Throwback Thursday - Homemaker sets
Posted by FlagsNZ,
Today's Throwback Thursday article focuses on LEGO's Homemaker sets released in the early 1970s. The Homemaker-themed sets were the first time LEGO had a deliberate attempt to market LEGO building sets specifically for girls.
The BLOCKS Collection has made available several key sets from this theme as well as a few companion themed sets - Building Sets with People.
Read on and take a nostalgic view of this key LEGO development of fifty years ago.
1971 - The first Homemaker sets
Below is an image of a 1973 LEGO catalogue that showcases some of the earliest Homemaker-themed sets. The two sets included in this catalogue, which were first released in 1971, are:
The text on that page indicates that these LEGO sets were being marketed to girls for the first time.
Doll's House Sets
Something for girls. A nice kitchen and nursery you can build yourself. You can also build walls for the rooms from your ordinary Lego [sic] bricks. Then you'll own a complete doll's house. When you've built it, take it to pieces and build new models with the bricks. You can build all sorts of things, whether you're aged 4 or 9.
270: Grandfather Clock, Chair and Table
Released in 1973, set 270 Grandfather Clock, Chair and Table contained these three pieces of furniture with a lamp and book sitting on the table. Most of the studs were covered (or skinned) with tile pieces. Jumper plates were not yet part of the LEGO universe, so these accessories are just sitting on the table.
The boxes in all the images in this article are still factory sealed.
When tiles were first introduced into the LEGO System in 1965, they did not have any grooves along their edges. Tiles with grooves were introduced from 1974.
It is possible, therefore, that the 2x2 blue tile on the table lamp (above) is not the correct version of this part for this set.
273 Bureau
273 Bureau is a freestanding piece of furniture with shelves, drawers and a cupboard.
Tiles make up the books which can be stacked up on the bookshelves.
Again, tiles cover nearly all the visible studs.
1974: The introduction of Homemaker people
1974 saw the introduction of the brick-built Homemaker people.
These are sometimes called Maxifigures, although I believe Homemaker figures is the more correct term.
Homemaker LEGO people
The diagram below shows how the Homemaker LEGO people were assembled.
The heads are separate pieces and can be detached while the first articulated arm piece is fixed onto the 2x2 brick element which represents the shoulders of the figure.
Depending on the character, a different number of articulated pieces can be added to the arms to vary the length of the character's arms.
200 LEGO Family
Released in 1974, the 200 LEGO Family set was marketed in two separate box art formats and showcases three generations of Homemaker figures.
The hair parts are reversible, which enables alternate looks for the figures depending on which way the hair piece is placed.
274 Colour TV and chair
More in keeping with the earlier Homemaker sets, the 274 Colour TV and chair set just includes the furniture and accessories, but no people. All the studs are covered over with tiles.
1975 Catalogue
1978 and the arrival of Minifigures
297 Nursery
Still marketed under the Homemaker theme, 297 Nursery set included a minifigure as a doll in the nursery setting. You can get a sense of the scale of the Homemaker figures against the more contemporary figures.
Plastic injection points
Keen-eyed members may have noticed some blemishes on the ABS plastic elements. Prior to 1974, the injection points for all LEGO moulds were located on the sides of the elements. Nowadays, the injection points coincide with at least one of the studs.
The presence of these blemishes on the parts indicates that they are authentic to the period.
Arnoud van den Bos states on his website about the presence of the moulding blemishes:
. . . these parts have 'moulding-pip' on the side. A moulding-pip, is the place where the opening of the mould was. Modern [LEGO ] bricks have the moudling-pip on one of the studs, a place where it does attract attention the least.
Older bricks have the moulding-pip on the side. However, modern bricks with the moulding-pip on a stud, are produced starting approximately 1974. At first very few parts but later on many more. Between 1974 and 1979 sets did have mixed bricks. Beyond 1980 sets did have modern bricks only.
The above quote has been translated from the original in Dutch.
205 People Set
Also released in 1978, 205 People Set highlighted the versatility of these brick-built Homemaker figures.
The set included parts for five Homemaker figures, and these figures form a wedding party.
The fifth Homemaker figure in this set is a blacksmith with an anvil.
A blacksmith and his anvil are a symbol of runaway marriages and blacksmiths in Gretna Green were known as anvil priests.
A poster that comes with the set shows how versatile the Homemaker figure construction format was.
The poster measures 66cm wide x 54cm high (26 inches x 22 inches). All the figures on this poster can be constructed using parts included in this set.
This poster shows signs of age and wear. The BLOCKS Collection does have a pristine version of the poster but couldn't locate it on this occasion.
Building Sets with People theme
A companion theme to the Homemaker series was the Building Sets with People theme.
These sets were not included as Homemaker sets, but all had Homemaker figures. The release dates range from 1974 through to 1978 - the same date range for the Homemaker themed sets with Homemaker figures.
There are some interesting sets in the Building Sets with People theme that The Blocks Collection has showcased here.
210 Cowboys
Released in 1976, 210 Cowboys is notable for the swagger of the figures.
This set was also released as 198 Cowboys in 1977.
565 Moon Landing
Four years after NASA's last moon landing, Apollo 17, LEGO celebrated this achievement with 565 Moon Landing set in 1976.
The set must depict either Apollo Mission 15, 16 or 17 as these missions were the ones that included a Lunar Rover Vehicle (LRV) also known as a Lunar Buggy.
The glaringly obvious error in this set is that there are three astronauts: there were three astronauts in each Apollo Mission, but only two astronauts descended to the moon; the other astronaut orbited the moon in the Command Module.
The set comes with extra parts so that the figures can be modified to wear the helmets of their space suits.
There are two scientific instruments left on the moon's surface and an American flag planted onto the surface.
There will be many Brickset members who will experience sticker anxiety when they view the image below!
The four 1x1 round bricks should be transparent and not white. Also, these round parts all had a solid stud prior to 1979.
215 Red Indians
Released in 1977, 215 Red Indians is one of a few historical LEGO sets that raise a few eyebrows when viewed through a modern lens.
When viewing this set, you must understand that at this time of production, LEGO elements were only produced in the main six colours.
As this set was released before minifigures were developed. The Native American woman carries a LEGOland minifigure as a papoose (Native American child).
The very rare - and fragile - part is the Homemaker Headdress American Indian Feather. This part is unique to this set. It is quite common to find this part cracked.
The other rare - and fragile - part are the black paddles. This element in black is unique to this set and a blue version was unique to a Homemaker set 296 Ladies' Hairdressers.
1977
The BLOCKS Collection had just received a replacement Homemaker red fire helmet to complete their display 218 Firemen set. This was the principal reason why The BLOCKS Collection selected the Homemaker theme to showcase for this Throwback Thursday article.
This red fire helmet part is unique to this set (and the identical 340 Fire Trucks set).
There are six firemen in this set with two examples of three different headpieces.
Back to 1978 - 208 Mother with Baby
Showing the versatility of combining Homemaker figures with the brand new, smaller minifigures, 208 Mother with baby has a, well, mother with baby!
The Homemaker family
The BLOCKS Collection has put together this display stand with all the various Homemaker heads.
The back row shows the Homemaker people wearing each hairpiece part attached both ways around.
The front row shows the Homemaker people wearing all the hat accessory parts.
Your feedback
The team at the BLOCKS Collection really enjoyed reading all your comments from the previous articles I have written.
Please add your comments below about your association with the Homemaker and Building Sets with People range of LEGO sets. It certainly brought back memories for me - my sister had the 297 Nursery set back in 1979.
If you are in Auckland, come and visit The BLOCKS Collection
The BLOCKS Collection is located in central Auckland, New Zealand.
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28 comments on this article
565 is one of my first sets. I display it at expos with the Saturn V 21309 and the newer lander 10266. Thanks for the memories. Great article. So much info and fun photos! Bravo
565 was one of my first sets. I never really cared for the old figs. My love of Lego coincided with the advent of the first minifigs in Classic Space.
Great memories of a time before Lego had to be SHOUTED!
Fascinating to consider the directions Lego could have gone in if minifigures weren’t introduced. The entire Lego landscape could have looked very different indeed.
I don't think the "homemaker/Maxifig" Figures are that closely connected to the "actual" Homemaker line, as people commonly believe.
When they were introduced in 1974, they were not that specifically marketed at girls like Homemaker or say Scala was. Some of the sets (Helicopter, Firemen, Cowboys) seem even directly more targeted at the boys market.
Keep in mind, that these were the first "proper" Lego figures (= first special pieces, brick-built figures were implied much earlier). The earliest Homemaker furniture was meant to be used with actual dolls (non Lego stuff, yeah that was a thing back then). When the maxifigs (I think the official term is "LEGO People") were introduced, it just was logical to include them in as much sets as possible, including Homemaker (there were even Gear sets with them).
I think the reason why so many connect them with the Homemaker line is that this was the last time they were seen in retail sets (though mostly for the American market). There were a few Dacta and Basic/Universal sets with them, but few people back then (late 90s, rise of AFOL internet culture) knew of those anyways.
Put me down as another kid who had the 565 set, except I grew up in France, so I had the 367.
I moved to the US in 1981 and, even though I brought all my LEGO parts with me, all the insructions got misplaced. This means I don't remember exactly which sets I had, but I definitely had the 367, the London bus, the police station with the S-21 helicopter, and the coast guard station. I also had the LL924 and the small space sets.
This is the LEGO I grew up with. My father had a few of these "homemaker" sets.
I had a number of the Building Sets with People, but also the Homemaker TV set. I don't know if it was meant for girls, but I enjoyed using them.
"It is possible, therefore, that the 2x2 blue tile on the table lamp (above) is not the correct version of this part for this set."
I would say it's certain that that's not a period correct piece. It's even a different shade of blue than the pieces below (which nowadays is a common thing unfortunately, but back then was unheard of.)
As for the tiles without grooves, Cobi still uses such tiles to this day. One reason why Cobi sets often are almost impossible to take apart.
Interesting thing about those moulding pips (which I also remember on many pieces from my childhood), because while these were gone for quite a long time they unfortunately are now making an unwelcomed comeback on ever more pieces. Really annoying, especially when you know that it doesn't have to be that way.
I have about 70% of the homemaker series, which I grew up with when they were introduced in the 70s. My sister had most of them, then I rediscovered the series about 15 years ago. Buying these sets again took me straight back to my childhood. Great memories, thank you for a brilliant article
208 the literal parent to the modern figure. So touching.
Some of the things said about the pipmarks and tiles are wrong.
My oldest childhood lego sets date from 1983 and the bricks all have pipmarks on the side and even the underside. So in contrast to what the article says, sets from 1980 and onward did not all have "modern bricks". Also none of the tiles from those childhood sets have slits...
So I dont understand where this comes from, but simply looking at my own childhood collection proves this info to be wrong...
Also pipmarks on modern bricks are way more visible, but I admit this is a matter of taste and opinion.
If the infant from 208 were a real person, she'd be middle aged now. Makes me feel ancient! :~P
And 218 is currently VSotW, although that will change tomorrow. Be great if it gets replaced with one of the other sets in this article. Speaking of that feature, when 293 showed up, I was surprised that a set that old would be completely and utterly studless. Guess that it was more common than I thought.
I have a couple of homemaker sets. I quite like the scale of them. Made them feel very much like a home.
I will see your homemaker, and raise you a home WRECKER.
https://brickset.com/minifigs/scaFemA05/scala-doll-female-adult-(olivia)
About a decade ago, Brickworld Chicago had a keynote speaker from Billund. She was involved with the design of the Homemaker theme, the Scala theme, the Belville theme, and the Clikits theme. She retired before the Friends theme was introduced.
@BelgianBricker:
My collection began in the late 70's, and I have never owned an ungroovy tile. I don't know if there were different supply chains for NA and EU back then, but it seems strange that you would have had them so late after groovy tiles had been introduced.
lets hope 215 doesn't worm its way back into the most viewed articles list for this week .
Are there any photos of the hospital 231 and house 232, as these were the flagship sets from the time and relatively unaffordable for the time? From very long memory, I don't remember having to assemble the head and shoulders onto the brick as always though that is how they were already packaged. Possibly the arms needed assembly, but you would have to open one of your boxes to find out which would be a step to far. What is certain is that it is impossible to unassemble the head and shoulders by hand.
@R1_Drift said:
"lets hope 215 doesn't worm its way back into the most viewed articles list for this week ."
Gonna be an interesting day if and when that gets picked for VSotW.
I love these historical articles! Keep 'em coming!
Am I the only one that thinks the big figures are kind of cute?
@Corydoras said:
"Am I the only one that thinks the big figures are kind of cute?"
No, you're not. They were before my time, so I don't have any nostalgic attachment to them, but they definitely have a retro charm.
@ambr said:
"Are there any photos of the hospital 231 and house 232, as these were the flagship sets from the time and relatively unaffordable for the time? From very long memory, I don't remember having to assemble the head and shoulders onto the brick as always though that is how they were already packaged. Possibly the arms needed assembly, but you would have to open one of your boxes to find out which would be a step to far. What is certain is that it is impossible to unassemble the head and shoulders by hand."
I'll check it out and maybe do a feature article of those two sets you have highlighted.
I have few of these sets like the Indans, Cops with motobike, Kitchen... they are old but I like them so much. It is a short period in the history of Lego like Fabuland but these sets are so cool.
It occurred to me today that one of the heads, suitably mounted, would make quite a good Brazen Head for a mediaeval / fantasy setting.
It's nice to read about homemakers. I still have the red heads of the 215 red Indian set. They are completely erased, after years spent in my lego drawer. In 2020 I rebuilt the 208 Mother with babies during lockdown. I had the printed parts of the pram.
Other specific parts appeared with the homemakers, like the house parts : Large windows, large wall bricks 1x6x5 and 1x3x5, doors...
That sign in <565 contain not only an illegal building technique, but a very illegal technique? See BrickTsar's review (https://youtu.be/4k22cUbyLfY?t=370) at 6:10 to 6:13 for a better angle.