Dagny Holm (18 May 1916 – 1 March 2004) was the Lego Group's chief model designer until 1986, when she retired at the age of 70.[1]

Dagny Holm
Dagny Holm Lego portrait by Stewart Lamb Cromar
Born(1916-05-18)May 18, 1916
DiedMarch 1, 2004(2004-03-01) (aged 87)
OccupationModel designer
Known forThe first Master Builder in the Lego Group.
RelativesOle Kirk Kristiansen (uncle)
Godtfred Kirk Christiansen (cousin)

Early years

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Thorvald Stauning caricature by Dagny Holm

In 1936 Holm interned for 3 months at the Lego Group where she designed wooden toys.[2] One of her first pieces was a caricature model of the then Danish prime minister, Thorvald Stauning.[1]

Holm previously studied classical sculpture design with training from the German sculptor Kurt Harald Isenstein.[3][1]

Legoland model designer

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In 1961 Holm was hired as a model designer[4] at Legoland Billund Resort and is credited with much of the original design and building of Miniland.[5]

As chief designer in the model shop Holm was responsible for all Lego model designs of the Legoland Park in Billund when it opened in 1968.[2]

Legacy

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Tributes

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On 1 March 2022 the Lego Group released a commemorative set (40503) celebrating Holm, their first Master Builder.[6]

The 1,068 piece product features Holm as a Miniland scale figure working on a large-scale model of a giraffe in a workshop filled with small-scale versions of her other models.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Dagny Holm - LEGO History - LEGO.com IN". www.lego.com. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  2. ^ a b "New LEGO House Limited Editions product". LEGO House. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  3. ^ Thorø, Marianne (2022-03-03). "LEGO House sender Dagny Holm-hyldest-æske på gaden". BillundOnline (in Danish). Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  4. ^ "The first LEGOLAND® park – LEGO History Articles - LEGO.com US". 2019-05-06. Archived from the original on 6 May 2019. Retrieved 2022-03-08.
  5. ^ Herman, Sarah (2012). A million little bricks : the unofficial illustrated history of the LEGO phenomenon. Internet Archive. New York : Skyhorse Pub. p. 50. ISBN 978-1-62087-054-9.
  6. ^ "New LEGO House exclusive set revealed". Brickset.com. Retrieved 2022-03-08.