Self-Locking Building Blocks
Building Block
1945-1950 (made)
1945-1950 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
The Kiddicraft self-locking brick was patented by Hilary Page in 1939. The interlocking bricks were one example of his range of "sensible" toys that explored the versatile uses for plastic, instead of the traditional wooden toy. Plastic became popular in toy design due to its hygienic qualities as well as the range of colours and shapes that could be made.
These bricks were the first time that building blocks had been given the facility to grip together to create more secure structures. The design for interlocking bricks was later developed further by the Danish company Lego who took over the rights to the design in 1949.
These bricks were the first time that building blocks had been given the facility to grip together to create more secure structures. The design for interlocking bricks was later developed further by the Danish company Lego who took over the rights to the design in 1949.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
|
| Title | Self-Locking Building Blocks (manufacturer's title) |
| Materials and techniques | Formed plastic |
| Brief description | Set of plastic inter-locking bricks made in England by Kiddicraft in the late 1940s |
| Physical description | Printed cardboard box containing 12 rectangular shaped bricks and 12 smaller square bricks, divided in to 4 colours; yellow, blue, red and bluest bricks are made of formed plastic and are hollow with raised circular forms -studs- on the top and 2 smaller ridges indented down the sides of each brick enabling the bricks to lock together. the larger bricks have 8 raised studs, the square bricks have 4. The set appears to be incomplete with a row of bricks short from filling the box completely. |
| Production type | Mass produced |
| Marks and inscriptions |
|
| Credit line | Given by Halina Pasierbska |
| Object history | The Kiddicraft self-locking brick was patented by Hilary Page in 1939. The interlocking bricks were one example of his range of "sensible" toys that explored the versatile uses for plastic, instead of the traditional wooden toy. Plastic became popular in toy design due to its hygienic qualities as well as the range of colours and shapes that could be made. These bricks were the first time that building blocks had been given the facility to grip together to create more secure structures. The design for interlocking bricks was later developed further by the company, Lego having taking over the rights to the design in 1949. |
| Summary | The Kiddicraft self-locking brick was patented by Hilary Page in 1939. The interlocking bricks were one example of his range of "sensible" toys that explored the versatile uses for plastic, instead of the traditional wooden toy. Plastic became popular in toy design due to its hygienic qualities as well as the range of colours and shapes that could be made. These bricks were the first time that building blocks had been given the facility to grip together to create more secure structures. The design for interlocking bricks was later developed further by the Danish company Lego who took over the rights to the design in 1949. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | B.107:1, 2-2004 |
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| Record created | December 16, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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