advertising campaign just before Christmas of 1960 made it an instant hit. The company purchased the rights for distribution of the Etch A Sketch in the United States from Paul Chaze for $25,000. Henry Winzeler, the founder of The Ohio Arts Company, through relationships with key business partners, recognized the potential of the invention and had his Chief Engineer, Jerry Burger, work with Andre Cassagnes to perfect the Etch A Sketch system. Somehow in 1965, Paul convinced Andre to relinquish all rights to the Etch A Sketch, except for sales in France, for the amount of $10,000. The French patent rights were assigned to Paul Chaze, so he could market the product. Arthur’s name was on the patent application, and he was mistakenly thought to be the inventor. However, without sufficient funds to pay for the patent application, he acquired an investor, Paul Chaze, who had his accountant, Arthur Granjean, file for the patent. In 1957, he won a top prize at the Paris Concurs International D’Inventions for his concept and drawing, and applied for the patent that same year. The invention of the Etch A Sketch is traced to an electrician in France by the name of Andre Cassagnes, who in the mid-1950s began experimenting with various materials to create a children’s drawing toy. Some expert artists using the Etch A Sketch have created impressive designs that can be preserved by drilling small holes in the device and removing the excess powder and beads. When the person drawing the design wants to start over, simply shaking the Etch A Sketch will remix the powder and cover the screen again, thus clearing the image. Because the line generated remains unbroken, elaborate designs must be well planned out in advance. 2Ī curved line can be accomplished by moving both knobs at the same time. The line appears black simply because there is no light inside the Etch A Sketch. When the knobs are turned, a stylus attached to two rails, one that moves horizontally and the other vertically, scrapes off the aluminum powder creating a black line. The inside surface of the glass screen is coated with aluminum powder that is mixed with tiny beads that aid the coating process. There are two white knobs on the bottom corners of the toy that give the Etch A Sketch the look of an old television set. The Etch A Sketch is composed of a thick glass gray screen in a red plastic frame. In 2003, the Toy Industry Association named the Etch A Sketch to its Century of Toys List commemorating the 100 most memorable and creative toys of the 20th century. The Etch A Sketch was inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame in 1998 for its enduring popularity. First marketed in 1960, this remarkably simple device still maintains the original basic concept with little change to the design. Manufactured by the Ohio Art Company, the Etch A Sketch is a mechanical drawing toy that has been a popular classic toy for over 50 years.
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