French poster printed by Kossuth & Cie, Paris, featuring a coloured lithograph of a naked man of strength testing a Samson pneumatic tyre. The invention of the pneumatic tyre by John Boyd Dunlop (1840-1921) in 1888 revolutionised wheeled transport. Initially used on bicycles, the new tyres gave a much smoother, more comfortable ride. In 1895 the Michelin brothers, who later went on to become one of the foremost tyre manufacturers, completed the Paris-Bordeaux car race in a vehicle fitted with pneumatic tyres, getting through 22 inner tubes in the process. In the early days of motoring, tyres were expensive and prone to puncturing, a problem made worse by the poor road surfaces of the time.

Picture Reference: 10321810
Subject: ENTERTAINMENT & MEDIA > PRINTING & WRITING > ADVERTISING
Inventory No.: 1997-0073
Credit: Science Museum Pictorial

Keywords: 1870-1913, 1900s, 20th Century, Advertisements, Advertising, Age Of Electricity, Art, Art Deco, Communication, Components, Communicating, Deco, France, French, Man-made, Man Made, Motorcycle, Motorcycle Components, Pneumatic, Pneumatic Tyres, Poster, Publicity, Samson, Strength, Tyre, Unattributed

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