History of Crayola crayons

Last updated

An assortment of crayon boxes produced by Binney Smith between 1903 and 1910 Crayola1.jpg
An assortment of crayon boxes produced by Binney Smith between 1903 and 1910

Since the introduction of Crayola drawing crayons by Binney & Smith in 1903, more than two hundred colors have been produced in a wide variety of assortments. The line has undergone several major revisions, notably in 1935, 1949, 1958, and 1990. Numerous specialty crayons have also been produced, complementing the basic Crayola assortment.

Contents

1903: the original Crayola colors

A Crayola ad from 1905 Crayola Ad 1905.jpg
A Crayola ad from 1905

After several decades producing commercial pigments, Binney & Smith produced their first crayon, the black Staonal Marking Crayon, in 1902. The following year, the company decided to enter the consumer market with its first drawing crayons. The name Crayola was suggested by Alice Binney, wife of company founder Edwin Binney, combining craie, French for "chalk," a reference to the pastels that preceded and lent their name to the first drawing crayons, with the suffix -ola, meaning "oleaginous," a reference to the wax from which the crayons were made. [1] Initially this was just one of the brands produced by Binney & Smith; other crayons were produced under names such as Cerola, Cerata, Durel, Perma, and Boston, among others; but the Crayola brand proved the most successful, and was produced in two lines: Crayola Gold Medal School Crayons [2] [3] and "Rubens" Crayola Artists' Crayons. [4]

Early Crayola advertising mentions thirty different colors, [5] although there is no official list; in fact thirty-eight different crayons are known from Crayola boxes of this period. [lower-alpha 1] The largest labeled assortment was box No. 51, titled Crayola Young Artists' Drawing Crayons, which included twenty-eight different crayons. [lower-alpha 2] Other colors were found in different boxes, including the "Rubens" No. 500, a twenty-four crayon assortment. The names of several crayons varied from box to box; [6] in general the larger assortments tended to use names associated with oil paints, and in fact early Crayola literature frequently describes drawing with crayons as a form of painting. [7]

Over time, simpler names were favored, and several colors were discontinued by 1910, including Light and Dark Venetian Red, Permanent Geranium Lake, Celestial Blue, Raw Sienna, and Charcoal Gray; the use of "Purple" as an alternative for "Violet" ended about 1914; and after 1915 Gold, Silver, and Copper were no longer available in assortments, although Gold and Silver were still available in bulk. [6]

Color [lower-alpha 3] NameHexadecimal in their website depiction [lower-alpha 4] Notes [lower-alpha 5]
 Red#ED0A3F
 English Vermilion#CC474BAlso spelled "Vermillion." Discontinued by 1935
 Madder Lake#CC3336Discontinued by 1935
 Permanent Geranium Lake#E12C2CDiscontinued by 1910.
 Indian Red#CD5C5CSame color as "Chestnut" (1999–present).
 Dark Venetian Red"Venetian Red, Dark" on labels. Discontinued by 1910.
 Venetian Red#C80815Discontinued by 1949
 Light Venetian Red"Venetian Red, Light" on labels. Discontinued by 1910.
 Orange#FF8833
 Gold Ochre"Golden Ochre" on some labels. Same color as "Maize" (1958–1990).
Medium Chrome Yellow#FCD667Same color as "Medium Yellow" (1903–1958) and "Goldenrod" (1958–present).
Yellow#FFFF00
Olive Green#B5B35C
Light Chrome Yellow [lower-alpha 6] On labels "Chrome Yellow, Light." Same color as "Light Yellow" (1903–1958) and "Lemon Yellow" (1903–1910, 1958–1990).
 Light Chrome Green"Chrome Green, Light" on labels. Same color as "Light Green" (1903–1935).
Green#008001
 Medium Chrome Green"Chrome Green, Medium" on labels. Same color as "Medium Green" (1903–1939).
 Dark Chrome Green#01786F"Chrome Green, Dark" on labels. Same color as "Dark Green" (1903–1949) and "Pine Green" (1958–present).
 Blue#2EB4E6Same color as "Celestial Blue" (1930–1949) and "Azure Blue" (1949–1958).
 Prussian Blue [lower-alpha 7] Same color as "Midnight Blue" (1958–present).
 Cobalt Blue#0047ABDiscontinued by 1958
 Celestial Blue#4997D0Discontinued by 1944
 Ultramarine Blue#4166F5Discontinued by 1958
 Purple#6A0DAD"Violet" from about 1914.
 Permanent Magenta#F653A6Same color as "Magenta" (1903–present).
 Rose Pink#FF66CCSame color as "Pink" (1903–1917) and "Carnation Pink" (1958–present).
 Burnt Sienna#E97451
 Van Dyke Brown#664228Same color as "Brown" (1903–1935).
 Flesh Tint#FFCBA4Same color as "Flesh" (1949–1956, 1958–1962), "Pink Beige" (1956–1958), and "Peach" (1962–present).
 Burnt Umber#8A3324Discontinued by 1949
 Raw Umber#826644One of the 8 colors "Retired" in 1990
 Raw Sienna#D68A59Discontinued by 1910.
 Gold#A57C00Metallic; swatch represents nominal hue only. Available only in bulk after 1915.
 Silver#AAA9ADMetallic; swatch represents nominal hue only. Available only in bulk after 1915.
 Copper#B87333Metallic; swatch represents nominal hue only. Not Available between 1915 and 1950
 Black#000000
 Charcoal GrayDiscontinued in 1910.
 White#FFFFFF

Munsell Crayola, 1926–1944

Three boxes of Munsell crayons; the first from the Munsell Color Company, and the others from Binney & Smith. Munsell Crayons.jpg
Three boxes of Munsell crayons; the first from the Munsell Color Company, and the others from Binney & Smith.

In 1926, Binney & Smith acquired the Munsell Color Company's line of crayons, based on the Munsell color system developed by Albert Henry Munsell. This marked the first time that Crayola crayons incorporated the concept of the color wheel. The Munsell color wheel consisted of five "principal hues" (red, yellow, green, blue, and purple), and five "intermediate hues" (yellow red, green yellow, blue green, blue purple, and red purple). Each color was available in either "maximum chroma" or with "middle value and middle chroma." Three different packages were offered: a box of seven containing the five principal hues at maximum chroma plus Middle Gray and Black, [lower-alpha 8] a box of twelve containing the five principal hues, both at maximum chroma and at middle value and chroma, plus Middle Gray and Black, and a box of twenty-two, containing both the principal and intermediate hues, each at maximum chroma as well as with middle value and chroma, plus Middle Gray and Black. [7]

The Munsell color wheel prompted Binney & Smith to adopt a similar color wheel concept for Crayola crayons in 1930, using six principal hues (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet) and six intermediate hues (red-orange, yellow-orange, yellow-green, blue-green, blue-violet, and red-violet), for a twelve-color wheel. These were combined with Black, Neutral Gray, White, and Brown to produce a sixteen-color box. Munsell Crayola boxes were discontinued in 1935, although the crayons were produced in specially-marked Crayola boxes until 1944, when wartime shortages made many of the pigments necessary for crayon production unavailable. Munsell crayons were not produced again after the war, but the concept of the color wheel pioneered by Munsell remained a fundamental part of the Crayola lineup until 1990. [7]

The Munsell colors are depicted in the table below.

Color [lower-alpha 3] NameHexadecimal [lower-alpha 4] Notes [lower-alpha 5]
 Maximum Red#D92121
 Middle Red#E58E73
 Middle Yellow Red#ECB176Same color as "Medium Orange" (1949–1958).
 Maximum Yellow Red#F2BA49
 Middle Yellow#FFEB00
 Maximum Yellow#FAFA37
 Maximum Green Yellow#D9E650
 Middle Green Yellow#ACBF60
 Maximum Green#5E8C31
 Middle Green#4D8C57
 Middle Blue Green#8DD9CC
 Maximum Blue Green#30BFBF
 Middle Blue#7ED4E6
 Maximum Blue#47ABCC
 Maximum Blue Purple#ACACE6
 Middle Blue Purple#8B72BE
 Maximum Purple#733380
 Middle Purple#D982B5
 Maximum Red Purple#A63A79
 Middle Red Purple#A55353
 Middle Grey#8B8680Spelled "Grey" on labels, but "Gray" on boxes. Same color as "Neutral Grey" (1930–1956), "Gray" (1956–present).
 000000Black#000000References to "Maximum Black" are erroneous.

Changes through 1949

The Crayola No. 48, introduced in 1949. Note both the "Rubens" and "Gold Medal" emblems. Crayola 1st No48.jpg
The Crayola No. 48, introduced in 1949. Note both the "Rubens" and "Gold Medal" emblems.

From 1930 to 1935, Binney & Smith refined the Crayola line-up, discontinuing some colors, adjusting others, and incorporating the Munsell colors into its regular line. In 1939, the company introduced the No. 52 assortment, containing fifty-two colors, including all of the Munsell colors and all but six of the other crayons then being produced. Although it was by far the largest Crayola assortment yet offered, the No. 52 received little publicity, and was only produced for about five years; in 1944, wartime shortages made the pigments necessary to produce many colors unavailable. [7]

When full production was resumed in 1949, Binney & Smith eliminated most of the Munsell colors and their significant overlap with other hues. The new lineup was based around the twelve-color Crayola color wheel, first developed in the 1930s. While new crayons were added to the assortment, the overall number of colors dropped to forty-eight, and the No. 52 box was formally discontinued in favor of the new No. 48 assortment, containing all of the colors then being produced. [7]

While many older crayons were eliminated from the Crayola line, several new colors representing light, medium, and dark shades of the principal and intermediate hues were added, to create the most systematic assortment yet produced. For ten years, the No. 48 box was Crayola's largest collection, and for decades afterward, it remained an integral part of the line.

Color [lower-alpha 3] NameHexadecimal [lower-alpha 4] Notes [lower-alpha 5]
 Red#ED0A3F
 Dark Red#8B0000Same color as "Maroon" (1958–present).
 Indian Red#CD5C5CSame color as "Chestnut" (1999–present).
 Red-Orange#FF3F34
 Orange#FF8833
 Medium Orange#ECB176Same color as "Middle Yellow Red" (1926–1949).
 Yellow-Orange#FFAE42
 Gold OchreSame color as "Maize" (1958–1990).
 Medium Yellow#FCD667Same color as "Medium Chrome Yellow" (1903–1910) and "Goldenrod" (1958–present).
 Yellow#FFFF00
 Olive Green#B5B35C
 Light Yellow#FFFFE0Same color as "Lemon Yellow" (1903–1910, 1958–1990).
 Yellow-Green#9ACD32
 Dark Green#013220Same color as "Forest Green" (1958–present).
 Light Green#90EE90Same color as "Sea Green" (1958–present).
 Green#01A368
 Light Turquoise Blue#458B74 [lower-alpha 9] Same color as "Aquamarine" (1958–present).
 Turquoise Blue#00FFEF
 Middle Blue-Green#0095B7Same color as "Blue-Green" (1958–present).
 Blue-Green#0D98BASame color as "Maximum Blue" (1926–1949)
 Azure Blue#4997D0Same color as "Blue" (1903–1935) and "Celestial Blue" (1930–1949).
 Cerulean Blue#2A52BE
 Prussian Blue#003153Same color as "Midnight Blue" (1958–present).
 Blue#0066FF
 Medium Blue#0000CDSame color as "Blue" (1935–1949).
 Cobalt Blue#0047AB
 Blue-Violet#8A2BE2Same color as "Violet-Blue" (1958–1990).
 Violet#7F00FFSame color as "Blue-Violet" (1958–present).
 Medium Violet#65315F
 Lavender#B57EDC
 Brilliant Rose
 Medium Red-Violet#BB3385Same color as "Orchid" (1958–present).
 Medium Rose
 Light Magenta#FF80FFSame color as "Thistle" (1958–1999).
 Red-Violet#C71585
 Magenta#FF00FFSame color as "Permanent Magenta" (1903–1914).
 Rose Pink#FF66CCSame color as "Carnation Pink" (1958–present).
 Carmine Red#FF0038Same color as "Carmine" (1935–1949).
 Salmon#FA8072
 Mahogany#C04000
 Burnt Sienna#E97451
 Brown#964B00
 Flesh#FFCBA4Same color as "Flesh Tint" (1903–1949), "Pink Beige" (1956–1958), and Peach (1962–present).
 Raw Umber#826644
 Silver#AAA9ADMetallic; swatch represents nominal hue only.
 Black#000000
 Neutral Gray#8B8680Same color as "Middle Grey" (1926–1949), "Gray" (1956–present).
 White#FFFFFF

Crayola No. 64

Crayola No. 64, introduced in 1958. Crayola 1st No64 open.jpg
Crayola No. 64, introduced in 1958.

Introduced in 1958, the Crayola No. 64 was Binney & Smith's largest regular assortment for more than thirty years, and featured the last major changes to Crayola colors before 1990. [lower-alpha 10] The iconic flip-top box arranged sixty-four crayons in four rows of sixteen, progressively raised to allow for easier access, and a crayon sharpener built into the back of the box. [7]

Although a few of the colors from the No. 48 box were discontinued at this time, most were retained, sometimes with different names, and several new crayons were added to the assortment, including six new "intermediate" hues, as the Crayola color wheel expanded from twelve to eighteen colors. [7]

Color [lower-alpha 3] NameHexadecimal [lower-alpha 4] Notes [lower-alpha 5]
 Red#ED0A3F
 Maroon#C32148Same color as "Dark Red" (1949–1958)
 Brick Red#CB4154
 Indian Red#CD5C5CSame color as "Chestnut" (1999–present).
 Orange-Red#FF681FOne of eight colors "retired" in 1990.
 Bittersweet#FE6F5E
 Burnt Orange#CC5500
 Red-Orange#FF3F34
 Orange#FF8833
 Yellow-Orange#FFAE42
 Maize#F2C649Same color as "Gold Ochre" (1903–1958). One of eight colors "retired" in 1990.
 Orange-Yellow#F5BD1FOne of eight colors "retired" in 1990.
 Goldenrod#DAA520Same color as "Medium Chrome Yellow" (1903–1910) and "Medium Yellow" (1903–1958).
 Yellow#FFFF00
 Green-Yellow#F1E788
 Spring Green#ECEBBD
 Olive Green#B5B35C
 Lemon Yellow#FFF44FSame color as "Light Yellow" (1903–1958). One of eight colors "retired" in 1990.
 Yellow-Green#9ACD32
 Forest Green#228B22Same color as "Dark Green" (1949–1958).
 Sea Green#2E8B57Same color as "Light Green" (1949–1958).
 Green#008001
 Pine Green#01796FSame color as "Dark Chrome Green" (1903–1910) and "Dark Green" (1903–1949).
 Light Blue# ADD8E6Discontinued in 1958; replaced by Turquoise Blue.
 Aquamarine#458B74Same color as "Light Turquoise Blue" (1949–1958).
 Sky Blue#76D7EA
 Blue-Green#0095B7Same color as "Middle Blue Green" (1949–1958).
 Cornflower#93CCEA
 Green-BlueOne of eight colors "retired" in 1990.
 Navy Blue#0066CC
 Midnight BlueSame color as "Prussian Blue" (1903–1958).
 Blue#0066FF
 Cadet Blue#A9B2C3
 Periwinkle#C3CDE6
 Violet-Blue#766EC8Same color as Blue-Violet (1930–1958). One of eight colors "retired" in 1990.
 Blue-Violet#6456B7Same color as "Violet" (1949–1958).
 Violet#8359A3On labels "Violet (Purple)".
 Brilliant RoseDiscontinued in 1958; replaced by Magenta.
 Plum#843179
 Orchid#E29CD2Same color as "Medium Red-Violet" (1949–1958).
 ThistleSame color as "Light Magenta" (1949–1958). "Retired" in 1999.
 Mulberry"Retired" in 2003.
 Red-Violet#BB3385
 Lavender#FBAED2
 Carnation Pink#FFA6C9Same color as "Rose Pink" (1903–1958).
 Violet-Red#F7468A
 Salmon#FF91A4
 Mahogany#CA3435
 Melon#FEBAAD
 Burnt Sienna#E97451
 Brown#AF593E
 Sepia#9E5B40
 Raw Sienna#D27D46
 Tan [lower-alpha 11]
 Peach#FFCBA4Same color as "Flesh Tint" (1903–1949), "Flesh" (1949–1956, 1958–1962), and "Pink Beige" (1956–1958).
 Apricot#FDD5B1
 Raw Umber#826644One of eight colors "retired" in 1990.
 Gold#A57C00Metallic; swatch represents nominal hue only.
 Silver#AAA9ADMetallic; swatch represents nominal hue only.
 Copper#B87333Metallic; swatch represents nominal hue only.
 Black#000000
 Gray#8B8680Same color as "Neutral Gray" (1926–1956).
 Blue-Gray#6699CCOne of eight colors "retired" in 1990.
 White#FFFFFF

Changes 1958–1990

The first changes to the No. 64 box were made in its first year of production, as Light Blue and Brilliant Rose were replaced by Turquoise Blue and Magenta. From then to 1990, no colors were replaced, although, in 1963, Flesh was formally renamed Peach, partially in response to the civil rights movement, the company said. [9] [10] Flesh had been known as Flesh Tint until 1949, and was called Pink Beige from 1956 to 1958. [7] In 1962, the flesh-colored crayon was not featured in the commemorative box because Crayola felt it was insensitive. They recognized that not all skin tones are the same.

The 1970s saw the introduction of Crayola's first specialty crayons, eight fluorescent colors designed to glow under black light. These were never added to the No. 64 box, but were available separately or in a special box of 72 crayons, typically packaged with activity books or crayon stands. Fabric crayons were introduced in 1980, as the Crayola brand continued to expand beyond regular drawing crayons. Colored pencils and markers followed. [7]

1990 present

Thirteen out of fourteen colors officially "retired" since 1990: Lemon Yellow, Violet Blue, Blue Gray, Orange Red, Maize, Raw Umber, Orange Yellow, Green Blue, Blizzard Blue, Magic Mint, Mulberry, Teal Blue, and Thistle. Retired13.jpg
Thirteen out of fourteen colors officially "retired" since 1990: Lemon Yellow, Violet Blue, Blue Gray, Orange Red, Maize, Raw Umber, Orange Yellow, Green Blue, Blizzard Blue, Magic Mint, Mulberry, Teal Blue, and Thistle.

1990 saw the first major changes to Crayola drawing crayons in more than thirty years, as eight colors were "retired into the Crayon Hall of Fame," and eight new colors were introduced, followed by sixteen more in 1993, and twenty-four more in 1998. Five colors were replaced between 2000 and 2003. [11]

The first major change was the replacement of eight colors that had long been part of the Crayola lineup. These were: Orange-Red (first produced in 1958), Maize (formerly Gold Ochre, produced since 1903), Orange-Yellow (1958), Lemon Yellow (formerly Light Yellow, produced since 1903), Green-Blue (1958), Violet-Blue (produced as Blue-Violet from 1930 to 1958), Raw Umber (1903), and Blue-Gray (1958). [lower-alpha 12] With the loss of Orange-Red, Orange-Yellow, Green-Blue, and Violet-Blue, the Crayola color wheel was reduced from eighteen to fourteen colors, with six "principal hues" and eight "intermediate" hues. The eight new colors were: Vivid Tangerine, Dandelion (later retired in 2017), Jungle Green, Teal Blue (later retired in 2003), Cerulean, Royal Purple, Fuchsia, and Wild Strawberry. [7]

Late in 1992, Binney & Smith introduced the Crayola No. 96 Big Box, containing the sixty-four existing colors, as well as sixteen fluorescent crayons, and sixteen unnamed colors, the names of which were to be chosen in a nationwide contest. The winners were announced the following year, and included: Macaroni and Cheese, Asparagus, Granny Smith Apple, Shamrock, Tropical Rain Forest, Robin's Egg Blue, Pacific Blue, Denim, Purple Mountains' Majesty, Wisteria, Cerise, Razzmatazz, Tickle Me Pink, Mauvelous, Tumbleweed, and Timberwolf. [7]

In 1996, a special color called Blue Ribbon was produced to celebrate the production of one hundred billion Crayola crayons since 1903. Crayons of this color were included in "limited edition" versions of the No. 96 box produced early that year, but it did not become part of the regular assortment. The following year, four bright colors were introduced: Sunset Orange, Caribbean Green, Vivid Violet, and Pink Flamingo, which were then incorporated into the regular lineup. 1997 also saw a contest called to name eight new colors, incorporated into assortments the following year: Torch Red (later “Scarlet” in 1998), Banana Mania, Mountain Meadow, Outer Space, Purple Heart, Brink Pink (later “Pink Sherbet” in 2005), Fuzzy Wuzzy Brown, and Shadow. [7]

1998 saw the introduction of Crayola's first 120-count assortment. In addition to the existing colors, twelve more were added to the lineup in order to bring the count of regular and fluorescent crayons up to 120. These were: Canary, Fern, Manatee, Blue Bell, Eggplant, Cotton Candy, Cranberry (later “Blush” in 2005), Pig Pink, Beaver, Desert Sand, Almond, and Antique Brass, a metallic crayon. The same year, Torch Red became Scarlet. [7]

In 1999, Indian Red, part of the Crayola lineup since 1903, was renamed Chestnut, ostensibly because of confusion that children would assume that the color referred to the skin color of American Indians, rather than a reddish pigment from India. Thistle, originally produced as Light Magenta in 1949, was replaced by Indigo. [7]

To celebrate the hundredth anniversary of Crayola Crayons in 2003, a special 100-count box was created, adding four new colors to the existing 96-color box. As in 1992 and 1996, the names were chosen as part of a contest, and the four new crayons became part of the No. 96 box at the end of the anniversary year. The new colors were: Mango Tango, Inchworm, Wild Blue Yonder, and Jazzberry Jam. To make room for them, four other crayons were retired; two of the sixteen fluorescent colors (Magic Mint and Blizzard Blue), plus Mulberry (produced since 1958) and Teal Blue (introduced in 1990). [7] Crayola enthusiasts were given the opportunity to save one of five colors nominated for retirement via an internet poll: the winner was Burnt Sienna. [12] [13]

Three colors received new names in 2005, as Brink Pink became Pink Sherbert[ sic ], Cranberry became Blush, and Fuzzy Wuzzy Brown was shortened to Fuzzy Wuzzy. Since these changes, the Crayola lineup has remained steady, with changes confined to specialty crayons. [7]

On March 31, 2017, Crayola announced it would retire Dandelion, to replace it with a blue color. A public vote was held, and on September 14, 2017, the new crayon color's name was announced as "Bluetiful". [14] [15] The crayon color was included in the boxes for sale starting in late January 2018.

In 2021, four new colors were introduced: "Crayellow", "Powder Blue", "Cool Mint", and "Oatmeal". [16]

The following table includes all of the standard colors introduced since 1990.

ColorNameHexadecimal in their website depiction [lower-alpha 4] Notes [lower-alpha 5]
 Scarlet#FD0E35Introduced in 1998. Same color as "Torch Red" (1998).
 Sunset Orange#FE4C40Introduced in 1997.
 Vivid Tangerine#FF9980Introduced in 1990.
 Macaroni and Cheese#FFB97BIntroduced in 1993. Also found as "Macaroni & Cheese" and "Macaroni-n-Cheese".
 Mango Tango#E77200Introduced in 2003.
 Banana Mania#FBE7B2Introduced in 1998.
 Dandelion#FED85DProduced 1990–2017. [14]
 Canary#FFFF99Introduced in 1998.
 Inchworm#B0E313Introduced in 2003.
 Asparagus#7BA05BIntroduced in 1993.
 Granny Smith Apple#9DE093Introduced in 1993.
 Fern#63B76CIntroduced in 1998.
 Shamrock#33CC99Introduced in 1993.
 Mountain Meadow#1AB385Introduced in 1998.
 Jungle Green#29AB87Introduced in 1990.
 Caribbean Green#00CC99Introduced in 1997.
 Tropical Rain Forest#00755EIntroduced in 1993.
 Robin's Egg Blue#00CCCCIntroduced in 1993.
 Teal Blue#008080Produced 1990–2003.
 Outer Space#2D383AIntroduced in 1998.
 Pacific Blue#1CA9C9Introduced in 1993.
 Cerulean#02A4D3Introduced in 1990.
 Denim#1560BDIntroduced in 1993.
 Bluetiful#3C69E7 [15] Introduced in 2017. [15]
 Wild Blue Yonder#A2ADD0Introduced in 2003.
 Indigo#4B0082Introduced in 1999.
 Manatee#979AAAIntroduced in 1998.
 Blue Bell#A2A2D0Introduced in 1998.
 Purple Heart#69359CIntroduced in 1998.
 Royal Purple#7851A9Introduced in 1990.
 Wisteria#C9A0DCIntroduced in 1993.
 Vivid Violet#9F00FFIntroduced in 1997.
 Purple Mountains' Majesty#9678B6Introduced in 1993. Also found as "Purple Mountain Majesty" and "Purple Mountain's Majesty."
 Fuchsia#C154C1Introduced in 1990.
 Pink Flamingo#F2583EIntroduced in 1997.
 Jazzberry Jam#A50B5EIntroduced in 2003.
 Eggplant#614051Introduced in 1998.
 Cerise#DE3163Introduced in 1993.
 Wild Strawberry#FF43A4Introduced in 1990.
 Cotton Candy#FFBCD9Introduced in 1998.
 Razzmatazz#E3256BIntroduced in 1993.
 Pig Pink#FDDDE6Introduced in 1998. Also called "Piggy Pink."
 Blush#DE5D83Same color as "Cranberry" (1998–2005).
 Tickle Me Pink#FC89ACIntroduced in 1993.
 Mauvelous#EF98AAIntroduced in 1993.
 Pink Sherbert#F78FA7Same color as "Brink Pink" (1998–2005).
 Fuzzy Wuzzy#CC6666Same color as "Fuzzy Wuzzy Brown" (1998–2005).
 Beaver#9F8170Introduced in 1998.
 Tumbleweed#DEAA88Introduced in 1993.
 Desert Sand#EDC9AFIntroduced in 1998.
 Almond#EFDECDIntroduced in 1998.
 Shadow#8A795DIntroduced in 1998.
 Timberwolf#D9D6CFIntroduced in 1993.
 Antique Brass#CD9575Introduced in 1998. Metallic; swatch represents nominal hue only.

The Crayola color wheel

1926: 10 colors

The concept of the color wheel first became associated with Crayola crayons with Binney & Smith's acquisition of the Munsell line in 1926. Munsell's color system was based on five "principal hues" and five "intermediate hues," resulting in a color wheel of ten colors. The principal hues were red, yellow, green, blue, and purple; the intermediate hues were yellow red, green yellow, blue green, blue purple, and red purple. Each was available with either maximum chroma or with middle value and middle chroma. The following table depicts all of the principal and intermediate hues at maximum chroma.

ColorName
 Maximum Red
 Maximum Yellow Red
 Maximum Yellow
 Maximum Green Yellow
 Maximum Green
 Maximum Blue Green
 Maximum Blue
 Maximum Blue Purple
 Maximum Purple
 Maximum Red Purple

1930: 12 colors

In 1930, Binney & Smith adopted the concept of the color wheel into its own line, including orange as a principal hue, and basing the other hues on its existing colors rather than the Munsell version. This resulted in a twelve-color wheel that fit neatly into the regular Crayola lineup.

ColorName
 Red
 Red-Orange
 Orange
 Yellow-Orange
 Yellow
 Yellow-Green
 Green
 Blue-Green
 Blue
 Blue-Violet
 Violet
 Red-Violet

Adjustments in 1935 and 1949

The only significant changes to the Crayola color wheel between 1930 and 1958 occurred in 1935, when the original blue was replaced with a darker hue, and 1949, when a new version of violet was introduced:

ColorName
 Blue (1903)
 Blue (1935)
 Violet (1930)
 Violet (1949)

1958: 18 colors

In 1958, Binney & Smith introduced the No. 64 box, with numerous changes to the existing palette, and a major revision of the color wheel, which expanded from twelve to eighteen colors. The six intermediate hues were doubled, so that there were now two intermediate hues between each of the principal hues. The 1935 blue was replaced with a more intense color, and a new, darker blue-green was substituted for the previous version; the 1930 version of violet returned, while the 1949 violet became blue-violet, and the original blue-violet became violet-blue. The 1958 color wheel remained a fixture of Crayola crayons until 1990, when four of the colors were discontinued: orange-red, orange-yellow, green-blue, and violet-blue. Without these colors, the Crayola color wheel includes fourteen colors; there are two hues between yellow and green, and two between violet and red, but only one between the other principal hues.

ColorName
 Red
 Orange-Red
 Red-Orange
 Orange
 Yellow-Orange
 Orange-Yellow
 Yellow
 Green-Yellow
 Yellow-Green
 Green
 Blue-Green
 Green-Blue
 Blue
 Violet-Blue
 Blue-Violet
 Violet
 Red-Violet
 Violet-Red

See also

Footnotes

  1. This discrepancy may be due to the fact that several crayons were simply different shades of other colors; for example Chrome Green came in light, medium, and dark; in addition to Venetian Red there were Light and Dark Venetian Red; Chrome Yellow came in both light and dark varieties.
  2. Crayola No. 100 contained thirty crayons, but they were not labeled.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Due to several factors, the values given should only be considered approximations. The apparent color of any crayon depends on the thickness with which the wax is laid down, the color and brightness of the surface being colored, and other considerations, such as the age and quality of individual crayons. In addition, crayons are produced using pigments, which are normally described using subtractive colors, with the primary colors of red, yellow, and blue; but electronic displays produce colors using the additive method, combining the primary colors of red, green, and blue.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Unless otherwise indicated, the hex colors were found in the source code of the Crayola website. [8]
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Unless otherwise indicated, notes regarding color names and years of use in this table are sourced to "Alphabetical List of Crayon Colors" page at Ed Welter's website [6]
  6. Swatch matches the hue of "Laser Lemon" and "Unmellow Yellow."
  7. The digital swatch provided by Crayola gives the values 0, 51, 102, considerably darker than the actual crayon.
  8. Although sometimes identified as "Maximum Black," Munsell wrappers and boxes simply identify this crayon as "Black." Since Black is achromatic and has no intermediate grades, there could be no "Middle Black" or "Maximum Black."
  9. Crayola has digital swatches labeled "Aqua" and "Aqua Marine," but Aqua is much brighter and Aqua Marine much darker than Aquamarine, which should be a lighter version of Turquoise Blue.
  10. A seventy-two crayon box was also introduced about this time, but it contained no additional colors, instead including duplicates of the eight most-used crayons. In the 1970's, the duplicates were replaced by Crayola's first specialty crayons, eight fluorescent colors that would fluoresce under black light.
  11. The digital swatch provided by Crayola is 250, 157, 90. Although the correct hue, this color is much more intense than a tan crayon.
  12. The last versions of these crayons produced before they were discontinued spelled the names without hyphens.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indigo</span> Color

Indigo is a term used for a number of hues in the region of blue. The word comes from the ancient dye of the same name. The term "indigo" can refer to the color of the dye, various colors of fabric dyed with indigo dye, a spectral color, one of the seven colors of the rainbow as described by Newton, or a region on the color wheel, and can include various shades of blue, ultramarine, and green-blue. Since the web era, the term has also been used for various purple and violet hues identified as "indigo", based on use of the term "indigo" in HTML web page specifications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hue</span> Property of a color

In color theory, hue is one of the main properties of a color, defined technically in the CIECAM02 model as "the degree to which a stimulus can be described as similar to or different from stimuli that are described as red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet," within certain theories of color vision.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crayola</span> American corporation

Crayola LLC, formerly the Binney & Smith Company, is an American manufacturing and retail company specializing in art supplies. It is known for its brand Crayola and best known for its crayons. The company is headquartered in Forks Township, Pennsylvania in the Lehigh Valley region of the state. Since 1984, Crayola has been a wholly owned subsidiary of Hallmark Cards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Munsell color system</span> Color space

In colorimetry, the Munsell color system is a color space that specifies colors based on three properties of color: hue, value (lightness), and chroma. It was created by Albert H. Munsell in the first decade of the 20th century and adopted by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) as the official color system for soil research in the 1930s.

Color theory, or more specifically traditional color theory, is the historical body of knowledge describing the behavior of colors, namely in color mixing, color contrast effects, color harmony, color schemes and color symbolism. Modern color theory is generally referred to as Color science. While there is no clear distinction in scope, traditional color theory tends to be more subjective and have artistic applications, while color science tends to be more objective and have functional applications, such as in chemistry, astronomy or color reproduction. Color theory dates back at least as far as Aristotle's treatise On Colors. A formalization of "color theory" began in the 18th century, initially within a partisan controversy over Isaac Newton's theory of color and the nature of primary colors. By the end of the 19th century, a schism had formed between traditional color theory and color science.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fuchsia (color)</span> Color

Fuchsia is a vivid pinkish-purplish-red color, named after the color of the flower of the fuchsia plant, which was named by a French botanist, Charles Plumier, after the 16th-century German botanist Leonhart Fuchs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Color wheel</span> Illustrative organization of color hues

A color wheel or color circle is an abstract illustrative organization of color hues around a circle, which shows the relationships between primary colors, secondary colors, tertiary colors etc.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Red-violet</span> Overview of color term

Red-violet refers to a rich color of high medium saturation about 3/4 of the way between red and magenta, closer to magenta than to red. In American English, this color term is sometimes used in color theory as one of the purple colors—a non-spectral color between red and violet that is a deep version of a color on the line of purples on the CIE chromaticity diagram.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Albert Henry Munsell</span> American painter

Albert Henry Munsell was an American painter, teacher of art, and the inventor of the Munsell color system.

In color science, a color model is an abstract mathematical model describing the way colors can be represented as tuples of numbers, typically as three or four values or color components. When this model is associated with a precise description of how the components are to be interpreted, taking account of visual perception, the resulting set of colors is called "color space."

The following is a partial timeline of Crayola's history. It covers the Crayola brand of marking utensils, as well as the history of Binney & Smith, the company that created the brand and is currently a subsidiary of Hallmark Cards known as Crayola LLC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shades of red</span> Varieties of the color red

Varieties of the color red may differ in hue, chroma or lightness, or in two or three of these qualities. Variations in value are also called tints and shades, a tint being a red or other hue mixed with white, a shade being mixed with black. A large selection of these various colors are shown below.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shades of magenta</span> Varieties of the color magenta

The color magenta has notable tints and shades. These various colors are shown below.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shades of yellow</span> Overview about the shades of yellow

Varieties of the color yellow may differ in hue, chroma or lightness, or in two or three of these qualities. Variations in value are also called tints and shades, a tint being a yellow or other hue mixed with white, a shade being mixed with black. A large selection of these various colors is shown below.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ISCC–NBS system</span> International system of color designation

The ISCC–NBS System of Color Designation is a system for naming colors based on a set of 13 basic color terms and a small set of adjective modifiers. It was first established in the 1930s by a joint effort of the Inter-Society Color Council (ISCC), made up of delegates from various American trade organizations, and the National Bureau of Standards (NBS), a US government agency. As suggested in 1932 by the first chairman of the ISCC, the system's goal is to be "a means of designating colors in the United States Pharmacopoeia, in the National Formulary, and in general literature ... such designation to be sufficiently standardized as to be acceptable and usable by science, sufficiently broad to be appreciated and used by science, art, and industry, and sufficiently commonplace to be understood, at least in a general way, by the whole public." The system aims to provide a basis on which color definitions in fields from fashion and printing to botany and geology can be systematized and regularized, so that each industry need not invent its own incompatible color system.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shades of blue</span> Variety of the color blue

Varieties of the color blue may differ in hue, chroma, or lightness, or in two or three of these qualities. Variations in value are also called tints and shades, a tint being a blue or other hue mixed with white, a shade being mixed with black. A large selection of these colors is shown below.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Shades of purple</span> Variations of the color purple

There are numerous variations of the color purple, a sampling of which is shown below.

References

  1. "The Colors of Childhood". Smithsonian Magazine. November 1999. Archived from the original on 2009-10-22. Retrieved 2009-06-22.
  2. Welter, Ed (2020-08-07). "Crayola Product Line by Year | 1904". CrayonCollecting.com. Archived from the original on 2020-08-07. Retrieved 2022-10-26. Apr 1904 – Binney & Smith wins a Gold Medal for their An-du-Septic dustless chalk in the St. Louis World's Fair. It is this Medal that becomes the inspiration for their Gold Medal Line of crayon boxes.
  3. Welter, Ed (2020-08-07). "Crayola Product Line by Year | 1905". CrayonCollecting.com. Archived from the original on 2020-08-07. Retrieved 2022-10-26. 1905 – Binney & Smith introduces their Gold Medal box of 8 crayons. This uses the Eagle side of their Gold Medal from the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. Though originally on one box, this would later expand to the entire line
  4. Welter, Ed (2020-08-07). "Crayola Product Line by Year | 1903". CrayonCollecting.com. Archived from the original on 2020-08-07. Retrieved 2022-10-26. June 1903 – Binney & Smith begins to sell Crayola and Rubens wax crayons. ... Replaced around 1910 with the Gold Medal line
  5. New York Teachers Monographs. Vol. 7 (No 1 ed.). New York, NY: American Book Company. Mar 1905. p. 125.
  6. 1 2 3 Welter, Ed (2021-11-12). "The Definitive History of the Colors of Crayola Reference – Alphabetical List of Crayon Colors". CrayonCollecting.com. Archived from the original on 2021-11-22. Retrieved 2022-10-26.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Ed Welter, The Definitive History of the Colors of Crayola, CrayonCollecting.com Archived 2019-04-24 at the Wayback Machine .
  8. Crayola: Explore Colors, Archived 2015-07-01 at the Wayback Machine , retrieved 5 May 2015.
  9. ""Crayola banned 'flesh,'" Corvallis Gazette Times, January 7, 1989, page 1". Archived from the original on September 1, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  10. ""Crayola sees red over 'flesh-colored' crayons," The Courier-News, Bridgewater, New Jersey, March 15, 1989, page 2". Archived from the original on September 1, 2018. Retrieved August 31, 2018.
  11. "Crayon & Color Info". Crayola LLC. Archived from the original on 2013-04-11. Retrieved 2013-03-29.
  12. "Change of colors at Crayola, but voters save burnt sienna", USA Today, 11 Oct. 2003 (online Archived 2016-10-19 at the Wayback Machine , retrieved 10 Oct. 2016).
  13. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-10-19. Retrieved 2016-10-14.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  14. 1 2 Crayola.com,"Crayola Announces the Retirement of Dandelion on National Crayon Day" Archived 2017-09-14 at the Wayback Machine , retrieved 14 September 2017.
  15. 1 2 3 Crayola.com, "Meet Bluetiful" Archived 2017-09-14 at the Wayback Machine , retrieved 14 September 2017.
  16. "NEW! Colors of Kindness" (PDF). Crayola.com. Crayola. Archived (PDF) from the original on 11 August 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2022.