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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.