Toynbee Tiles A Mystery Of The Americas
By James Donahue
Most people might dismiss them as simple markers in the road, or perhaps a clever advertising gimmick. Fans of Stanley Kubrick's classic film: 2001-A Space Odyssey, quickly catch the link. But over the years a few careful observers have noticed that there are a lot of these markers and nobody seems to be able to explain why they are in the streets of major cities of both North and South America, or who put them there.
As information about these strange messages in the concrete has been gathered and distributed, people with an interest in such things have begun to call them the Toynbee Tiles. That is because all the messages are similar. In printed letters that strangely deviate from the rules for upper and lower case, all refer to the name Toynbee as well as the Kubrick film. They are colorful signs embedded in the road. Some say they are made of plastic. Nobody seems to be able to explain how, when, or why they got there.
A basic message is: "TOYNBEE IDEAS IN KUbrick's 2001 RESURRECT DEAD ON PLANET JUPITER." Variations might say: "TOYNBEE IDEA MOVIE 2001 RAISE DEAD PlaneT JUPITER." A more elaborate sign reads: "TOYNBEE IDEA IN MOViE '2001 RESURRECT DEAD ON PLANET JUPiTER. YOU MUST MAKE + GLUE TILES!! YOU!!!!"
At least six of these multi-colored tiles have been found on the streets of Pittsburgh. They also have been reported in Philadelphia, Toledo, New York City, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Boston, Atlantic City, Chicago, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Kansas City, Detroit, and as far south as Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Santiago. As of this writing, in late 2006, at least one hundred thirty known tiles have been identified and documented.
Most of the tiles have been covered over by road resurfacing construction, and others destroyed by vandalism. They seemed to have been a phenomenon of the 1970s and 1980s. So, was this a giant prank created by a secret cult of practical jokers? Or is there a serious message hidden within the tiles? And what is behind the name Toynbee? Many believe the name is a reference to the late English historian Arnold J. Toynbee, 1889-1975. But dedicated researchers who have poured over Toynbee's writings find no reference that even appears to link him to Kubrick's film or the concepts presented within it.
While the total story behind 2001 seemed to make no sense, there was something deeply compelling about that movie that drew us to it. I watched it several times and even owned the recording of the background music, complete with the majestic music of Johann Strauss. One researcher managed to by-pass the historian Toynbee and turn, instead, to science fiction writer Ray Bradbury's short story "The Toynbee Convector." The Bradbury story warns humans that to survive, we must always rush to aim beyond anything practically possible and strive to reach that which is beyond reach. This writer suggests that the Toynbee message in the streets might be that humanity should strive to colonize Jupiter if we wish to survive. Subtle message that, but it's in the tiles.
By James Donahue
Most people might dismiss them as simple markers in the road, or perhaps a clever advertising gimmick. Fans of Stanley Kubrick's classic film: 2001-A Space Odyssey, quickly catch the link. But over the years a few careful observers have noticed that there are a lot of these markers and nobody seems to be able to explain why they are in the streets of major cities of both North and South America, or who put them there.
As information about these strange messages in the concrete has been gathered and distributed, people with an interest in such things have begun to call them the Toynbee Tiles. That is because all the messages are similar. In printed letters that strangely deviate from the rules for upper and lower case, all refer to the name Toynbee as well as the Kubrick film. They are colorful signs embedded in the road. Some say they are made of plastic. Nobody seems to be able to explain how, when, or why they got there.
A basic message is: "TOYNBEE IDEAS IN KUbrick's 2001 RESURRECT DEAD ON PLANET JUPITER." Variations might say: "TOYNBEE IDEA MOVIE 2001 RAISE DEAD PlaneT JUPITER." A more elaborate sign reads: "TOYNBEE IDEA IN MOViE '2001 RESURRECT DEAD ON PLANET JUPiTER. YOU MUST MAKE + GLUE TILES!! YOU!!!!"
At least six of these multi-colored tiles have been found on the streets of Pittsburgh. They also have been reported in Philadelphia, Toledo, New York City, Baltimore, Washington, D.C., Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Boston, Atlantic City, Chicago, Indianapolis, St. Louis, Kansas City, Detroit, and as far south as Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires and Santiago. As of this writing, in late 2006, at least one hundred thirty known tiles have been identified and documented.
Most of the tiles have been covered over by road resurfacing construction, and others destroyed by vandalism. They seemed to have been a phenomenon of the 1970s and 1980s. So, was this a giant prank created by a secret cult of practical jokers? Or is there a serious message hidden within the tiles? And what is behind the name Toynbee? Many believe the name is a reference to the late English historian Arnold J. Toynbee, 1889-1975. But dedicated researchers who have poured over Toynbee's writings find no reference that even appears to link him to Kubrick's film or the concepts presented within it.
While the total story behind 2001 seemed to make no sense, there was something deeply compelling about that movie that drew us to it. I watched it several times and even owned the recording of the background music, complete with the majestic music of Johann Strauss. One researcher managed to by-pass the historian Toynbee and turn, instead, to science fiction writer Ray Bradbury's short story "The Toynbee Convector." The Bradbury story warns humans that to survive, we must always rush to aim beyond anything practically possible and strive to reach that which is beyond reach. This writer suggests that the Toynbee message in the streets might be that humanity should strive to colonize Jupiter if we wish to survive. Subtle message that, but it's in the tiles.