Automatic Binding Bricks

Automatic Binding Bricks were released by the Lego company in 1949 as their first foray into the plastic interlocking brick system. Developed by Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, the design was directly inspired by the Kiddicraft Self-Locking Building Bricks, which had been produced in the United Kingdom since 1947. These early sets were a departure from the company's traditional focus on wooden toys and were initially marketed as a building tool that allowed children to construct structures that could be disassembled and rebuilt repeatedly.

The 700-12 set represents an early iteration of the company's modular construction concept, focusing on simple geometric forms in a limited color palette. At the time of their introduction, these bricks faced skepticism from retailers and customers alike who preferred wood, as the plastic bricks were considered less substantial. It took several years of iteration and the refinement of the stud-and-tube coupling system in 1958 for the product to gain the widespread international recognition that solidified Lego's place in the toy market.