ataafeNov 8, 2022
Asymco

The earliest car by Henry Ford circa 1896. A decade after Karl Benz patented the internal combustion automobile. Ford called his the quadricycle.

Footnote: pneumatic tires as show here were invented by John Boyd Dunlop in Dublin, Ireland, in 1890 for use on bicycles, greatly improving their comfort and utility. They became an essential enabler for the automobile.

Nov 8, 2022 at 6:35amWeb
Show threadPaul CampbellNov 8, 2022
@asymco Dunlop was Irish! Did not know.
Show threadPaul CampbellNov 8, 2022
@asymco oh, he was born in Scotland. He moved to Northern Ireland. It was Belfast rather than Dublin. Fascinating!
Show threadAsymcoNov 8, 2022
@paulca From Wikipedia: “The business and manufactory was founded in Upper Stephens Street in Dublin. A plaque marks the site, which is now part of the head office of the Irish multinational departments store brand, Dunnes Stores.”
Show threadPaul CampbellNov 8, 2022
@asymco It’s a really interesting story. Reading his Wikipedia, he invented it in Belfast, then a cyclist who used his tires started winning all his races, leading the president of the Irish Cyclist’s association more or less to buy the rights and set up the company. The company prompted the move to Dublin, and he lived near where I live and is buried down the road. Never made a fortune from tires!
Show threadAsymcoNov 8, 2022
@paulca Because he was a veterinarian apparently.
Show threadCiarán FerrieNov 8, 2022

@paulca @asymco Here's a bit more about the building on Stephen Street from @Archiseek

#IrishArchitecture
https://www.archiseek.com/2008/1930-dunlop-factory-stephen-st-dublin/

1930 – Dunlop Building, Stephen St., Dublin

A fine building on a gently curving site with Art Deco detailing added as offices to existing factory. The single bay building with bay window marks the entrance to the main factory, which was site…

Archiseek - Irish Architecture
Show threadAsymcoNov 8, 2022
@ccferrie @paulca @Archiseek Thats the place! I don’t know why it caught my eye.
Show threadAsymcoNov 8, 2022
@paulca I walked by a plaque in Dublin stating the location of his factory when at one of your events. Quite by accident.
Show threadPaul CampbellNov 8, 2022
@asymco Dublin is chock full of such plaques!
Show threadAsymcoNov 8, 2022
@paulca I also walked by a plaque marking Nikola Tesla’s birthplace. And Napoleon’s residence in Elba. And Lenin’s temporary residence in Helsinki. It’s pays to stop and look at plaques.
Show threadPaul CampbellNov 8, 2022
@asymco I’m pretty sure that’s one of the catchphrases of the 99 Percent Invisible podcast https://99percentinvisible.org/article/always-read-plaque-mapping-10000-global-markers-memorials/
Always Read the Plaque: Mapping Over 10,000 Global Markers & Memorials - 99% Invisible

Here at 99% Invisible, the phrase “always read the plaque” has become a mantra with a deeper meaning: it is not just about reading actual plaques, but also a broader call to look more closely for stories embedded in everyday built environments. 99% Invisible BackStory: Heyward Shepherd Memorial Episode 60b BackStory: Heyward Shepherd Memorial PlayPause Add

99% Invisible