When I think of crayons, I think of the Crayola brand (link to related eBay auctions). Until I stumbled upon this box of Kodak Crayons, I had no idea the famous camera maker was ever in the business of creating them.
Crayons and ephemera are old enemies. Crayons have destroyed the value of more old paper than anything else besides fire and water.
In the hands of a genius, however, crayons can create magnificent and lasting art. One of my favorite artists, Laura W., created a wonderful work by dropping crayons from a 10' ladder onto a blank page. By painstakingly dropped hundreds of sharpened crayons from this height, she created a work with dazzling effect. Among the few original works of art that I own, it is my favorite piece.
Finding this old box of crayons reminded me of how much I enjoy Laura's work. And how much I dread seeing those horrible crayon marks scribbled on the back covers of rare booklets and across the front pages of historic documents.
Crayons cut both ways.
