André Cassagnes (September 23, 1926 – January 16, 2013)

Cassagnes was a Frenchinventor, electrical technician, toymaker, and a kite
designer. He was the inventor of the Etch a Sketch in the late 1950s, a popular
mechanical drawingtoy manufactured by Ohio Art Company. Cassagnes died
in a suburb of Paris on Wednesday, January 16.

A kite designed by Cassagnes

Johnny Gruelle (December 24, 1880 – January 9, 1938)

Gruelle was an artist, political cartoonist, children’s book author
and illustrator (and even songwriter). He is known as the creator
of Raggedy Ann and Raggedy Andy. He had such confidence in
his work that he would often create the final ink work without first
sketching in pencil. Gruelle spent a year in Ashland, Oregon from
1923–1924.

Xavier Roberts

Cabbage Patch Kids is a line of dolls created by art student Xavier Roberts
in 1978. They were originally called "Little People". The original dolls were
all cloth and sold at local craft shows. The dolls attracted the attention of
toy manufacturer Coleco, who began mass-production in 1982. Cabbage
Patch Kids brand went on to become one of the most popular toy fads
of the 1980s and one of the longest-running doll franchises in America.

The first Barbie doll was introduced in both blonde and brunette

Ruth Handler

The Fashion doll Barbie,manufactured by Mattel, Inc. was
launched in March 1959. Businesswoman Ruth Handler
(above) is credited with the creation of the doll using a
German doll called Bild Lilli as her inspiration.

American Flyer is a name rooted in the history of model trains that began in Chicago
in 1905 with toymaker William Hafner and his friend William Coleman. The American
Flyer name was adopted in 1908. Early trains were wind-up or clockwork models with
some large scale models being produced prior to the Great Depression. In 1918 the
company introduced its first electric train, an O-gauge model that was simply a 
windup model with an electric motor in place of the clockwork motor. 

A.C. Gilbert, of Erector Set fame, took over the company in 1938. Today, American
Flyer model trains still run on layouts and under Christmas trees across the U.S.

 
American Flyer S-gauge model from the early 1950s