Manchester Man Shares Passion for Building Lego Models

by Anne Buckalew

Manchester resident and Library patron LB Hillbert has a passion for building Lego models and this month, a selection of his models are up on display at the Manchester District Library. Among the models you will see two of his favorites: Star Wars models, which he began building about ten years ago, and Technic sets, which have gears and other moveable parts.

Hillbert recalls fondly childhood trips to FAO Schwarz’s flagship store in New York City where the entire second floor was dedicated to LEGOs, but his earliest memory of LEGOs is of his step-father taking him to Macy’s in New York City when he was eight or nine years old. There was an enormous display of LEGOs and a man proclaiming LEGOs unbreakable. Up for the challenge, Hillbert told the man how to break a LEGO and promptly demonstrated by smashing a brick with his foot. He and his step-father quickly left.

More recently, he has enjoyed displays at The Henry Ford and an exhibit in Grand Rapids dedicated to grand scale architecture made of LEGOs. Other fascinating displays of LEGOs can be found at LEGO stores. Giant models at the stores are larger than life. To enter a LEGO store is to enter an alternate universe. Bright colors, shiny plastic, and endless bricks would grab anyone’s attention.

These days, Hillbert looks forward to building rather than destroying the bricks. The sets he builds are gifts from his wife. He enjoys the building process so much that he once worked 36 hours straight to complete a model. The wordless assembly instructions artfully detail every single step, and if followed, provide amazing vehicles and structures. After assembly, he plays with the model, enjoys the creation, and eventually packs his finished set carefully in a box filled with packing peanuts.

The Library is pleased to have Hillbert’s models out of the peanut stuffed boxes and on display. He will be a special guest at the Library's LEGO Playtime on October 15. If you have never attended this weekly library program, they have loads of LEGOs to share. Children enjoy this unstructured play time building and interacting with each other. At the end of each session, children are invited to place their creations on display until the next Wednesday. If you have interest in LEGOs, please join LB Hillbert at the library on October 15, at 3:30pm. No registration required.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.