Block City Building Blocks, 1955-1960

01

Artifact Overview

Children love to build things--whether they create imaginative worlds or smaller versions of the real one. Construction toys are quite literally and figuratively "the building blocks of childhood." Playing with them builds physical and intellectual skills--and encourages creativity. Post-World War II Baby Boomers could recreate their neighborhood homes, stores, and offices with this set of plastic building blocks.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Building blocks

Date Made

1955-1960

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

2022.113.1

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift in Memory of Dr. Catherine Garcia-McDonnell.

Material

Plastic
Metal
Cardboard

Color

Multicolored

Dimensions

Height: 15.875 in
Diameter: 4.25 in

Inscriptions

around lid of packaging: BUILD WITH BLOCKS around top of packaging: THE TOURIST THE TAMPA THE LEXINGTON THE CORAL GABLES / TO OPEN / PULL STRING / AND PRESS / ALONG STRING / LINE / REAL FUN FOR EVERYONE around middle of packaging: REGULAR WINDOW / CORNER WINDOW / DOOR LINTEL / REAR DOOR / BLOCK / CITY / Model homes, Stores, Garages, / Buildings, Churches / THE MOST AUTHENTIC / PLASTIC BLOCK BUILDING SET / WITH COMPLETE INSTRUCTIONS / FULL BLOCK / HALF BLOCK / COPINGS (3 SIZES) / DOOR LINTEL / FRONT DOOR / MAKE HUNDREDS OF / ACCURATELY SCALED / MODEL BUILDINGS / "The Beverly Hills" / No. B 500 / Contains 306 Pieces / 190 BLOCKS / 40 HALF BLOCKS / 4 DOOR LINTELS / 4 DOORS / 6 SIDE WINDOWS / 4 CORNER WINDOWS / 2 CORNER WINDOW LINTELS / 22 COPING STRIPS / 24 ROOFING BLOCKS (ANGLE) / 1 GARAGE DOOR LINTEL / 1 GARAGE DOOR / 6 FENCE PIECES / 2 FENCE GATES / AMPLE ROOFING MATERIAL around bottom of packaging: BLOCK CITY / The Plastic Building Set / T TRI-STATE PLASTIC MOLDING CO., INC. / HENDERSON, KENTUCKY / BLOCK CITY / The Plastic Building Set