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LEGO System

Construction Bricks
1960s (manufactured)
Artist/Maker
The LEGO Group (manufacturers)
Place of origin
Aarhus (city) (designed)
Great Britain (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
Construction Toys
Play
Object type
Construction bricks
Parts
This object consists of 3 parts.

  • Construction Toys
  • Construction Toys
  • Construction Toys
TitleLEGO System (manufacturer's title)
Materials and techniques
Injection moulded plastic and cardboard
ABS
Cardboard
Injection Moulding
Brief description
Box of Lego System 218 construction bricks, made by LEGO, Great Britain, 1960s.
Physical description
Cardboard box with 13 white Lego bricks inside. The outside of the box has a picture of two boys playing with Lego on one side and blue and yellow examples of the bricks themselves on the other.
Dimensions
  • Length: 8.5cm
  • Depth: 2.5cm
  • Width: 6.2cm
All dimensions given are of the box
Production typeMass produced
Marks and inscriptions
'Lego System. Made in Great Britain. 218'
Object history
Purchased with one other Lego set (B.62-2004), see purchase price
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.
Other number
218 - LEGO set number
Collection
Young V&A Collection
Accession number
B.63-2004

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Record createdAugust 5, 2008
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O165028/lego-system-construction-bricks-the-lego-group/
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