Lincoln Logs Inventor John Lloyd Wrightnortoncenter.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/...Right: Frank...
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8/20/2019 Lincoln Logs Inventor John Lloyd Wright | Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation https://invention.si.edu/lincoln-logs-inventor-john-lloyd-wright 1/5 An advertisement for Lincoln Logs, 1925. Courtesy of Period Paper Lincoln Logs Inventor John Lloyd Wright AUGUST 23, 2018 BY MONICA M. SMITH Yes, this popular childhood toy was designed by none other than the son of architect Frank Lloyd Wright! Years ago while conducting research for the Lemelson Center’s Invention at Play exhibition, I was surprised to learn that Lincoln Logs—one of my favorite childhood toys—were designed by John Lloyd Wright, son of world-famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Overshadowed by his father, John has received little attention beyond a brief 1982 biography now available online. And he certainly seemed reticent about telling his own story, instead publicly sharing only a few experiences as part of his short, impressionistic 1946 book about Frank titled My Father Who Is On Earth.
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AnadvertisementforLincolnLogs,1925.Courtesyof PeriodPaper
LincolnLogsInventorJohnLloydWright
AUGUST23,2018BYMONICAM.SMITH
Yes,thispopularchildhoodtoywasdesignedbynoneotherthanthesonofarchitect
FrankLloydWright!
YearsagowhileconductingresearchfortheLemelsonCenter’sInventionatPlayexhibition,Iwassurprised
tolearnthatLincolnLogs—oneofmyfavoritechildhoodtoys—weredesignedbyJohnLloydWright,sonof
world-famousarchitectFrankLloydWright.Overshadowedbyhisfather,Johnhasreceivedlittleattention
beyondabrief1982biographynowavailableonline.Andhecertainlyseemedreticentabouttellinghisown
story,insteadpubliclysharingonlyafewexperiencesaspartofhisshort,impressionistic1946bookabout
FranktitledMyFatherWhoIsOnEarth.
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Left:JohnLloydWrightinSpringGreen,Wisconsin,1921,ICHi-173783.Right:FrankLloydWrightwithsonJohnLloydWright,undated.,i73784.CourtesyofChicagoHistoryMuseum
TurnsoutthatJohnwasbothasuccessfultoydesignerandanarchitectin,dareIsayit,hisownright.Hereis
abriefoverviewofhisstory,includingtheoriginsofthoseever-popularLincolnLogs.
Bornin1892,JohnKenneth(laterchangedtoLloyd)WrightwasthesecondofFrankandCatherineWright’s
sixchildren.John’searlyyearsinOakPark,Illinois,seemedhappy;hereminiscedaboutthefuntimesspent
intheplayroomofhischildhoodhouse—designedbyhisfather,ofcourse—andthelivelypartieshostedby
hisparents.Whenscandaleruptedin1909becauseFrankdesertedhisfamilyforaclient’swife,John
struggledforabit.Heworkedbrieflyonhisgreatuncle’sfarmandattendedtheUniversityofWisconsinfor
twoyears,butquitschooltoheadWest.
AfterdoingoddjobsfromPortlandtoSanDiego,Johndecidedtofollowinhisfather’sfootstepsand
becomeanarchitect.HetalkedhiswayintobeinghiredasadraftsmanforthePacificBuildingCompany,
andthenearnedajobasadesignerforarchitectHarrisonAlbright.Withafewcommissionsunderhis
proverbialbelt,JohnplannedtocontinuehisarchitecturaleducationwithOttoWagnerinAustria.However,
whenheaskedhisfatherforfinancialhelptotraveltoVienna,Franktelegraphedhim:“I’dliketoknowwhat
OttoWagnercandoforyouthatyourfathercan’tdo!”[MyFatherWhoIsOnEarth,page67.]
Withthatindirectinvitation,JohnreturnedtoChicagoin1913tobecomehisfather’sapprenticeandoffice
manager.Fouryearslater,JohnsailedwithFranktoJapantostartworkonamajorcommission,theImperial
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LincolnLogsproductboxcoverwithslogan,“InterestingPlayThingsTypifying‘TheSpiritofAmerica.’”CourtesyofGlobalToyNews
HotelinTokyo,whereheservedintheroleofchiefassistantdevelopingworkingdrawingsandaplaster
model.After16monthsinJapan,Johnarguedwithhisfatheroverhisunpaidsalaryandwasfired
unceremoniously.SoJohnreturnedonhisowndimetoChicago,wherehetriedtomakealivingdesigning
andsellingwoodentoysprimarilytothelocaldepartmentstorechainMarshallField.
ThisiswhereLincolnLogscomeintothepicture.
Thefamousconstructiontoywasinspiredbyhisfather’s
earthquake-resistantdesignfortheImperialHotel.John
apparentlybegantinkeringwiththetoyideawhilestillin
Japan.In1920,hereceivedUSPatent1,351,086forhis
“ToyCabinConstruction.”Inthepatentspecificationshe
wrote:“Thisinventionrelatestoimprovementsintoysand
moreparticularlytoeducationaltoyscalculatedto
developachild’sconstructiveinclinations.”Lesserknown
areJohn’sbuildingblocksforwhichhereceivedUS
Patent1,894,605in1933.Thereweretwosetsofthe
latter,whichweresoldinboxesreading“JohnLloyd
Wright—inventorofLincolnLogs—presentsWrightBlocks”
onthelid.However,theynevercaughtoncommercially
likehispreviousconstructiontoy.
Accordingtothe1982biography,“althoughhelatersoldthepatentforLincolnLogs[toPlayskoolaround
1943],theproductmarketedtodayissubstantiallythesameashisoriginaldesign.”Theoriginalpackaging
includedalogcabindrawingwithanimageofAbrahamLincolnandtheslogan“Interestingplaythings
typifyingthespiritofAmerica.”It’simportanttopointoutthatLincolnLogsweren’tthefirstlog-based
constructiontoy.Similarproductsdatedbacktothe19thcentury,includingan1865“LogCabinPlayHouse”
intheMuseum’scollectionthatwasmadebyEllis,Britton,andEatoninVermont.
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WrightBlocks,NumberTwoSet,around1950. Courtesyof SpencerHopkins, ShutterPopPhoto
Johnreturnedtopracticingarchitectureintheearly1920s,andeventuallymovedbacktoCaliforniapartially
toescapehisfather’sshadow.IfounditinterestingthatJohndesignedanumberofbuildingsinmyhome
townofSanDiego,primarilyaftermovingtoDelMarin1947withhisthirdwifeFrances.Hediedthereon20
December1972attheageof80,andwasburiedalongsidehisfivesiblingsintheUnityChapelCemetery
nearhisfather’sTaliesinhomeandschoolinSpringGreen,Wisconsin.
Unfortunately,JohnLloydWrightdidn’tlivetoseehisLincolnLogsinductedintotheNationalToyHallof
Famein1999alongsidesuchclassicsastheDuncanYo-Yo,HulaHoop,RadioFlyerwagon,rollerskates,and
View-Master.
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Ata“DiscoveryDay”inLaos,studentsadaptedLincolnLogs tobuildstructureslikethishouseonstilts—acommonhomedesigninSoutheastAsia. Courtesyof BluePlover,WikimediaCommons,2013.
