Etch A Sketch
Etch A Sketch ™ is a variant of the magic board whose non-removable pen is moved horizontally and vertically by two rotary knobs. The special way of painting and the functional principle behind it made the device, which was sold as a toy at the time, particularly popular in the 1970s.
This toy was already extremely popular in Austria in the 1960s. The frame of the classic device is red with a gold-colored raised lettering "Magic Etch A Sketch Screen", white knobs and a black back. The drawing area is gray and only black lines can be drawn. The rather angular strokes make the special attraction, because the drawing method represents a challenge to the skill of the draftsman.
functionality
The drawing surface consists of a pane of glass that is coated on the back with a sticky, shiny silver powder ( aluminum and polystyrene ). The spring-loaded pen scrapes off the powder with every movement, leaving a line that reveals the inside of the housing, but appears dark because of the low incidence of light. Each of the two rotary knobs moves the pen in a right-angled dimension - for diagonal lines, both knobs must therefore be moved at the same speed. The glass plate closes the flat plastic housing of the Etch A Sketch with the powder and the mechanism for the pen; by turning and shaking, the powder is redistributed on the drawing surface and the old picture is erased.
The pen guidance of the Etch A Sketch with its X and Y control corresponds to that of a plotter and requires the draftsman to have a good deal of motor coordination. Since you cannot put the pen down, the motif has to be drawn in one go.
history
The first prototype was developed by André Cassagnes in 1957 and presented at the Nuremberg Toy Fair in 1959 . Etch A Sketch ™ is sold by the Ohio Art Company . The company acquired the license rights to the invention in 1960 and sold the first copies shortly before Christmas that year.
In addition to the classic red case, the Etch A Sketch was later also offered in other colors. In the 1980s a computer game was released that simulated an Etch A Sketch.
