Edwin Binney
Edwin Binney (born November 24, 1866 in Westchester County , New York , † December 17, 1934 ) was an American inventor. He is best known for inventing the Crayola wax crayon, which he made with his cousin C. Harold Smith.
Life
In 1885 Binney took over his father's business, Peeksill Chemical Co. While experimenting with a mixture of scrap slate , cement and talc , Binney created the first dust-free white chalk. This invention was awarded a gold medal at the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis . In 1903 Binney & Smith produced the first box of Crayola crayons. Today Crayola is the world's largest manufacturer of crayons. The company used to be called Binney & Smith.
In 1903, they saw the need for a safe, good crayon. They had already invented a new wax pencil to mark boxes and barrels, but it contained black carbon and was too toxic for children. They believed that the pigment and wax mixing technique they had developed could be applied to a range of safe colors. He also had the idea of making black tires. Before Edwin Binney and Harold Smith, there were only white tires.
Binney's wife Alice came up with the American name for the pens “Crayola” by combining two French words: “craie” means chalk in French and “ola” is a short form for oléagineux, which means oily because the pens were made of wax made from petroleum.
Edwin Binney was also active in the community. He made Fort Pierce, Florida, a port city, and in 1929 saved the St. Lucie County Bank from succumbing to the difficult economic conditions at the time.
Binney had four children with his wife Alice Stead Binney-Dorothy: Helen, Mary and Edwin Jr. In 1911, Dorothy married the publisher George P. Putnam, who later married the pilot Amelia Earhart .
Individual evidence
| personal data | |
|---|---|
| SURNAME | Binney, Edwin |
| BRIEF DESCRIPTION | American inventor |
| DATE OF BIRTH | November 24, 1866 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH | Westchester County , New York |
| DATE OF DEATH | December 17, 1934 |