Automatic Building Bricks Anyone?
In 1939 a new toy, Self-Locking Building Bricks were patented by plastic pioneer, Harley Fisher Page, founder of Kiddicraft Company. By 1945 he had improved the blocks by adding channels which inspired Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, the man who gave the world the LEGO building system.
Kiddicraft introduced their Self -Locking Building Bricks in 1949. LEGO introduced their “Automatic Building Bricks” the same year after acquiring the rights to the Kiddicraft design. Opps…Kiddicraft let a gold mine go…
In 1953 after much improvement on the bricks including shrinkage and color the bricks were renamed to LEGO bricks and became an important portion of the LEGO companies production. LEGO made many plastic toy vehicles and wooden playthings, the little plastic brick was fast becoming a mainstay.
In 1955 the LEGO system of play was introduced and entire towns could be created! In 1958 the invention of their “stud-and-tube system” represented their greatest advancement. A hollow tube within the formerly empty underside of the LEGO brick that flexes and allowed the studs to grip adjoining blocks more securely and in more ways than ever before…. HISTORY MADE!
Art Of Toys celebrates this wonderful toy with the artwork of emiko oye and her creative jewelry.
