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Lincoln Logs are a toy consisting of notched miniature logs, about ¾ inches (1-2 cm) in diameter. Analogous to real logs used in a log cabin, Lincoln Logs have notches in their ends so that small model log buildings can be built. In addition, a Lincoln Logs set has windows and doors to make the buildings more realistic. More modern sets also come with figures of humans and animals that match the scale of the buildings.
Lincoln Logs were invented in 1916. by John Lloyd Wright, a son of the notable architect Frank Lloyd Wright. In 1918, they were marketed by the Red Square Toy Company and by John Lloyd Wright, Incorporated of Chicago, Illinois. Lincoln Logs originally came with instructions on how to build Uncle Tom's Cabin as well as Lincoln's log cabin.
The architecture of the Imperial Hotel basement in Tokyo, designed by John's father, which used a unique foundation of interlocking beams to make the structure "earthquake proof", assisted in the designing of the toy logs.
The toy can easily produce a structure resembling a log cabin, hence the association with American president Abraham Lincoln (who spent his childhood in a log cabin). The toy's name may have been influenced by his father's birth name, which was Frank Lincoln Wright.
The sets were originally made of 100% wood, with varying colors of roof pieces, but by the 1970's almost all the wood had been replaced by plastic. However, in more recent years, they have reverted to real wood on all their sets.
References
- http://lincolnlogs.knex.com/
- "John Kenneth Lloyd Wright." Dictionary of American Biography, Supplement 9: 1971-1975 Charles Scribner's Sons, 1994.