Crayola did not invent the crayon. Records show that Europe was the birthplace of the “modern” crayon. The first crayons were made from a mixture of charcoal and oil. Later, powdered pigments of various hues replaced the charcoal. It was discovered that substituting wax for the oil in the mixture made the sticks sturdier and easier to handle. Crayola Crayons were invented by Binney & Smith in 1902 and first offered for sale in 1903. Alice (Stead) Binney, a school teacher and wife of co-founder Edwin Binney, suggested the company manufacture an inexpensive alternative to imported crayons of that era. The trade name Crayola was coined by Mrs. Edwin Binney who joined the French word “craie,” meaning stick of chalk and “ola” from the word “oleaginous,” meaning oily. Crayola Crayons are made primarily from paraffin wax and colour pigment. The Crayola brand celebrated its 100th anniversary during 2003 and today we manufacture over 3 billion crayons each year.
Where can I get historical information about your company for a school report?
We are flattered you are interested in learning about Crayola! The company began as Binney ; Smith when cousins Edwin Binney and C. Harold Smith took over the pigment business owned by Edwin’s father. Early products included red oxide pigment used in barn paint, carbon black for car tires, slate pencils, and “dustless” chalk. After noticing a need for safe, high quality, affordable wax crayons, Crayola produced the first box of eight crayons in 1903 and sold them for 5 cents. The trade name Crayola was coined by Mrs. Edwin Binney. She joined the French word “craie”, meaning chalk and “ola” from the word “oleaginous”, meaning oily. The first box of crayon colours consisted of red, yellow, blue, green, orange, violet (purple), brown and black. To learn more, check out the below sites that Crayola maintains. Be sure and visit these for a variety of information about our company and its products: http://www.crayola.ca/ http://www.crayola.ca/about-us.aspx http://www.crayola.ca/about-us/company-profile/history.aspx We also offer a photocopied booklet titled “Story of a Rainbow”, which contains detailed early history. To receive a copy in the postal mail, please call (800) 272‑9652 weekdays between 9:00 AM and 4:00 PM Eastern time. “Edwin Binney: The Founder of Crayola Crayons” is part of the Lives and Times Series, published by Heinemann-Raintree. The book offers history behind the founding of Binney ; Smith and can be purchased through Barnes ; Noble or Amazon.com.
Popular Questions
While the marker barrel and cap are recyclable, not all parts of the marker are. Because the marker components are securely sealed during the manufacturing process, we don’t recommend trying to remove the marker nib and reservoir. The marker caps can be recycled at facilities that accept #5 plastic.
Green is more than just a colour to us! Click here to learn more about Crayola’s environmental initiatives.
Crayola® Model Magic® can be sealed once your piece is completely dry. It generally takes 24 hours to dry to the touch; 72 hours to dry completely. Once dry, an acrylic varnish can be used. We recommend testing its compatibility before applying it to a finished piece. Sealing your work will not waterproof it. Exposure to water and outdoor elements will have a negative effect on Model Magic, so we recommend displaying your sculpture indoors.
If you have additional questions, we would love to hear from you! Feel free to call or text us at 1−800−272−9652 weekdays between 9 AM and 4 PM Eastern Time.
