Crayola crayons have come in a multitude of different colors since their introduction in 1903. By 1905 Binney & Smith’s Crayola crayon product line had reached 30 different colors.[1] In 1958 the number of colors increased to 64. Eight fluorescent colors were introduced in 1972, increasing the total number of colors to 72. In 1990 the total increased to 80 colors with the introduction of 16 new colors and the discontinuation of eight colors. The number of available colors was increased to 96 in 1993 and to 120 in 1998, though with thirteen crayons being retired along the way, the grand total of colors is 133[2]. Along with the regular packs of crayons, there have been many specialty sets, including Silver Swirls[3], Gem Tones[4], Pearl Brite[5], Metallic FX[6], Magic Scent[7], Silly Scents[8], and more.
Colors have been renamed through the years. In 1958, Prussian Blue was renamed Midnight Blue. The color known as Flesh was renamed Peach in 1962, partially in response to the U.S. Civil Rights Movement. Indian Red was renamed Chestnut in 1999 due to concern that some children thought the crayon color represented the skin color of Native Americans.[2] According to the company, however, the name originally referred to a reddish-brown pigment from India that is used in artists’ oil paint.[2] In the past, some crayons have been temporarily renamed, such as the 2004 State-Your-Color Contest[9] crayons and the 8 Kids’ Choice Colors in the 2008 50th anniversary 64-count box.[10]
[From List of Crayola crayon colors – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia]
