How A Fire Disaster Led To The Origin Of The Iconic Lego Bricks

Pharrell Williams’ new documentary examines creative collaboration with Chad Hugo, his childhood friend and partner in the Neptunes production duo. It also highlights his marriage to Helen Lasichanh, with whom he has four children.

The film further explores the artistic and emotional revival Williams experienced about ten years ago when three of his songs—Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” and his solo hit “Happy”—achieved significant popularity after a phase where he admits he had become somewhat self-indulgent. This narrative is presented through vibrant Lego animation, which adds a unique sense of poignancy to the film.

While you enjoy the new Lego documentary, here’s a look at the history of the bricks:

The Origin Of Lego Bricks

When discussing Denmark, modern furniture, beer, and pastries often come to mind, but arguably the nation’s most renowned export is its tiny toy bricks. In 2016, over 75 billion of these colorful plastic bricks were sold, and the 85-year-old company behind them is recognized as one of the world’s most iconic toy manufacturers. However, LEGO’s rise to fame might not have happened without a series of fires and a resourceful woodworker.

The LEGO saga began in a Danish woodworking shop before the advent of electricity. During this time, Billund was a small, unremarkable village, and Ole Kirk Christiansen was a carpenter with aspirations. Christiansen transformed his passion for whittling and woodworking into a business, opening his own shop in 1916.

Initially, Christiansen’s workshop produced furniture items such as ladders, stools, and ironing boards. However, in 1924, while he was looking to expand his successful business, a fire ignited when his sons accidentally set a pile of wood chips ablaze, destroying the entire shop and the family home.

Rather than being discouraged by this setback, Christiansen viewed the fire as an opportunity to build a larger workshop. Yet, misfortune struck again. The 1929 stock market crash led to a global depression, and Christiansen’s wife passed away in 1932. Overwhelmed by personal and financial difficulties, he was forced to lay off many employees and struggled to keep his business afloat.

How Were These Affordable Toys Sold?

Unbeknownst to him, these hardships would set the stage for a remarkable comeback story. Facing dire circumstances, Christiansen decided to pivot his focus and use his wood to create affordable toys that might actually sell. Initially, this decision did not yield immediate success; he faced bankruptcy and resisted pressure from his siblings to stop making toys as a condition for a loan.

Driven by his passion for toys, the company persevered, and he eventually rebranded it to reflect this new focus: “leg godt,” which means “play well,” became LEGO.

While Christiansen was skilled at crafting ironing boards, he proved to be an exceptional toymaker. He maintained high standards in toy production, leading to the creation of innovative models, including charming pull toys and prototypes of cars and animals, which quickly gained a national following. One of his most popular creations was a wooden duck whose beak opens and closes when pulled, which has become a sought-after collectible.

In 1942, during the German occupation of Denmark, another fire threatened Christiansen’s business when his factory was once again reduced to ashes. However, by this time, he had built enough of a reputation to rebound and look toward the future. After World War II, many traditional manufacturing materials were unavailable, prompting manufacturers to explore plastic alternatives.

The Big Experiment

One such innovation was plastic-injection molding, a process that involves forcing melted plastic into a mold. However, due to material shortages, the Danish government prohibited its commercial use until 1947.

Despite this restriction, Christiansen acquired Denmark’s first plastic-injection molding machine in 1946 and began experimenting with it for his toys. In 1947, he was finally permitted to use it for saleable goods, and by 1949, the company had introduced a plastic product called the Automatic Binding Brick.

This toy closely resembles the modern LEGO brick, and according to the company, its English name was a nod to the Allied forces that liberated Denmark at the end of World War II.

The Automatic Binding Brick was inspired by a set of self-locking bricks created by the British company Kiddicraft. LEGO has stated that while Kiddicraft granted permission to use their design, they formally acquired the rights to it in 1981 from the inventor’s heirs.

Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, Ole’s son, and Ole made enhancements to the British design, launching the plastic bricks in 1949. Although these bricks were not the company’s bestsellers initially, they grew increasingly popular over time.

Ole Kirk passed away in 1958, just as his son was preparing to use the Automatic Binding Bricks as the foundation for a comprehensive “System of Play.” This system was designed to ensure that all blocks interlocked and were interconnected, enhancing both children’s imaginative potential and sales. It ultimately became the basis for modern LEGO, allowing any LEGO brick made since 1955 to interconnect with others.

The Unfortunate Disaster

Just five years after introducing the System of Play, LEGO faced its third devastating fire. Similar to the previous incidents, this fire sealed the company’s fate, as it destroyed all of its wooden toy inventory. Consequently, the company decided to abandon wood entirely and fully commit to plastic production.

Today, this pivotal decision has proven immensely profitable. Billund, Ole Kirk’s once-unknown town, has transformed into a tourist hotspot, and the LEGO Group has evolved into a major industry player.

However, none of this would have been possible without those iconic bricks or the three fires that nearly extinguished the family’s dream.