The Etch A Sketch is a very popular drawing toy that has remained virtually the same for 40 years. It was invented in
1958 by French garage mechanic
Arthur Granjean. The Etch A Sketch is shaped like a
rectangular prism with a red frame and the screen in the middle. There is a white
knob in each of the bottom corners. There have been a number of different sizes avaliable, my personal favourite being a
keychain version.
The inside of an Etch A Sketch is filled with aluminum powder that sticks to the surface of the screen. Turning the lefthand knob drags a stylus horizontally across the screen, creating a line. The righthand knob creates a vertical line. Shaking it causes the powder to settle evenly across the screen, thus clearing the lines.
If you ever take an Etch A Sketch apart be very careful, as the aluminum powder sticks to everything.