Chocolate Spirograph

Does anybody remember the Spirograph drawing kits that were popular in the 1960's and 1970's? The kits were a set of plastic utensils that lent themselves to making all different kinds of geometric artwork. Here's a Bakelite button (circa 1930) with a loopy star etching that reminds me of a typical "Spirograph" motif. The second I laid my eyes on this button I thought of my favorite, do-it-yourself design-making gizmo that I so enjoyed as a kid.

Geared toward children (ages 8 and up), Spirograph sets first came out in 1965. I remember getting mine for Christmas in 1978 and being very excited about it. The box evolved over the years and pictured here is the version of the set I first owned. The text on the lid reads: A simple and fascinating way to draw a million marvelous patterns. I remember sitting at the kitchen table and spending hours trying to create the perfect composition with the range of tools and colored pens that came with the set. Originally, the trademark for Spirograph was registered with the Hasbro toy company. In 2013 the product was relaunched by Kahootz Toys and is currently available with the original product configurations. For a look at the various vintage sets and how they changed across 50+ decades, check out eBay.

-Sherbert McGee