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Ohio Art Toy Company Film Collection

An inventory of the collection at Syracuse University


Finding aid created by: IRP
Date: 15 Jun 2023

Biographical History

The Ohio Art Company, established in 1908 by Dr. Henry S. Winzeler in Archbold, Ohio, and later moved to Bryan, Ohio, is an American toy manufacturing company known for its creative products including Etch-A-Sketch.

For over a century, the company was known for producing two significant product lines: toys and high-quality metal lithography. The company began as a manufacturer of metal picture frames and over time, expanded its business to produce 20,000 frames per day.

In 1912, the company moved to Bryan, Ohio and started exclusively expanding its lithography business, producing advertising signs and scale dials. During World War I the company returned to manufacturing toys due to the lack of imports from Germany. The company's business flourished with toys such as windmills, colorful tea sets, climbing monkeys, drums, farmhouses, globes, and more. In the 1930s, Ohio Art was one of the first companies to license characters from Walt Disney.

In the 1950s, André Cassagnes, a French electrician, invented a drawing toy with an erasable function that used a joystick, glass, and aluminum powder. The invention, called "Telecran," was presented in 1959 at the Nuremberg International Toy Fair, Germany, where the Ohio Art Company saw it. In 1960, the Ohio Art Company purchased the rights to the toy for $25,000 and renamed it the Etch-A-Sketch. Since then, Ohio Art has been at the forefront of developing toys that encourage learning and creativity.

Briefly, the Ohio Art Company appeared in the music industry releasing vinyl records advertising the "Emenee" Jukebox & Jubilee musical instrument for adults.

In 2016, in order to focus on its metal lithography business, Ohio Art Company sold its Etch-A-Sketch and Doodle Sketch brands to Spin Master Corp. in Canada. Today (2023) the company is focused on partnerships with major consumer goods companies such as Coca-Cola, Campbell's Soup, Budweiser, Kodak, and Nascar.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Ohio Art Toy Company Film Collection contains 43 film prints of television commercials. Most are single reels of 30- or 60-second ads for products of the Ohio Art Company; there are also six compilation reels featuring multiple ads, and a promotional film for the Jamieson Film Company. The ads promote various toys, including Etch-A-Sketch, Bizzy-Buzz-Buzz, Lil' Sport toys, O-YO, Sonic Ear, and Musical Storybook.

All items are barcoded; please request by ID number.

Arrangement of the Collection

Films are grouped alphabetically by product name.

Restrictions

Access Restrictions:

The majority of our archival and manuscript collections are housed offsite and require advance notice for retrieval. Researchers are encouraged to contact us in advance concerning the collection material they wish to access for their research.

Access to audiovisual material requires advance notice to produce a use copy.

Use Restrictions:

Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Subject Headings

Persons

Lantz, Walter.

Corporate Bodies

Ohio Art Company.

Subjects

Advertising -- Toys.
Electronic toys.
Material culture -- United States.
Mechanical toys.
Toys -- United States.
Yo-yos.

Places

Bryan (Ohio)

Genres and Forms

16mm (photographic film size)
Advertisements.
Film reels.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Ohio Art Toy Company Film Collection,
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Libraries

Acquisition Information

Purchase, 2023

Table of Contents

Films

Inventory