The Hagley Vault is rolling along smoothly this week as we note the anniversary of the invention of the first tubeless tire suitable for mass production, developed on May 11, 1947 by the B.F. Goodrich Company of Akron, Ohio.
The invention, which was patented in 1952 after years of testing, aimed to make cars safer, more efficient, and more convenient. By 1954, the company's LifeSaver and Safetyliner tubeless, puncture-sealing automobile tires had become widely popular. So popular in fact that they soon found company. The B.F. Goodrich competitor Michelin introduced an improved tubeless tire in the mid-1950s; the radial-ply tire, which had walls made of alternating layers of tough rubber cord, a construction that is now considered the standard for automobile tires in most of the world.
To mark the occasion, we're sharing this 1957 educational comic book from the B.F. Goodrich Company describing the history and production of the company and it's production of natural and artificial rubber and rubber products (including the tubeless automobile tire).
The comic is part of Hagley Library's extensive collection of pamphlets, which largely consists of trade literature, business histories, and promotional materials issued by businesses, trade associations, commercial associations, professional organizations, special interest groups, and similar bodies. The materials in this collection date from 1783 to 1988 and vary in size. You can view a selection of other items digitized from this collection online now in our Digital Archives.