The Telesketch (also known as the Etch-A-Sketch) is a very popular mechanical drawing toy invented in the late 1950s by André Cassagnes in France and marketed worldwide since 1960.

? How it works
It's a screen coated internally with aluminum powder, giving it a gray appearance.

It has two knobs:

The right one moves an internal pointer vertically.

The left one moves it horizontally.

When you move the knobs, an internal pointer scrapes the powder on the inside of the glass, creating visible lines (now digitally simulated).

To erase the drawing, shake the device and the powder re-covers the surface (shake your device).

? Uses and curiosities
It was very popular from the 1960s to the 1990s.

Although it was originally a toy, many people used it to create very elaborate artistic drawings.

Today, it is also seen as inspiration for minimalist digital drawing apps and programs.