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{{short description|1967 toy}}
{{Short description|Toy marketed in 1967}}
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:A 1980s Lite-Brite.jpg|thumb|right|A 1980s Lite-Brite]] -->
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:A 1980s Lite-Brite.jpg|thumb|right|A 1980s Lite-Brite]] -->
{{Infobox toy
{{Infobox toy
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| othernames =
| othernames =
| type = Arts and Craft
| type = Arts and Craft
| inventor = Burt Meyer<ref name="Winner"/>
| inventor = Burt Meyer<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.museumofplay.org/blog/play-stuff/2015/08/art-and-creativity-with-lite-brite|title=Art and Creativity with Lite-Brite|date=31 August 2015}}</ref>
| company = [[Hasbro]]
| company = [[Hasbro]]
| country = USA
| country = USA
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}}
}}


'''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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.skooldays.com/categories/toys/ty1037.htm |title=Lite-Brite: Retro |publisher=Skooldays.com |access-date=2011-06-08}}</ref> There are eight peg colors: red, blue, orange, white (clear/colorless), green, yellow, pink, and violet (purple).
'''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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.skooldays.com/categories/toys/ty1037.htm |title=Lite-Brite: Retro |publisher=Skooldays.com |access-date=2011-06-08}}</ref>

⚫
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 (character)|Scooby-Doo]]'', ''[[My Little Pony]]'', and ''[[Transformers]]'' among others.{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}}


==History==
==History==
Lite-Brite was invented by Burt Meyer<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.museumofplay.org/blog/play-stuff/2015/08/art-and-creativity-with-lite-brite|title=Art and Creativity with Lite-Brite|date=31 August 2015}}</ref> and Joseph M. Burck 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)|Time]]'' magazine<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2049243_2048656_2049112,00.html|title=All-TIME 100 Greatest Toys - TIME|first=Allie|last=Townsend|magazine=Time|date=February 16, 2011|via=content.time.com}}</ref> and was named a Finalist for the Class of 2020 induction to the [[National Toy Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.museumofplay.org/press/releases/2020/09/6155-meet-the-2020-toy-hall-finalists|title=Meet the 2020 Toy Hall Finalists|date=September 8, 2020|website=www.museumofplay.org}}</ref>
Lite-Brite was invented by Burt Meyer,<ref name="Winner">{{Cite web|url=https://www.museumofplay.org/blog/play-stuff/2015/08/art-and-creativity-with-lite-brite|title=Art and Creativity with Lite-Brite|date=31 August 2015 |website=museumofplay.org |first1=Tara |last1=Winner}}</ref> Dalia Verbickas,<ref>"The Idea Man," ''The Toys That Built America'', Season 2, Episode 3, Six West Media Group, 2022</ref> and Joseph M. Burck at Chicago toy and game design company [[Marvin Glass and Associates]], which licensed the invention to [[Hasbro]]. Meyer led the project, Verbickas posited the idea of using a translucent material to direct colored light, and Burck designed the toy itself. Lite-Brite was named one of the top 100 toys of all time by ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2049243_2048656_2049112,00.html|title=All-TIME 100 Greatest Toys - TIME|first=Allie|last=Townsend|magazine=Time|date=February 16, 2011|via=content.time.com}}</ref> and was inducted to the [[National Toy Hall of Fame]] in 2022.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.museumofplay.org/toys/lite-brite/ |title=Lite-Brite - The Strong National Museum of Play |website=museumofplay.org |accessdate=2023-04-03}}</ref>


==Description==
==Description==
Lite-Brite allows the artist to create a glowing picture by punching multi-colored [[Transparency and translucency|translucent]] [[plastic]] pegs through [[Opacity (optics)|opaque]] [[black]] [[paper]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Life/10-Totally-Transformed-Toys.html |title=Toy Transformations at WomansDay.com - History of Toys |work=[[Woman's Day]] |access-date=2011-06-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002094303/http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Life/10-Totally-Transformed-Toys.html |archive-date=2011-10-02 }}</ref> 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 [[LED]]s.
Lite-Brite allows the artist to create a glowing picture by punching multicolored [[Transparency and translucency|translucent]] [[plastic]] pegs through [[Opacity (optics)|opaque]] [[black]] [[paper]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Life/10-Totally-Transformed-Toys.html |title=Toy Transformations at WomansDay.com - History of Toys |work=[[Woman's Day]] |access-date=2011-06-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111002094303/http://www.womansday.com/Articles/Life/10-Totally-Transformed-Toys.html |archive-date=2011-10-02 }}</ref> 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 [[LED]]s.


There are eight peg colors: red, blue, orange, white (clear/colorless), green, yellow, pink, and violet (purple). In the event that pegs were lost or damaged, Hasbro provided refills and/or new colors.{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}}
Because punching the pegs in punches out the letters, each sheet can be used only once.

⚫
Because punching the pegs in punches out the letters, each sheet can be used only once. Color-by-letter templates were sold with the set so that children could create characters from licensed works including [[Mickey Mouse]], ''[[Scooby-Doo (character)|Scooby-Doo]]'', ''[[My Little Pony]]'', and ''[[Transformers]]'' among others.{{Citation needed|date=August 2011}} Blank black sheets were also available for those who wanted to create their own image.


==Changes==
==Changes==
Over the years, Lite-Brite was offered in different forms including a flat-screen version, a [[Three-dimensional space|3D]] [[cube]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://segue.atlas.uiuc.edu/index.php?action=site&site=nbyars2&section=914&page=2781 |title=Handie Art Station > Background > Old Technology: Lite Brite |publisher=Segue.atlas.uiuc.edu |access-date=2011-06-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720085330/https://segue.atlas.uiuc.edu/index.php?action=site&site=nbyars2&section=914&page=2781 |archive-date=2011-07-20 }}</ref> 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.{{update after|2016|1|3}} 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hasbro.com/shop/browse/_/N-1rZgt/No-10/Ntt-lite%20brite?Ntk=All&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial|title=Hasbro Lite Brite Product Catalog | publisher=Hasbro}}</ref>
Over the years, Lite-Brite was offered in different forms including a flat-screen version, Lite Brite touch version, a [[Three-dimensional space|3D]] [[cube]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://segue.atlas.uiuc.edu/index.php?action=site&site=nbyars2&section=914&page=2781 |title=Handie Art Station > Background > Old Technology: Lite Brite |publisher=Segue.atlas.uiuc.edu |access-date=2011-06-08 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720085330/https://segue.atlas.uiuc.edu/index.php?action=site&site=nbyars2&section=914&page=2781 |archive-date=2011-07-20 }}</ref> 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.{{update after|2016|1|3}} The Lite-Brite 3D cube (called the Four-Share Cube) was LED-lit on four of the six sides of the cube, allowing a child to play with friends or save three of their designs while working on a fourth. 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hasbro.com/shop/browse/_/N-1rZgt/No-10/Ntt-lite%20brite?Ntk=All&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial|title=Hasbro Lite Brite Product Catalog | publisher=Hasbro}}</ref>

==Future==
There are various websites online that host virtual Lite-Brite games.{{Citation needed|reason=Sounds speculative, no mention of an actual product|date=October 2015}}


==See also==
==See also==
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==External links==
==External links==
{{commons category}}
* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110808212037/http://www.hasbro.com/litebrite/en_US/ |title=Lite-Brite Simulator}}
* {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110808212037/http://www.hasbro.com/litebrite/en_US/ |title=Lite-Brite Simulator}}
* [http://www.instructables.com/id/Lite-Brite-LED-clock/ The Lite Brite clock]
* [http://www.instructables.com/id/Lite-Brite-LED-clock/ The Lite Brite clock]

Latest revision as of 19:26, 5 December 2024

Lite-Brite
A Lite-Brite (without black paper) spelling "Hello"
A Lite-Brite (without black paper) spelling "Hello"
A Lite-Brite (without black paper) spelling "Hello"
TypeArts and Craft
Inventor(s)Burt Meyer[1]
CompanyHasbro
CountryUSA
Availability1967–present
Slogan"Lite-Brite, making things with light, What a sight, making things with Lite-Brite!"
Official website

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]

History

[edit]

Lite-Brite was invented by Burt Meyer,[1] Dalia Verbickas,[3] and Joseph M. Burck at Chicago toy and game design company Marvin Glass and Associates, which licensed the invention to Hasbro. Meyer led the project, Verbickas posited the idea of using a translucent material to direct colored light, and Burck designed the toy itself. Lite-Brite was named one of the top 100 toys of all time by Time magazine[4] and was inducted to the National Toy Hall of Fame in 2022.[5]

Description

[edit]

Lite-Brite allows the artist to create a glowing picture by punching multicolored 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.

There are eight peg colors: red, blue, orange, white (clear/colorless), green, yellow, pink, and violet (purple). In the event that pegs were lost or damaged, Hasbro provided refills and/or new colors.[citation needed]

Because punching the pegs in punches out the letters, each sheet can be used only once. Color-by-letter templates were sold with the set so that children could create characters from licensed works including Mickey Mouse, Scooby-Doo, My Little Pony, and Transformers among others.[citation needed] Blank black sheets were also available for those who wanted to create their own image.

Changes

[edit]

Over the years, Lite-Brite was offered in different forms including a flat-screen version, Lite Brite touch 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.[needs update] The Lite-Brite 3D cube (called the Four-Share Cube) was LED-lit on four of the six sides of the cube, allowing a child to play with friends or save three of their designs while working on a fourth. 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]

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Winner, Tara (31 August 2015). "Art and Creativity with Lite-Brite". museumofplay.org.
  2. ^ "Lite-Brite: Retro". Skooldays.com. Retrieved 2011-06-08.
  3. ^ "The Idea Man," The Toys That Built America, Season 2, Episode 3, Six West Media Group, 2022
  4. ^ Townsend, Allie (February 16, 2011). "All-TIME 100 Greatest Toys - TIME". Time – via content.time.com.
  5. ^ "Lite-Brite - The Strong National Museum of Play". museumofplay.org. Retrieved 2023-04-03.
  6. ^ "Toy Transformations at WomansDay.com - History of Toys". Woman's Day. Archived from the original on 2011-10-02. Retrieved 2011-06-08.
  7. ^ "Handie Art Station > Background > Old Technology: Lite Brite". Segue.atlas.uiuc.edu. Archived from the original on 2011-07-20. Retrieved 2011-06-08.
  8. ^ "Hasbro Lite Brite Product Catalog". Hasbro.
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