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Edwin Binney (1866-1934), was born in Shrub Oak, New York, and C. Harold Smith (1860-1931), was born in London, England, Together, they founded Binney & Smith in 1885, which was incorporated in 1902 and renamed Crayola in 2007.

Edwin Binney and Harold Smith founded Binney & Smith, Inc. in New York City in the late 1800s. At first, they specialized in industrial colorings, including the pigments that made country barns red and automobile tires black. Later, they began to make slate pencils for students. At the St. Louis World Exhibition in 1902, they won a gold medal for their new product for teachers: the first dustless chalk. While touring schools with these two items, company salesmen saw a need for safe, affordable colored crayons.Since 1903, Crayola Crayons have expanded on that success in a number of ways. First, there are more colors: the 48-box in 1949, the classic 64-box in 1958, and the 96-color Big Box in 1993. Second, there are more colorers. Today, over 2 billion crayons are sold per year in 60 countries. Crayolas have also changed with the times. In 1962, the color "flesh" was changed to "peach," since not everyone's skin is such a color, and in 1972, fluorescent colors were added to meet popular demand.

Thanks to innovation in manufacturing and marketing, Binney & Smith is still master of the market it created. On February 6, 1996, they produced their 100 billionth Crayola. Kids still love to color with crayons, and they probably always will.

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This Smithsonian Snapshot celebrates the back-to-school season with this original pack of Crayola Crayons.

Cherished by generations of children, Crayola Crayons were invented in 1903 by cousins Edwin Binney and C. Harold Smith, founders of the Binney & Smith Co. of Easton, Pa.

The company used paraffin wax and nontoxic pigments to produce a coloring stick that was safe, sturdy and affordable. The name "Crayola" was coined by Alice Binney, Binney's wife and a former school teacher. It comes from "craie," French for "chalk," and "oleaginous" or "oily." This Crayola set for "young artists" was one of the earliest produced. Its 28 colors include celestial blue, golden ochre, rose pink and burnt sienna.

To learn more about this item, visit the National Museum of American History website.

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This Smithsonian Snapshot celebrates the back-to-school season with this original pack of Crayola Crayons.

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Will crayons melt in the sun? Find the answer to this question with a fun melting crayon science experiment. It’s a perfect summer science project.

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What do Crayons have to do with Science?

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What do Crayons have to do with Science?

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Let's do an experiment!!

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Today, over 2 billion crayons are sold per year in 60 countries

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Read about how experimentation with current and new methods led Edwin Binney to invent Crayola crayons!

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Read Out Loud | THE CRAYON MAN - The TRUE STORY OF THE INVENTION OF CRAYOLA CRAYONS

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The Story of Edwin Binney: Crayola Founder & Fort Pierce Native

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The tale of Edwin Binney, Crayola founder, and Fort Piece native, starts in 1866. The inventor was born in New York to an entrepreneur father who founded Peekskill Chemical. Once his father retired, Edwin took over the business. In the year 1900, things began to shift when Edwin Binney and his cousin C. Harold Smith […]

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Crayola® did not invent the crayon. The "modern" crayon originated in Europe, initially made from a mixture of charcoal and oil, later replaced by powdered pigments. Wax was later substituted for oil, making the sticks sturdier and easier to handle.

In 1902, Crayola Crayons were invented by Binney & Smith and first offered for sale in 1903. The trade name "Crayola" was coined by Mrs. Edwin Binney, combining "craie" (French for chalk stick) and "oleaginous" (oily).

Crayola manufactures over 3 billion crayons each year, primarily made from paraffin wax and color pigment. Learn more about Crayola's colorful history .

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who invented crayons; who invented the crayon

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Who invented the crayon and what is the history of Crayola Crayons?

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Who invented the crayon and what is the history of Crayola Crayons?