Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at Young V&A
Play Gallery, Build It, Case 3

This object consists of 5 parts, some of which may be located elsewhere.

American Bricks

Building Block
1940s to 1950s (manufactured)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

American Bricks were produced in Chicago from the 1940s onwards. They are similar to Lego bricks in that the studs are laid out in a 4 x 2 pattern on a standard brick. As with this example, they were originally produced in wood, but later made in plastic. They came with angled bricks which would allow for gables, and sets would come with green paper roofs and windows which would fit snuggly into the slots in the bricks.
Halsam, the company named after its founders Hal Elliot and Sam Goss, was taken over by Playskool in 1962, and the brick sets moved away from the realistic houses they were originally designed for. Playskool began to aim the sets at smaller children, with more of a creative element to them. The last sets of American Plastic Bricks were made in 1977.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 5 parts.

  • Building Blocks
  • Building Blocks
  • Building Blocks
  • Building Blocks
  • Display Arrangement
TitleAmerican Bricks (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Painted, carved wooden blocks
Brief description
Collection of American Bricks, made by Haslam Products Company, Chicago, 1940s-50s. Red: 96 wooden 4x8 rectangular bricks, 42 wooden 4x4 rectangular bricks. Yellow: 23 wooden 4x8 rectangular bricks, 24 sloped wooden 4x4 blocks. All with raised dowels on top and recesses below, designed to interlock
Physical description
Set of construction blocks consisting of four different-shaped bricks. 96 small wooden rectangles, with grooved edges, and 2 x 4 dowels coming from the top, with corresponding indents below, painted red. 42 small wooden squares, with grooved edges, and 2 x 2 dowels coming from the top, with corresponding indents below, painted red. 23 small wooden rectangles, with grooved edges, and 2 x 4 dowels coming from the top, with corresponding indents below, painted yellow. 24 small wooden pentahedrons, with grooved edges and 2 x 4 indents on the bottom flat edge. All painted red except the sloped square side.
Dimensions
  • Red cuboid bricks height: 10mm
  • Red cuboid bricks width: 45mm
  • Red cuboid bricks depth: 23mm
  • Red cube bricks height: 10mm
  • Red cube bricks width: 23mm
  • Red cube bricks depth: 23mm
  • Yellow cuboid bricks height: 10mm
  • Yellow cuboid bricks width: 45mm
  • Yellow cuboid bricks depth: 23mm
  • Yellow pentahedron bricks height: 15mm
  • Yellow pentahedron bricks width: 23mm
  • Yellow pentahedron bricks depth: 23mm
Production typeMass produced
Credit line
Given by Rev Richard Tobin
Summary
American Bricks were produced in Chicago from the 1940s onwards. They are similar to Lego bricks in that the studs are laid out in a 4 x 2 pattern on a standard brick. As with this example, they were originally produced in wood, but later made in plastic. They came with angled bricks which would allow for gables, and sets would come with green paper roofs and windows which would fit snuggly into the slots in the bricks.
Halsam, the company named after its founders Hal Elliot and Sam Goss, was taken over by Playskool in 1962, and the brick sets moved away from the realistic houses they were originally designed for. Playskool began to aim the sets at smaller children, with more of a creative element to them. The last sets of American Plastic Bricks were made in 1977.
Collection
Accession number
B.16:1 to 4-2010

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Record createdJune 16, 2011
Record URL
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