PRESSED BETWEEN THE PAGES
DeAnn (Wolkow) Kruempel
We Called Them Colors
Thin layers of gray fanned from the frayed top edges where the paper coating had worn away. Yellow-gold printed paper coated the inside and outside. “King Edward Invincible” was printed in dark blue on the front and back. Smudges of red and black and purple camo-coated every surface. The paper-hinged cover had disappeared long ago. Narrow cylinder-shaped pieces of every length and color formed a gentle mound in the box. Some still had a thin layer of paper wrapped around them. Some were bare, only an inch long and rounded on both ends.
Small hands had peeled off the paper to expose more surface. That seemingly indestructible cigar box held the accumulation of last-day-of-school crayons from my five older siblings. Red and blue wore down fastest. Browns and blacks stayed sharp longer. We called them colors.
I pulled the box out from the small phone cabinet. A distinctive scent followed me right to the kitchen table. It was a waxy smell, warm and wonderful. I searched for an uncolored picture in my color book. Mom smiled when she saw a mare and colt. “Want to color with me, Mom?”
She pulled a piece of scrap paper from her stash behind the phone, reached for a brown color from the box and began to draw. I watched in wonder as a beautiful horse appeared. That cigar box full of colors is pressed between the pages of my mind. It provided hours of entertainment and creative motivation as well as special memories.
Crayons have a colorful history, though their original uses did not involve children or paper. In 1644, the use of the word “crayon” was recorded. Charcoal and oil formed the first crayons in Europe, likely used for marking shipping crates. Jane Austen referred to drawings “in crayons” in Pride and Prejudice. Over the years, different combinations of wax, fats and stearic acid entered the picture.
The first non-toxic, standard-sized crayons were made from paraffin and pigments. Mrs. Edwin Binney helped with the invention in 1902. She coined the name “Crayola,” combining the French word “craie” (chalk) with “oleaginous” (oily). A paper sleeve hugged each crayon to make it stronger and keep fingers clean. A tapered end encouraged drawing and detail. Binney Smith sold the first 8-pack boxes in 1903 for five cents.
In 1958, Captain Kangaroo introduced the soon-to-become-famous 64-count box of Crayola crayons in his television program’s commercial. The new magical box featured a built-in sharpener. I wanted one of those boxes so bad, but in spite of being the youngest, most spoiled child in the family, I was not allowed such an extravagance until sixth grade. Mom likely figured I’d get carried away with the sharpener!
Over the years, Crayola has introduced different sizes of boxes as well as more colors, with brilliant names like Blizzard Blue, Mulberry, Dandelion and Magic Mint. Cherished by generations of budding artists, crayons still hold an important place in young lives. Every year, Crayola produces 3 billion crayons. No matter what colors are called, or what kind of box holds them together, these tiny tools continue to inspire children to add color (and treasured memories) to our world!
The author’s column appears in a growing number of Midwest newspapers. Kruempel compiles and publishes the column stories every year. She has also published a historical fiction series, “Promises to Keep.”
Her ten books are available on Amazon. Signed copies, excellent Easter gifts, may be purchased at the Harrison County Welcome Center. Contact Kruempel at deannkruempelauthor@gmail.com.
