Erector Set
Erector Set is the trade name of a toy
construction set that was wildly popular in the
United States during much of the
20th century. It is similar to
Meccano, a slightly older
British toy, and
Märklin, a later, sturdier
German version. All consist of collections of small metal beams with regular holes for
nuts,
bolts, screws, and other connectors that can be assembled into a variety of devices using
pulleys,
gears, and even small
electric motors. The Erector beams differ from those in Meccano sets in that they have
flanges, which make them more sturdy.
The Erector Set was invented by
A.C. Gilbert in 1911, and was manufactured by the
A. C. Gilbert Company from 1913 until its bankruptcy in 1967. It is manufactured today by
Meccano S.N. of
France, part of the
Nikko Group of
Japan. In the U.S., it is distributed by
BRIO.
The Erector Set is said to have been the subject of the first national
advertising campaign in America for a toy. Its great success made it part of American folk culture, although its popularity has faded in recent decades in the face of competition from molded plastic construction toys, electronics, and other more "modern" toys.
Dozens, perhaps hundreds, of different Erector Set kits have been made over the decades, most famously the "No. 12 1/2" deluxe kit that came with
blueprints for the "Mysterious Walking Giant"
robot.
An extensive collection of Erector sets,
model trains,
chemistry sets, radioactivity experimentation kits,
microscopes, and other A. C. Gilbert Company scientific and educational children's toys is housed in the
Eli Whitney Museum, in
Hamden, Connecticut.
*
Meccano*
Eli Whitney Museum Gilbert Project*
Fascinating facts about the invention*
Entry in National Toy Hall of Fame*
Erector Site*
Nikko Group*
BRIO*
TOOBEEZ - Giant Building System 
