If you were a kid from the early part of the 1900s til now, one of the most evocative scents of childhood is the waxy smell of a fresh box of Crayolas. Manufacturers Binney & Smith started churning out their colour sticks in 1903 to the dread of wallpaper everywhere and eventually produced more than 400 different colours from 1903-2003. There were lots of other products that came out of the rainbow of Crayola, many of which we’ve all used in school but there were also lots of fun collectibles, some of which I’m including here for good measure.
1903 Colours: Black, Brown, Orange, Violet, Blue, Green, Red, Yellow
1949-1957 Colours: Apricot, Gold, Orange, Silver, Bittersweet, Gray, Orange Red, Spring Green, Black, Green, Orange Yellow, Tan, Blue, Green Blue, Orchid, Thistle, Blue Green, Green Yellow, Periwinkle, Turquoise Blue, Blue Violet, Lemon Yellow, Pine Green, Violet, Brick Red, Magenta, Prussian Blue**, Violet Blue, Brown, Mahogany, Red, Violet Red, Burnt Sienna, Maize, Red Orange, White, Carnation Pink, Maroon, Red Violet, Yellow, Cornflower, Melon, Salmon, Yellow Green, Flesh**, Olive Green, Sea Green, Yellow Orange
1958-1971 Colours: (everything previous + ) Aquamarine, Copper, Lavender, Raw Sienna, Blue Gray, Forest Green, Mulberry, Raw Umber, Burnt Orange, Goldenrod, Navy Blue, Sepia, Cadet Blue, Indian Red**, Plum, Sky Blue
1972-1989 Colours: (everything previous + ) Chartreuse, Ultra Blue, Ultra Orange, Ultra Red, Hot Magenta, Ultra Green, Ultra Pink, Ultra Yellow
1990 Colours: (Flourescents from 1972 had a name change): Atomic Tangerine, Hot Magenta, Outrageous Orange, Shocking Pink, Blizzard Blue, Laser Lemon, Screamin’ Green, Wild Watermelon
1990-1992 Colours: (everything previous + ) Electric Lime, Purple Pizzazz, Razzle DazzlreRose, Unmellow Yellow, Magic Mint, Radical Red, Sunglow, Neon Carrot
1990 Retired Colours: Green Blue, Orange Red, Orange Yellow, Violet Blue, Maize, Lemon Yellow, Blue Gray, Raw Umber
1990 Replacement Colours: Cerulean, Vivid Tangerine, Jungle Green, Fuschia, Dandelion, Teal Blue, Royal Purple, Wild Strawberry
1993 Colours: (colours named by consumers) Asparagus, Macaroni and Cheese, Razzmatazz, Timber Wolf, Cerise, Mauvelous, Robin’s Egg Blue, Tropical Rain Forest, Denim, Pacific Blue, Shamrock, Tumbleweed, Granny Smith Apple, Purple Mountain’s Majesty, Tickle Me Pink Wisteria
1998 Colours: (everything previous +) Almond, Canary, Fern, Pink Flamingo, Antique Brass, Caribbean Green, Fuzzy Wuzzy, Purple Heart, Banana Mania, Cotton Candy, Manatee, Shadow, Beaver, Blush, Mountain Meadow, Sunset Orange, Blue Bell, Desert Sand, Outer Space, Torch Red, Pink Sherbet, Eggplant, Piggy Pink, Vivid Violet
2000 Replacement Colours: Indigo replaced Thistle, Torch Red renamed as Scarlet
2003 Retired Colours: Blizzard Blue, Magic Mint, Mulberry, Teal Blue
2003 Colours: (everything previous + ) Inch Worm, Jazzberry Jam, Mango Tango, Wild Blue Yonder
** Prussian Blue changed to Midnight Blue in 1958
** Flesh changed to Peach in 1962
** Indian Red changed to Chestnut in 1999
Sources:
Crayola.com
A Century of Crayola Collectibles : A Price Guide – Bonnie B. Rushlow
Images:
All images property of Bonnie B. Rushlow unless otherwise marked.