Halsam American Brick Build - Monument

In the mid-1950s' Halsam offered interlocking brick building toys made from pressed wood. I'm assembling each of the models shown in the instruction booklet for their 60/1 and 60/2 building sets. I'm calling it the Halsam American Brick Build.

The fifth build is a monument. After World War II, there was a change in the style of public art. Imposing Art Nouveau figures, either real or allegorical, seemed passe. Instead, monuments became abstract in design.

The one shown in the instruction book would have been a fairly typical early 1950s example.

And this build also introduces another important concept. Note the instructions so how the bricks intersect in the middle. By off-setting the bricks, the rows weave together, creating a strong center to the structure. 

I like to think of this as the Memorial to the Unknown Halsam American Brick Architect.