Counting Down To 90 Years of Play Part 8: 2002-2011

Welcome back as we count down to the 90th Anniversary of the LEGO Group on the 10th August 2022. When we last left off, we saw the LEGO Group expanding its portfolio and diversifying its playthemes. New Technologies were being embraced, as were new licensed themes. But in just a few years, the company might find itself in a bit of a pickle…

Continue reading

Counting Down to 90 Years of Play, Part 7: 1992-2001

Welcome back to our continuing journey through the decades of the history of the LEGO Group, as we approach the 90th anniversary of the company on August 10, 2022.

Today, we enter the 1990s, the so called System Era, where we started to see playthemes diverge from the standard Town, Castle and Space. The company also starts to introduce new technologies, as well as embarking onto the World Wide Web.

Continue reading

Counting Down to 90 Years Of Play, Part 6: 1982-1991

Welcome back to our countdown to the LEGOLAND Group’s 90th Anniversary on the 10th of August, 2022. Every day, we are taking a look at a selection of major developments in a decade of the LEGO Group’s existence.

Yesterday, we saw the release of the minifigure, and the starting points for the Classic LEGO® Themes: Castle, Town and Space. The stage was set for developing the focus of LEGO Play, at a certain scale, going forward. The release of the Erling brick in 1980 also presented great scope for innovation in the way that LEGO building would develop in the future. Now read on as we take a look at some of the more significant developments of the 1980s

Continue reading

Countdown to 90 Years Of Play Part 5: 1972-1981

Welcome back to the fifth instalment as we take a decade by decade look at the history of the LEGO Group, before they celebrate their 90th Anniversary on August 10, 2022. Last time, we left the 1960s behind: wheels and trains have entered the mix, and DUPLO is helping little people to build big things. Today, we move further into the ‘70s: an era where characters enter the mix, more realistic models are possible, and a new CEO enters the mix.

Continue reading

Counting Down to 90 Years Part 4: 1962-1971

We are approaching the 90th Anniversary of the LEGO company, on August 10. This is our fourth instalment in our survey along the history of the LEGO Group. We have covered the early years of the company, the move towards plastics and the development of the System in play. Today, we are heading to the 60s, where things will really be getting moving…literally.

Continue reading

Countdown to 90 Years of Play, Part 3: 1952-1961

Join us as we countdown to August 10, the day the LEGO Group are celebrating their 90th Anniversary. Today we enter the 1950s, an era that would see the name ‘LEGO’ firmly associated with the products they produce, the development of the System in play and ultimately, the focus on plastic bricks.

This series is not a comprehensive history of the LEGO Group, but does provide a few highlights.

Continue reading

Counting down to 90 Years of Play Part 2: 1942-1952

Today, we Weill take a brief look at some of the significant events that occurred in the 1940s. After a bit s of a tumultuous start, the decade saw the company heading towards its specialisation, with injection moulded plastic toys.

This article contains historical images provided by the LEGO Group, and information drawn, in part, from LEGO.com/history

Continue reading

Counting down to 90 Years of Play, Part 1: 1932-1941

In a little over a week, the LEGO Group will celebrate its 90th anniversary: 9 decades since a danish carpenter decided to turn his hand to building toys. The legacy of this decision is now well known, and as we move closer to this date, I would like to present some images sent through from the LEGO Group, covering the people, and some of the products seen over the years.

Continue reading

Classic themes: Defining Classic Space

The recent arrival of the 2022 LEGO City Space sets has left some people myself included, wondering if the spirit of Classic Space has returned, while others remained unsatisfied, stating reasons of not enough blue and grey, an absence of transparent yellow, or that the blue in the windscreens was just not dark enough. But what does Classic Space actually mean?

Virtually everyone will agree that the period began in 1978, with the release of the first LEGO Space sets to feature minifigures. But when does it end? And what is it that makes those sets ‘Classic Space?’

Continue reading

Happy 63rd LEGO® Patent Day

On January 28, 1958 at precisely 1.58 pm the application for the very first LEGO® brick patent was filed at the Danish Directorate for Patents and Trademarks. Soon after, patent applications were filed in numerous countries around the world.

In the months after the application for the Danish patent, applications were filed in countries such as Norway (March 12, 1958), Sweden (March 22, 1958), Germany (April 10, 1958) and Holland (April 14, 1958). Also in 1958, applications were filed in France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Italy.

The following year, in 1959, the LEGO reach was increased even further to include countries such as Israel, South Africa, England, Poland, Ireland, Turkey, Finland, Portugal and Spain.

And today, as we know, LEGO play is reaching millions of children all over the world.

More information has come to light about the development of the development of the LEGO Brick. Speaking with Kristian Reimer Hauge, one of the Corporate Historians at the LEGO House as part of Brickvention online, told me that ” there was a meeting in 1958, on January 23rd, between Godfredt Kirk Christiansen, second generation owner , and some other people. And that is where they came up with that [the idea of tubes underneath the bricks.] Five days later, on January 28th, we took out the patent for the LEGO Brick. That is a new discovery for us.”

Continue reading