Play-Doh is a fun and simple concept that has been marketed as a children's toy since the 1950s. However, Play-Doh first hit retailers in the 1930s when it was actually sold as a wallpaper cleaner. Who would have thought something so colourful and entertaining could have started life as something so dull and mundane?! The company who manufacture Play-Doh originally made soap and were suffering financial difficulties in the early 1930s. At the time, homes were heated by coal fires and this often left a covering of soot that was difficult to remove from wallpaper. It was then that a man named Noah McVicker came up with the formula for a new wallpaper cleaner that could remove soot without causing any damage. His invention proved highly popular and generated sales that helped to save the company. Unfortunately, the sales of McVicker's wallpaper cleaner soon died off as homes began to be heated by gas and not coal. Once again, the company found itself in trouble and once again it was a member of the McVicker family who would come to the rescue. Noah McVicker's sister in law, Kay Zufall, ran a nursery school and told Noah of how she would give the wallpaper cleaner to the children to play with. The company subsequently replaced the detergent in the dough with colouring and an almond scent. They rebranded as Play-Doh and targeted sales towards schools in the run up to Christmas.
Recent History graduate living in Newcastle. I like to travel and experience new things, my favourite place on earth has got to be the Great Barrier Reef. To date my greatest achievements include completing the National Pokedex and mastering how to make cheesy nachos.