July 12, 2007 -- Etch-A-Sketch Trivia

Today marks the anniversary of the day when the Ohio Art Company put the Etch-A-Sketch drawing toy on the market.

TRIVIA QUESTION:

In what year was the Etch-A-Sketch first sold?

TRIVIA ANSWER:

The Etch-A-Sketch went on the market July 12, 1960.


The Etch A Sketch is a toy invented in 1959 by Frenchman Arthur Granjean and introduced commercially by the Ohio Art Company in the 1960s. Granjean originally called it "The Magic Screen."

The toy is relatively flat and rectangular, looking somewhat like a small television. Introduced near the peak of the baby boom, the classically simple Etch A Sketch is one of the best-known toys of that generation, and remains popular to this day.

The toy can be considered a simplified version of a plotter. The inside surface of the glass screen is coated with aluminum powder which is then scraped off by a movable stylus, leaving a dark line on the light-gray screen. The stylus is controlled by the two large knobs, one of which moves it vertically and the other horizontally. To erase the picture, one simply turns the toy upside down and shakes it, causing styrene beads to smooth out and recoat the inside surface.

The "black" line merely exposes the darkness inside the toy. Filling in large "black" areas will allow enough light through to expose parts of the interior (see picture).


The device was invented in the late 1950s by Arthur Granjean, who first called it 'L'Ecran Magique,' or 'The Magic Screen'. He tried selling it to toy manufacturers and eventually got the Ohio Art Company interested. Through television advertising in the 1960s, it became a popular toy. The toy has changed very little over the years. It was also in the film Toy Story and the sequel Toy Story 2.

You can see the official Etch A Sketch web site at: http://www.etch-a-sketch.com/

>>>>>>>> NET CHECK IN's <<<<<<<<

Congratulations to all who got the answer to tonight's Trivia Question and a hearty thank you to everyone for playing along. Here is the list of stations that checked in to tonight's net along with their answers:

* WB6A - Pat - 1950
* WB6ATV - Ron - 1954
* KE6CZH - Robert - 1970
* KG6DBL - Bill - 1953
* W6DTS - Ted - 1960
* K6FCC - Khalil - 1910
* KB6IS - Madeline - 1957
* KD6JEV - John - 1957
* N6KAS - Andy - 1956
* KG6KTC - Leon - 1960
* W6NVY - Gary - 1940
* KG6NWJ - Barry - 1957
* KF6PIH - Scott - 1937
* K6QVZ - Joe - 195something...
* KG6RDA - Sidney - 1957
* AD6UP - Louie - 1960
* KF6YBM - Henry - 1955
* KF6ZQM - Harry - Checked in by KG6RDA
* N6ZZK - Theo - 1954
* KI6KGK - Reo - 1959
* WA6ARC - Steve - 1955
* KD6DRH - Fred - No Answer
* KA6HCT - Tim - La Mirada

Thanks to all. 73.
de N6CIZ