Ah, the Pantograph. I used to see these advertised at the back of comics and often wondered what it would be like to draw 'anything you like'.
Not sure its a toy, I think I did once had a go. The device let you draw things bigger too.
I've not seen one for years so when I saw a bundle on an old auction I saved the image.
Have you had a go readers?
We had a Sketch-a-Graph. It was a nightmare to use, requiring 5 hands to use (one for stopping the rubber suction cup unsticking, one for the pen/pencil and another for the pointer. Then you also had to hold the paper you were drawing on and also the page you were copying from ). Even then it was like trying to hold an angry cat, due to its flimsy plastic construction. Much gnashing of teeth and screams along the lines of "Aaaarrrggghhh the papers moved again" could sometimes result in a decent copy.
ReplyDeleteApologies for the tardy reply Toad. It sometimes takes me ages to respond to comments for some reason. I think Lockdown is addling my brain. I need vintage toys and quick! Now you mention it, I've seen the name Sketch-a-Graph more often than Pant-o-graph. ha ha, I laughed at angry cat. Nothing worse than a frustrating toy or device when your a kid. I imagine it got sidelined for etch-a-sketch!
DeleteI had one, black plastic ? I think it came in a red and black box, and may have been a Sketch-A-Graph. It could both enlarge and reduce, as well as making a copy the same size as the original. However it was so loose, and as Timmy Toad says required several extra hands to use, that I never managed to draw anything useful with it, and gave up. Might actually still have it in a box somewhere. If so it would be about 45-50 years old. These are still available, as I have seen them in toy shops. Higher quality, and I am sure more expensive, versions are used by draughtsmen and the like.
ReplyDeleteAgain, sorry for the late response Paul. No excuse. I wasn't even consumed by my drawing with a Pant-O-Graph! Yeas, there must be professional versions of this toy as I'm sure I've seen something like the contraption on technical drawing desks somewhere. I bet its all done on computers now anyway.
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