Into the Archive: A Look at Some of the First LEGO Sets that Redefined Playtime

The Brand: LEGO

Lego is the story of the art and artist Ole Kirk Kristiansen who lost his wife and had to close his previous business. He was a carpenter who had to look after his 4 boys in Denmark. 

He had wood with him and the creativity to design something. So, he started making toys from wood. His motto was “Only the best is good enough” and then he made the first toy which was a Duck and the word spread that his toys are of the best quality. Thus, LEGO became a registered company. 

Initially, Christiansen made toys from wood which was available to him. But when the sales were a hit, he purchased a plastic injection molding machine which was the first of its kind in Denmark. Soon word spread and LEGO became a famous toy company in Denmark.

In 1949, LEGO started making 200 plastic and wooden toys which are popularly known as Lego bricks today. The transition from wooden to plastic witnessed a surge in creativity thanks to the flexibility of the new material. Here are some of the iconic Lego sets that made LEGO the favorite pastime for people worldwide. 

Some Iconic Lego Sets 

1. Automatic Binding Bricks 

The “Automatic Binding Bricks” set was the first of its kind to be made of plastic interlocking bricks. This set was widely produced and allowed children to make many designs and use their creative muscles. 

The 1950 release of the Automatic Binding Bricks set featured solely bricks and limited instructions, providing design ideas without specific structural guidance. Instead of detailed instructions for a particular construction, the guidance outlined the quantity of bricks required for various designs.

2. Garage with Automatic Door 

Released in 1955, these sets had unique features. This set allowed you to play with bricks and have a fun time in the garage. It was a special introduction to their repertoire as it also had a spring at the base which allowed you to open and close the garage door, leading to a toy that children could both build and play with after together with their toy cars. 

3. Esso Station 

LEGO started introducing real-world companies onto their sets in 1955. They first launched Esso station. This set had logos of fuel company Esso which later became part of the Exxon- Mobil. This iconic set had bricks to build the station and the pumps came separately from the Esso Station set. 

4. Town Plan 

LEGO’s first themed set was “Town Plan Accessories” released in 1955. These sets had trucks, cars and trailers to really make the town feel alive. The set also included a few bushes and trees which added greenery to the town. 

Later, it also included road signs and doors, windows and name beams which helped identify each building. 

5. Fire Station 

Fire stations are part of the ”Town and City” themes which were released by LEGO in 1957. These were named as “Fire Stations”. The design of this set was in red and white which was mostly seen on other “Town” themed sets. 

The fire station came along with two garages to store fire trucks, a plastic bed fire engine which was exclusive to LEGO along with a fire truck which came with a ladder. The ladder was longer than the truck itself. 

6. Church 

LEGO wanted to remain as neutral as possible, so they kept themselves away from religion; which makes this set all the more special as this is the only set based on a “Christian Church” launched in 1957. Though to explain this as well, LEGO was heavily inspired by medieval European architectural wonders and their sets had revolved around many such themes.

This set has a single bell tower and a congregation room which is mostly made out of white bricks and roof tiles of red bricks.

6. Volkswagen Auto Showroom

The first-ever licensed set was based on Volkswagen cars. This set was released in 1957 and came out of their plastic car line. The set contains two Plastic Volkswagen Beetles which could be placed in the auto showroom which had to be built. 

These Beetles had to be placed in the set by removing the roof and not driving them in, which is an interesting detail to have not included. There are two lamps included in this set to place them in front of the showroom. 

7. Boats 

Most of the sets after 1957 were released with minor variations of the previous LEGO sets. The reason is because they introduced new bricks which are more versatile and durable. These are the bricks that are used today, the ones we know and love. 

“Boats” were released in 1961 with new brick designs. These had a creative theme which allowed the creation of various boats and port buildings. 

8. Wheels

Wheels was released in 1962 and was considered a major milestone for the company. This set was sold in sets of large and small wheels which were used in the construction of homemade vehicles. The first wheels were introduced in Farm Tractor which was released in 1963, and as time passed, LEGO then refined its wheel even further to come to the LEGO wheels we know today. Talk about reinventing the wheel!

9. Train

LEGO has been making trains since 1930 but the first to be introduced as a set of LEGO bricks was released in 1964. It also added wheels on the train but it did not have tracks in its first iteration which were later added to the set. “Town Plan” themed sets had improved trains with a red and white colour scheme. 

LEGO has lasted the test of time. Looking at these sets, it only reinforces the idea that LEGO has survived by reinventing itself and refining its brick and finding new ways to make use of its versatility. To date, they have been true to their mission and are offering quality sets and try to add something unique with every design. From young children to fully grown adults, everyone is a fan of LEGO, and it looks like they’ll be around for generations to come. I can’t help but be excited as to what’s coming up in the next 10 years for LEGO!