Subject:
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Re: The LEGO history - Interesting book found at the library
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.general
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Date:
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Wed, 18 Aug 1999 18:25:12 GMT
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Viewed:
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1898 times
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Ah ha!!
ABS Plastic was introduced in 1963!!! The World of Lego Toys says 1961! I always
thought that there was way too much Cellulose Acetate Lego around for the change
to have taken place in 1961.
And it said that the first sets with instructions came in 1964. I tend to
disagree with that one. The first set that was not "add on" or "general building"
or "bulk" was the USA Samsonite set "Junior Constructor" (#717) from 1961-64.
And the road baseplate, although it was produced for the first time in the size we
know it today starting in 1978, was actually first produced (possibly only by
Samsonite Lego) in 1970 in the 50x50 stud size, but only for a year or two (I have
2 of these rare large road baseplates, and the 1970 Samsonite Lego Dealer catalog
that list these as a new item).
Maybe TLG doesn't include Samsonite Lego in its statistics?
I wish that book were available in German (if not English), cuz then I would be
able to read it.
Gary Istok
Anders Isaksson wrote:
> Hi all!
>
> Last time I was at the library I found an interesting book about The Lego
> Company!
> It's called 'LEGO and Godtfred Kirk Christiansen' (but in Swedish, of course).
> It is about GKC, LEGO A/S, and The LEGO Company. It's written by a Danish
> author - Ole Steen Hansen.
>
> It tells the story from the birth of GKC in 1891 to his death in 1995. There
> are pictures of different LEGO sets and, of course, of the Christiansen
> family.
>
> I don't know if all of this is 'old news' for you all, but here are some
> interesting snips from the book, in time order:
>
> 1947 - LEGO Billund A/S buys it's first injection mold machine. Among the
> samples are a brick toy from Kiddicraft, UK (Not patent protected in Denmark).
> Kjeld Krik Kristiansen is born.
>
> 1949 - The very first box 'Automatic Binding Bricks' - Yellow, red, white,
> green bricks, white, yellow and blue 'windows' (picture).
>
> 1951 - Renamed to 'LEGO Mursten' ('LEGO Bricks') (picture) (at another page it
> says 1953 for this???)
>
> 1953 - LEGO is produced and sold in Norway too.
>
> 1955 - 'LEGO System i leg' (LEGO System) was introduced. Large town board,
> cars (8 different), patterned bricks, road signs etc. ('macaroni' bricks can
> be seen in the picture). Starts exporting to Sweden.
>
> 1956 - Sales office in Germany.
>
> 1958 - The 'tubes' are added to the underside of the bricks (and patented).
> Ole Kirk Christiansen dies.
>
> 1960 - The wood inventory is destroyed in a fire. The production of wooden
> toys is ended.
>
> 1962 - The wheel is discovered.
>
> 1963 - ABS plastic is introduced.
>
> 1964 - First sets with instructions. Previous products had only been general
> building boxes, add-ons, and bulk!!
>
> 1966 - 4.5V Trains.
>
> 1968 - Legoland Billund, Denmark opens.
>
> 1969 - DUPLO.
>
> 1973 - Legoland Sierksdorf, Germany opens, but closes again 1976 (did not pay
> the proper respect to The Trademark, The Product and The Kids)
>
> 1974 - First brick factory outside Denmark, Baar in Switzerland.
>
> 1978 - Minifigs, road baseplates.
>
> 1981 - LEGO buys the rights to the Kiddicraft brick.
>
> etc. etc.
>
> There is no information about the introduction of sloped bricks, but they are
> not on the pictures before 1960.
>
> There is a definite reference to the inch as a base for the brick size.
>
> There are some nice pages with pictures of 'imitators' of LEGO, some of them
> are even using the pictures from the original LEGO boxes! (What do you think
> of the name '0937' for a clone?)
>
> (Book ISBN 91-972715-8-6)
>
> Happy building,
> --
> Anders Isaksson, Sweden
> BlockCAD: http://user.tninet.se/~hbh828t/proglego.htm
> Gallery: http://user.tninet.se/~hbh828t/gallery.htm
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Message has 3 Replies:
Message is in Reply To:
 | | The LEGO history - Interesting book found at the library
|
| Hi all! Last time I was at the library I found an interesting book about The Lego Company! It's called 'LEGO and Godtfred Kirk Christiansen' (but in Swedish, of course). It is about GKC, LEGO A/S, and The LEGO Company. It's written by a Danish (...) (25 years ago, 18-Aug-99, to lugnet.general)
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