bancksAug 10, 2024
Another #ToynbeeTile from #HouseOfHades 2024 collection, this one located right here in Philadelphia. It’s shaping up to be a great season - I’ve got a bunch more reports and found my first tile of the season and they look great! 2023 was a little flat imo, but 2024 is strong.
bancksMay 14, 2024

Annual update on #ToynbeeTile happenings is now available!

Email a mailing address to robertebholmes(at)gmail.com if you’d like a copy sent to you.

Absolutely free and all copyright waived, feel free to copy and redistribute at will.

bancksJan 10, 2024
This tile was sent in from a correspondent in #Detroit. She says that this #HouseOfHades #ToynbeeTile is located at an intersection where a pedestrian was struck and killed by a vehicle earlier this year. Regardless of whether the artist was aware of the recent history of this intersection, it brings to mind the blog post about monuments from @AdrianRiskin: https://chez-risk.in/2023/04/11/monuments-altars-ceramic-tiles-and-the-passions-stamped-on-these-lifeless-things-1/
Monuments, Altars, Ceramic Tiles, And The Passions Stamped On These Lifeless Things

Erect no monuments, motherfuckers!

bancksDec 22, 2023

This three-color #NewYorkCity tile, possessed of mesmerizing symmetry, was submitted by a correspondent on instagram. So far, we only know of two tiles that use circles and symmetry like the 2021 tile pictured here. The other one is a 2018-vintage, also in #nyc but I can’t locate my photo of it.

If you enjoy #ToynbeeTile analysis, or are curious about our little sub-sub-culture, join the distribution list for my free tile periodical called Tile Times: https://schuylkillriverrats.com/bookstore/

Bookstore - Schuylkill River Rats

All our projects are 100% community funded. Your purchases support our ongoing projects and help defray costs such as server fees. Tile Styles $5 Get the seminal pamphlet that distills years of research into a 16 short pages. Including dozens of photographs taken by researchers in the field, this piece of original journalism is a

Schuylkill River Rats - Mental Equipment for Modern Living
bancksDec 16, 2023

Ok gang, website isn’t totally done but I’m ready to soft roll-out the bookstore page for a new project (an overarching system that encapsulates the #toynbeetile work).

Feel free to poke around but just be aware that it’s not totally done (and there isn’t a ton of content anyway). But go ahead and join waiting/distribution lists if you’re interested - it’ll help me prioritize work if nothing else.

https://schuylkillriverrats.com/bookstore/

Anyway, enjoy context-free photos I like…

Bookstore - Schuylkill River Rats

All our projects are 100% community funded. Your purchases support our ongoing projects and help defray costs such as server fees. Tile Styles $5 Get the seminal pamphlet that distills years of research into a 16 short pages. Including dozens of photographs taken by researchers in the field, this piece of original journalism is a

Schuylkill River Rats - Mental Equipment for Modern Living
Carl JohnsonDec 14, 2023

A rare trip into #Philly yesterday, and I was thrilled to spot two new #HouseOfHades #ToynbeeTiles right near City Hall. These symbols or messages embedded in asphalt streets fascinate me as an art form.

More background here:
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/toynbee-tiles

#philadelphia #UrbanArt #ToynbeeTile

The Tantalizing Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles

Rectangles with enigmatic messages have been appearing on city streets for decades, but the tiler's identity remains unknown.

Atlas Obscura
bancksAug 23, 2023
Fantastic #HouseofHades #ToynbeeTile originally reported by @FrancisBass in center city #philadelphia. Had to go check up on it when I was walking home from work. It’s a lot larger than a tile or similar design I’ve seen, but it’s position doesn’t really lend itself to “foot for reference” photos I like. There are also some other goodies nearby for ambitious tile watchers.
bancksAug 20, 2023
This monochrome #ToynbeeTile installation lives in lower #manhattan. It’s one of the most interesting ones I’ve come across since it involves a two-way communication medium instead of the normal exhortations to make and glue tiles, which are one-way obv. Some fellow enthusiasts pointed out to me that W.E. (Western Electric) Fortresses are a model of pay phone, but what does he use them for?? I’ve never heard of House of Hades calling anyone
#HouseOfHades #mastoart #graffiti #streetart #newyork
Show threadbancksAug 12, 2023

This is the next slide and likely to be nearby, if that helps.

#toynbeetile #toynbeeinvestigation #nyc #streetart

bancksAug 2, 2023
This #ToynbeeTile lives in west Philly near #UPenn. You can see the classic white on black with a red border in the center, plus auxiliary plaques above (white) and below (blue). Unfortunately, the text on the plaques was quite degraded by the time I verified this tile, so all I can make out is a typical exhortation to “make & glue tiles”. I believe there are older images extant with more legible text, but need to find them. #toynbee #streetart #art #mastoart #graffiti #graffitiart #photography