She received some for Christmas some time in the late '70's. They fascinated me. I remember watching them grow in a container similar to the one shown in the center. She had them for a long time and at some point, I couldn't resist opening the lid and touching (and breaking of course) one of the spires.
I found the above unopened package at an estate sale last weekend.
According to the book "Toys!: Amazing Stories Behind Some Great Inventions" by Don Wolffson, brothers Jim and Arthur Ingoldsby began producing their "Magic Isle Undersea Garden" in 1945 after improving upon a similar product they'd witnessed a year earlier. Their product was a hit, but the name wasn't, so in 1958, they were rebranded as simply "Magic Rocks".
In 1960, the brothers licensed their product to a toy company, but refused to release the formula which was kept safe in a...well in a safe. But here's a hint: their basic ingredients are magnesium sulphate (Epsom salt) and sodium silicate.
I'm tempted to break the seal on these nearly 50-year-old Magic Rocks and try them out, but I may just go buy some new ones. They're still available.
i'm with you -- i was super fascinated by these. don't they also glow under black light? i'd be busting open that package and trying them out in a heartbeat!
ReplyDeleteI bet they do glow under black light. Part of me is curious to see if they'd still work after 50 years, but part says leave them in the original packaging. They've made it this far.
DeleteI remember magic rocks and being envious of them and those colorful advertisements, promising mystery landscapes ripped from the covers of pulp science-fiction magazines and novels. Interestingly, I recently came across a small old bag of coal from a gift shop, and I wanted to do something with it. I learned that with a couple extra ingredients, you can grow colorful crystals out of the coal pieces. Stay tuned!
ReplyDelete> I learned that with a couple extra ingredients, you can grow colorful
Delete>crystals out of the coal pieces. Stay tuned!
Hmmmm. Very interesting. Looking forward to seeing the results!