Play-Doh was invented as a wallpaper cleaner — then the walls stopped getting dirty

In the 1930s, Noah McVicker at Kutol Products in Cincinnati created a soft, pliable putty for cleaning wallpaper. In coal-heated homes, soot built up on walls, and the putty could be pressed against the paper to lift the dirt without damaging the surface. Kroger Grocery sold it as a wallpaper cleaner for two decades.

After World War II, the market collapsed. Homes switched from coal to natural gas heating, which produced far less soot. Washable vinyl wallpaper replaced the old paper that needed gentle cleaning. Kutol Products was on the verge of bankruptcy. Joe McVicker, Noah's nephew, joined the company to try to save it.

In 1954, nursery school teacher Kay Zufall read a newspaper article about using the putty for art projects. She tried it with her students, who loved it. She convinced the McVickers to manufacture it as a children's modelling compound. They formed Rainbow Crafts Company and named it Play-Doh — Zufall's suggestion, over the McVickers' preferred 'Rainbow Modeling Compound.'

Play-Doh launched in 1956 in a three-pack of 7-ounce cans. Macy's and Marshall Field's placed orders. In 1957, TV ads ran on Captain Kangaroo, and sales hit nearly $3 million in 1958. General Mills bought Rainbow Crafts for $3 million in 1965. By 2005, over 2 billion cans had been sold in 75 countries. Hasbro now owns the brand under its Playskool line.