Erector Sets

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. more...

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.

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