Anker-Steinbaukasten aus der Fabrik von F. Ad. Richter & Cie., Rudolstadt, Nürnberg, Olten, Rotterdam Richter's anchor blocks of stone in three colors, also known as "stone building boxes" manufactured by F. Ad. Richter & Co. ... New York = Boîte de construction ancre, F. Ad. Richter & cie, Olten, Rudolstadt, Nuremberg, Vienne = Anker-Steenbouwdoos van F. Ad. Richter & cie., Rotterdam, Rudolstadt, Neuremberg, Weenen = Anker-Stenbyggekasse fra F. Ad. Richter & cie., Rudolstadt, Rotterdam, Nürnberg, Wien. [electronic resource].

F. Ad. Richter & Co. [ca. 1912]

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Invented in 1879 by Otto and Gustav Lillienthal, with production later taken over by Richter, the anchor blocks are composed of compressed and dyed sand, chalk and linseed oil varnish and were produced by an industrial technique used in hollow metal casting. Manufacture and sale of the stone block sets lasted almost a century, from 1876-1963, with production reaching its peak around 1920. The stones were produced in close to 1000 shapes and sizes and issued in more than 400 boxed sets. They were also issued in both small and large sizes and in both old and new series. Supplementary sets were produced so that existing sets could be converted into larger ones. Designers of the building plans which accompanied the sets were chosen with care, and architectural inaccuracies were not permitted in the plans. The earliest sets include on the title label a squirrel trade mark, adopted from the Lillienthals and gradually replaced by the anchor. The title graphic on many of the sets, including this one, also features the figure of Architectura. Company branches were established in over a half dozen European cities as well as London and New York. When A.C. Gilbert purchased the American interest in 1913, Richter lost the anchor trade mark in the United States and sold the blocks there under the trade name Union.

Cubes (Pièces de jeu) Allemagne Spécimens; Toys Germany Specimens; Jouets Allemagne Spécimens; Blocks (Toys) Germany Specimens; Richter, Friedrich Adolf, 1846-1910; F. Ad. Richter & Co.

Stone toys (recreational artifacts); Toys (recreational artifacts); Blocks (toys)

F. Ad. Richter & Co.