Lite-Brite
Lite-Brite is a toy that was originally marketed in 1967. It consists of a light box with small colored plastic pegs that fit into a panel and illuminate to create a lit picture, by either using one of the included templates or creating a "freeform" image on a blank sheet of black paper.[2] There are eight peg colors: red, blue, orange, white (clear/colorless), green, yellow, pink, and violet (purple).
 A Lite-Brite (without black paper) spelling "Hello" A Lite-Brite (without black paper) spelling "Hello" | |
| Type | Arts and Craft |
|---|---|
| Inventor(s) | Burt Meyer[1] |
| Company | Hasbro |
| Country | USA |
| Availability | 1967–present |
| Slogan | "Lite-Brite, making things with light, What a sight, making things with Lite-Brite!" |
| Official website | |
In the event that pegs were lost or damaged, Hasbro provided refills and/or new colors. Color-by-letter templates were sold with the set so that children could create characters including Mickey Mouse, Scooby-Doo, My Little Pony, and Transformers among others.
History
Lite-Brite was invented by Burt Meyer,[3] (a partner) and Joseph M. Burck, (a senior designer) at Chicago toy and game design company Marvin Glass and Associates, which licensed the invention to Hasbro. Lite-Brite was named one of the top 100 toys of all time by Time magazine[4] and was named a Finalist for the Class of 2020 induction to the National Toy Hall of Fame.[5]
Description
Lite-Brite allows the artist to create a glowing picture by punching multi-colored translucent plastic pegs through opaque black paper.[6] Using a standard light bulb, the light is blocked by the black paper except where the pegs conduct the light. When lit, the pegs have an appearance similar to that of LEDs.
Because punching the pegs in punches out the letters, each sheet can be used only once.
Changes
Over the years, Lite-Brite was offered in different forms including a flat-screen version, a 3D cube,[7] and an FX edition that spins and plays music. The Lite-Brite LED Flat Screen currently sells at MSRP $10, comes in several colors, is LED lit, and is portable, running on three AA batteries. The Lite-Brite 3D cube (called the Four-Share Cube) is a LED-lit four-sided cube that allowed children to play with friends or save three of their designs. The FX Edition is no longer on Hasbro's website. The website has SUN 'N NITE BRITE Sets priced at $10 MSRP and running on three AAA batteries.[8]
In 2017 a couple from Los Angeles built a giant Lite Brite that is seven feet tall and eight feet wide to bring to Burning Man and associated festivals. Instead of small pegs the makers use 400 small water bottles colored with food coloring that are inserted into a holes on a black faced plywood board. A flap of black fabric covers each of the 288 holes and there is a bright light on in the back of the unit. When the bottles are inserted into the holes,the black fabric is pushed up allowing the back light to illuminate the colored water in the bottles. Participants use their own imagination to create artful designs. Many images can be imagined as pulling the bottles out of the holes starts the process with a blank slate.
Future
There are various websites online that host virtual Lite-Brite games.
See also
References
- "Art and Creativity with Lite-Brite". 31 August 2015.
- "Lite-Brite: Retro". Skooldays.com. Retrieved 2011-06-08.
- "Art and Creativity with Lite-Brite". 31 August 2015.
- Townsend, Allie (February 16, 2011). "All-TIME 100 Greatest Toys - TIME". Time – via content.time.com.
- "Meet the 2020 Toy Hall Finalists". www.museumofplay.org. September 8, 2020.
- "Toy Transformations at WomansDay.com - History of Toys". Woman's Day. Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2011-06-08.
- "Handie Art Station > Background > Old Technology: Lite Brite". Segue.atlas.uiuc.edu. Archived from the original on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2011-06-08.
- "Hasbro Lite Brite Product Catalog". Hasbro.
External links
- Lite-Brite Simulator at the Wayback Machine (archived 2011-08-08)
- The Lite Brite clock
