Nineteenth century brickmaking innovations in britain: Building and technological change

This thesis analyses the process of technological change in the British brickmaking industry during the nineteenth century by examining the development of two separate but interrelated innovations. The first, brickmaking machinery, provided a mechanized substitute for the predominant hand methods of brick manufacture. The second, hollow bricks, was a machine-made product innovation generated by and dependent upon the widespread adoption of brickmaking machinery. Influenced by social constructivist theories of technological change, the thesis argues that both innovations were shaped by a set of key social relations which together comprised a technological system or network. Specifically, it shows how groups within the building industry participated in the creation of new brickmaking processes and products. The study begins with an evaluation of the traditional brickmaking industry and identifies various problems that generated the search for new technology. It goes on to consider how the attitudes and interests of the architectural profession stimulated inventive activity. Several early mechanized brickmaking processes are described and compared with emphasis on the way particular social groups were able to influence choices between competing paths of technical development and direct these innovations into specific forms. The study then examines the sources of demand for brickmaking machinery after mid-century and shows how characteristics of the market influenced the rate and direction of machine development. It also explains how the expectations and needs of consumer groups determined particular characteristics of machine design. Finally, the prominant role of architects in defining the form and use of machine-made hollow clay constructive units is discussed. The objective of the study is to demonstrate that during the nineteenth century technological changes were situated in and had a continuous reciprocal relationship with the process of architectural production.