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Not currently on display at the V&A

Playset

1974 (manufactured)
Artist/Maker
The LEGO Group (manufacturers)
Place of origin
Denmark (manufactured)

In 1932 Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter and joiner, founded a business at Billund, Denmark, making ladders, ironing boards and wooden toys. The toys were particularly successful and the company adopted the name Lego in 1934. Lego means 'play well' from the Danish words 'Leg Godt'. In 1947 the company acquired a plastic injection moulding machine and made Automatic Binding Blocks in 1949. These were a forerunner of Lego which was officially launched in 1955. The stud and tube coupling system was patented in 1958.


Object details

Categories
Children & Childhood
Plastic
Access_to_Images 2003
Games
SCRAN
Construction Toys
Interiors
Household Objects
Shekou
Values of Design
Design Society
Object type
Playset
Materials and techniques
Injection moulded plastic
Plastic
Injection Moulding
Brief description
Boxed Lego family, injection moulded plastic, made LEGO, Denmark 1974.
Physical description
Rectangular cardboard box with images of figures over it, as well as the LEGO logo. The family consists of a mother (wears red); father (blue and black); granny (black and seated); daughter (white and blue) and son (all blue).
Dimensions
  • Length: 25cm
  • Depth: 4cm
  • Height: 10cm
Dimensions given are of the box
Production typeMass produced
Marks and inscriptions
'Box-Lego. 200. Made in Denmark. 4256. 1974 Lego Systems A/S'
Summary
In 1932 Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter and joiner, founded a business at Billund, Denmark, making ladders, ironing boards and wooden toys. The toys were particularly successful and the company adopted the name Lego in 1934. Lego means 'play well' from the Danish words 'Leg Godt'. In 1947 the company acquired a plastic injection moulding machine and made Automatic Binding Blocks in 1949. These were a forerunner of Lego which was officially launched in 1955. The stud and tube coupling system was patented in 1958.
Collection
Young V&A Collection
Accession number
B.66-2004

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Record createdAugust 5, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O165026/playset-the-lego-group/
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