Through more research, they’re able to piece together what exactly that central idea may be. At one point, he came across what’s been dubbed “The Manifesto Tile.” This specific tile goes into far more detail about what appears to be a conspiracy in the media and various levels of government to silence the tiler’s message and ideas. One of the film’s key figures, Justin Duerr, had been documenting the tiles since the early days of the internet, long before the documentary came about. There's even a connection between the company and a shipment to South America which may have aided the appearance of tiles there. There’s also evidence that indicates this figure may have had help from a neighbor who worked for Conrail, a company whose freight tracks served all of the cities where tiles appeared. In fact, they find his Philadelphia address directly referenced in a tile that existed in Chile. They also uncover accounts that he may have once been the person behind a series of short wave radio broadcasts which espoused ideas similar to those found in the tiles. They come to find several “prototypes” in the streets near his home. Throughout the course of the documentary, the filmmakers are able to find evidence that links them to a reclusive citizen of Philadelphia. “2001” is a reference to Stanley Kubrick’s film, 2001: A Space Odyssey, which depicts a manned space mission to Jupiter (Kubrick’s name does occasionally appear in some tiles). Toynbee, a British historian who believed civilization must respond to challenges in order to prosper. “Toynbee” appears to be a reference to Arnold J. Ultimately, the film isn’t definitively conclusive in regards to the meaning or who the original creator is, but it does present an argument for what may be the best theory: A Toynbee Tile as seen in Cincinnati in 2009 at the corner of 6th and Walnut Streets. Hundreds of these tiles have been found and documented with the Queen City once sporting at least three in its streets. Cincinnati is briefly featured along with a reference to a 2001 story by City Beat. The film isn’t solely about the tiles and the mystique surrounding them, but also about the filmmakers and their journey as well. Fair warning if you haven’t seen it: what I’ve written here will delve into the film's story, but I won’t go into all the details of a movie that’s well worth your time. Perhaps the people who have done that best are Justin Duerr, Steve Weinik, and Colin Smith, the producers and key figures of the 2011 documentary “ Resurrect Dead.” The best way to get an understanding of the tiles is to watch and discuss this film. I’m certainly not the first to take notice of the tiles, attempt to document them, or write an article about them. In some cases, the tiles will features side notes which make reference to politics, media, conspiracy, or other subjects. The vast majority feature a central message, although there’s the occasional variation: The tiles themselves are defined as "messages of unknown origin found embedded in asphalt streets." Reports of them go back to the early 1980s and they’ve been primarily found in major cities along the East Coast and in the Midwest, with the strongest concentration located in Philadelphia. The subject never came to my attention until recently, but as soon as I first read about “Toynbee Tiles,” I was hooked, drawn in, and had to know more. What I assumed was initially just eclectic, guerrilla street art is actually much, much more. With additional help from comments on QC/D’s Facebook and Twitter, several people offered insight and clues as to what these things were and where to find them locally. After work that day, I found another and then one more the following day thanks to 5chw4r7z. I was taken aback at the unexpected message and didn't have too long to think about it before traffic resumed and I ran back to the curb. Staring down at the asphalt, I had been expecting to read these cryptic words: I waited for traffic to subside, jogged out to the middle of the road and knelt down while an idling cab driver eyed me suspiciously. Maybe the map had been off a bit, I wasn't expecting to find anything here. I spent nearly my entire lunch break wandering and coming up short until I spotted one near a crosswalk. I scribbled down the locations in my notebook, determined to go looking the next day. The most recent record on the map was from 2006, just over a decade behind the present.
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