147:
155:
184:
in place by studs on the top. The bricks also later featured slits on their side that allowed panel-like doors, windows or cards to be inserted. Page patented the basic design, a 2 Ć 4 studded brick, in 1947. This was later followed by patents for the side slits (1949) and the baseplate (1952), designs featured in exhibits at the
170:, Surrey. Originally, Page imported wooden toys from Russia, but later began to introduce his own designs. Page had become increasingly unhappy using wood as a material for children's toys and was an early advocate of plastics as a safe and hygienic alternative. In 1936, he began manufacturing Kiddicraft āSensibleā toys using new
223:
British LEGO Ltd. was set up in late 1959 and the first sets were sold the following year, three years following Page's death. LEGO eventually acquired the residual rights to the
Kiddicraft brick designs from Page's descendants in 1981 ahead of legal suits it filed against other plastic building toys
137:
from 1918 to 1923, where he began to display his entrepreneurial skills. Interested in photography, he set up a business developing photos for the other students. After his formal education he worked in the timber trade, like his father, for several years and in 1929 married Norah Harris, a long-time
183:
Post WWII, Page designed and produced the
Kiddicraft Self-Locking Building Bricks, that have been described as the "original LEGO". Kiddicraft released a series of building sets that LEGO copied in both style and content. Kiddicraft's Self-Binding Bricks could be stacked on each other and were held
214:
became aware of the
Kiddicraft brick after examining a sample, and possibly drawings, given to them by the British supplier of the first injection moulding machine they had purchased. Realising their potential, Ole copied the Kiddicraft brick and in 1949 marketed his own version, The Automatic
219:
brick in 1953. LEGO acknowledges
Kiddicraft as the origin of the plastic bricks on their history website, and further claims that when contacted by LEGO in the late 1950s, Kiddicraft gave no objection to the Danish company manufacturing the bricks; Lego eventually purchased the rights to the
232:
After founding
Kiddicraft, Page spent several years studying early childhood play. He conducted research by spending time playing with children in various nursery schools to find out their interests. This research culminated in 1938 in the publication of his book titled
245:
Troubled by pressures on the business and fearing a collapse of his company, Page died by suicide on 24 June 1957. In 1987, his widow stated, "He died before Lego brought out the product in
Britain. He didn't know about it."
174:
technology and in 1937 these were sold under the Bri-Plax brand forming a new company, British
Plastic Toys Ltd. Among them was an Interlocking Building Cube, for which he received a British patent in 1940.
130:, England. He was the first child of Samuel Fisher and Lillian Maude Page. As a child he made his own wooden toys and invented games supported by his father who worked in the lumber trade.
33:
646:
381:
Michael M. Patte and John A. Sutterby (eds.) Celebrating 40 Years of Play
Research: Connecting Our Past, Present, and Future, Volume 13, Hamilton Books UK 2016
254:
Page was recognised as an innovator in child education and toy design in 2007 with a
Lifetime Achievement Award from the British Toy and Hobby Association.
220:
Kiddicraft bricks and trademark from the descendants of Hilary Fisher Page in 1981. The company later added tubular shapes under most bricks to aid grip.
191:
The
Kiddicraft Self-Locking Building Brick sets were first marketed in 1947. As a promotion Page and his family built large display models for the 1947
399:
Maaike Lauwaert, Playing outside the box ā on LEGO toys and the changing world of construction play, History and Technology, Volume 24, 221-237, 2008
138:
friend of the family. The couple's only daughter was born in 1932. Together with his second wife Oreline he adopted twin girls in 1946.
595:
729:
457:
442:
114:(20 August 1904 ā 24 June 1957) was an English toy maker and inventor of Self-Locking Building Bricks, the predecessor of
719:
146:
271:
296:
192:
185:
543:
Walsh, Tim, Timeless Toys: Classic Toys and the Playmakers Who Created Them, Andrews McMeel Publishing, 2005
570:
553:
363:
Page, Hilary Fisher. Playtime in the First Five Years. Second edition. London: Allen & Unwin, 1953.
211:
196:
534:
Christiansen, Godtfred. "Improvements Relating to Toy Building Sets" UK patent GB 866557. 26 Apr 1961
390:
Rodney P. Carlisle (ed.) Encyclopedia of Play in Today's Society, Volume 1, SAGE Publications 2009
724:
714:
207:
166:
business in 1932. The partners opened a small toy shop called Kiddicraft on Godstone Road in
709:
704:
417:
8:
509:
458:"Self-Locking Building Bricks, Set No.1 (Kiddicraft) - The Brighton Toy and Model Index"
154:
171:
134:
484:
400:
372:
Page, Hilary. āImprovements in Toy Building Blocksā UK patent 529,580. 17 Apr 1940.
325:
620:
167:
672:
404:
698:
482:
Pageās twin daughters play with a set of Kiddicraft K 263 Building Blocks
339:
127:
57:
199:
in London lists the bricks among the "must-have toys" of the 1940s.
443:"Self-Locking Building Bricks, Lego precursor, Kiddicraft (1944-)"
689:
565:
563:
32:
560:
647:"Absolute rip-off: The billion-dollar empires built on lies"
216:
115:
162:
Page, along with several partners, decided to go into the
329:(2008). In: hilarypagetoys.com, access date 14 July 2020.
163:
126:
Hilary "Harry" Fisher Page was born on 20 August 1904 in
510:"Must Have Toys 1940s - V&A Museum of Childhood"
178:
696:
118:bricks. He founded the Kiddicraft toy company.
596:"Week 33: Playtime in the First Five Years"
670:
31:
554:"Lego History - Automatic Binding Bricks"
249:
673:"Hilary Page Lifetime Achievement Award"
153:
145:
197:Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood
697:
415:
319:
317:
97:Inventing Self-Locking Building Bricks
644:
455:
516:. Victoria and Albert Museum, London
150:Bri-Plax Interlocking Building Cubes
326:Hilary Fisher Page & Kiddicraft
314:
272:"Hilary Fisher Page and Kiddicraft"
13:
14:
741:
683:
416:Mimoso, JoĆ£o (12 February 2010).
462:The Brighton Toy and Model Index
235:Playtime in the First Five Years
671:Lee Davies (21 February 2015).
664:
638:
613:
588:
546:
537:
528:
502:
476:
464:. Brighton Toy and Model Museum
449:
435:
409:
344:The Plastics Historical Society
227:
215:Binding Brick, that became the
179:The Self-Locking Building Brick
730:Suicides in the United Kingdom
418:"Kiddicraft, LEGO before LEGO"
393:
384:
375:
366:
357:
332:
289:
264:
202:
1:
645:Chung, Frank (12 July 2018).
257:
186:Brighton Toy and Model Museum
141:
121:
621:"History - Hilary Page Toys"
340:"Hilary Page and Kiddicraft"
7:
514:V&A Museum of Childhood
10:
746:
571:"Automatic Binding Bricks"
323:Jim Hughes, Chas Saunter:
405:10.1080/07341510801900300
224:made by Tyco and others.
93:
85:
77:
65:
39:
30:
23:
600:Robert Menzies Institute
240:
720:People from Sanderstead
485:"Twins and Skyscrapers"
158:Kiddicraft plastic toys
625:www.hilarypagetoys.com
250:Posthumous recognition
159:
151:
208:Ole Kirk Christiansen
157:
149:
133:Page was educated at
675:– via YouTube.
172:injection moulding
160:
152:
44:Hilary Fisher Page
135:Shrewsbury School
101:
100:
16:English toy maker
737:
690:Hilary Page Toys
677:
676:
668:
662:
661:
659:
657:
642:
636:
635:
633:
631:
617:
611:
610:
608:
606:
592:
586:
585:
583:
581:
567:
558:
557:
550:
544:
541:
535:
532:
526:
525:
523:
521:
506:
500:
499:
497:
495:
480:
474:
473:
471:
469:
453:
447:
446:
439:
433:
432:
430:
428:
413:
407:
397:
391:
388:
382:
379:
373:
370:
364:
361:
355:
354:
352:
350:
336:
330:
321:
312:
311:
309:
307:
293:
287:
286:
284:
282:
268:
78:Other names
72:
53:
51:
35:
21:
20:
745:
744:
740:
739:
738:
736:
735:
734:
695:
694:
686:
681:
680:
669:
665:
655:
653:
643:
639:
629:
627:
619:
618:
614:
604:
602:
594:
593:
589:
579:
577:
569:
568:
561:
552:
551:
547:
542:
538:
533:
529:
519:
517:
508:
507:
503:
493:
491:
489:brickfetish.com
483:
481:
477:
467:
465:
454:
450:
445:. 19 July 2019.
441:
440:
436:
426:
424:
414:
410:
398:
394:
389:
385:
380:
376:
371:
367:
362:
358:
348:
346:
338:
337:
333:
322:
315:
305:
303:
301:Miniland Online
295:
294:
290:
280:
278:
270:
269:
265:
260:
252:
243:
230:
205:
181:
144:
124:
70:
61:
55:
49:
47:
46:
45:
26:
17:
12:
11:
5:
743:
733:
732:
727:
722:
717:
712:
707:
693:
692:
685:
684:External links
682:
679:
678:
663:
637:
612:
587:
559:
545:
536:
527:
501:
475:
448:
434:
422:www.inverso.pt
408:
392:
383:
374:
365:
356:
331:
313:
288:
262:
261:
259:
256:
251:
248:
242:
239:
229:
226:
204:
201:
195:Toy Fair. The
180:
177:
143:
140:
123:
120:
99:
98:
95:
94:Known for
91:
90:
87:
83:
82:
79:
75:
74:
73:(aged 52)
67:
63:
62:
56:
54:20 August 1904
43:
41:
37:
36:
28:
27:
24:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
742:
731:
728:
726:
725:1957 suicides
723:
721:
718:
716:
715:Toy inventors
713:
711:
708:
706:
703:
702:
700:
691:
688:
687:
674:
667:
652:
648:
641:
626:
622:
616:
601:
597:
591:
576:
572:
566:
564:
555:
549:
540:
531:
515:
511:
505:
490:
486:
479:
463:
459:
452:
444:
438:
423:
419:
412:
406:
402:
396:
387:
378:
369:
360:
345:
341:
335:
328:
327:
320:
318:
302:
298:
292:
277:
273:
267:
263:
255:
247:
238:
236:
225:
221:
218:
213:
209:
200:
198:
194:
189:
187:
176:
173:
169:
165:
156:
148:
139:
136:
131:
129:
119:
117:
113:
109:
105:
96:
92:
88:
84:
80:
76:
68:
64:
59:
42:
38:
34:
29:
22:
19:
666:
654:. Retrieved
650:
640:
628:. Retrieved
624:
615:
603:. Retrieved
599:
590:
578:. Retrieved
575:LEGO History
574:
548:
539:
530:
518:. Retrieved
513:
504:
492:. Retrieved
488:
478:
466:. Retrieved
461:
451:
437:
425:. Retrieved
421:
411:
395:
386:
377:
368:
359:
347:. Retrieved
343:
334:
324:
304:. Retrieved
300:
297:"KIDDIKRAFT"
291:
279:. Retrieved
275:
266:
253:
244:
234:
231:
228:Publications
222:
210:and his son
206:
193:Earl's Court
190:
182:
161:
132:
125:
111:
107:
103:
102:
71:(1957-06-24)
69:24 June 1957
18:
710:1957 deaths
705:1904 births
456:BTMM Eric.
203:LEGO's copy
128:Sanderstead
112:Fisher Page
58:Sanderstead
25:Hilary Page
699:Categories
630:28 January
520:11 October
494:11 October
468:11 October
427:11 October
349:11 October
306:11 October
258:References
142:Kiddicraft
122:Early life
86:Occupation
50:1904-08-20
656:6 October
651:NZ Herald
605:7 October
276:OrnaVerum
89:Toy maker
60:, England
212:Godtfred
580:7 April
281:22 May
168:Purley
104:Hilary
241:Death
108:Harry
81:Harry
658:2022
632:2019
607:2022
582:2021
522:2018
496:2018
470:2018
429:2018
351:2018
308:2018
283:2020
217:Lego
116:Lego
66:Died
40:Born
401:doi
164:toy
701::
649:.
623:.
598:.
573:.
562:^
512:.
487:.
460:.
420:.
342:.
316:^
299:.
274:.
237:.
188:.
110:"
660:.
634:.
609:.
584:.
556:.
524:.
498:.
472:.
431:.
403::
353:.
310:.
285:.
106:"
52:)
48:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
.jpg)