Asphalt art whodunnit: "Toynbee Tiles" show up on Scranton streets

Dec. 4—SCRANTON — Mysterious mosaic designs and a message tarred onto streets downtown spur questions.

What are they? How were they made and stuck onto the road? When were they installed? Who did it? Why?

Two small, enigmatic designs embedded on the asphalt surface of Biden Street near its intersections with Penn and Wyoming avenues might contain clues — HH and 21 — which appear to be the calling card of the creator and the year they were done, 2021.

A third asphalt artwork in the 100 block of North Washington Avenue at Biden Street reveals more of the riddle. Here, a multicolored rectangle about the size of a license plate contains the following words: "HOUSE OF HADES, THE RESURRECTION, OF TOYNBEE'S IDEAS, IN SOCIETY 2021, PUBLIC NOTICE."

Internet searching "Toynbee" and "House of Hades" shows the three designs likely are part of a long-running, urban street phenomenon known as "Toynbee Tiles." Hundreds of such designs — apparently done anonymously — have appeared in recent decades on streets in numerous cities throughout the United States and in a few cities in South America.

Such pavement puzzlements also were the subject of the award-winning 2011 documentary by director Jon Foy titled, "Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles." The documentary premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2011 and won the award for best director in its category.

According to the documentary, Toynbee Tiles began in Philadelphia in the 1980s with variations of a cryptic message: "TOYNBEE IDEA, IN MOVIE 2001, RESURRECT DEAD, ON PLANET JUPITER."

Philadelphia resident Justin Duerr first noticed a Toynbee Tile on South Street in Philadelphia in 1994. A few years later, he starting noticing more all over the city. He wanted to learn who the creator was and decipher the meanings of the messages. He later learned of two other residents similarly looking into the curious street messages and they joined together in their quest to identify the Toynbee tiler.

The documentary chronicles the trio's research that culminated in them identifying a reclusive South Philadelphia man who they believe started the tiles in that city.

They also believe they decoded the original Toynbee Tiles message. It connected a notion about resurrection by Arnold Toynbee, a 20th Century British historian and philosopher of history, with Stanley Kubrick's 1968 movie, "2001: A Space Odyssey," which had a future astronaut getting reborn after a trip to Jupiter.

In the early 1980s, the original Toynbee tiler first tried getting his message out through traditional media outlets but was unsuccessful. He then tried using shortwave radio, again to no avail. He then came up with the asphalt tiles as a way to disseminate his message.

Over time, Toynbee Tiles spread throughout the country. The creations also became more varied in wording and messaging, with sidebar texts added and one done as a manifesto.

The Toynbee Tiles phenomenon also produced copycat and spinoff artists, including the person or persons using the "House of Hades" moniker seen in Scranton, Duerr said in a phone interview.

Duerr was not aware of Toynbee Tiles in Scranton, but when told about them said they bear the hallmarks of the House of Hades artist or artists who began in Buffalo many years ago, spread into other states and now might outnumber the originals.

The designs and lettering of the tiles are believed to be cut or carved from linoleum — or in the case of the House of Hades creations, from asbestos tiles — and encased in tar paper with road-sealing tar, Duerr said.

The creators likely drive to whatever destination they choose and place the tiles down, probably in the dead of nights when there is less traffic and people around. Once placed down, the tiles initially blend in with the road and look like a patch of some sort. Vehicles driving over the mosaics help cement them onto the road and the tar paper top eventually wears away to expose the design. They can last for many years if left undisturbed, Duerr said.

The House of Hades versions are unique in that many do not contain messages, but instead are just artwork designs, Duerr said.

"I love House of Hades (versions) most, especially the mosaic tile pieces that have nothing to do with the Toynbee message tiles except for using the art form," Duerr said.

It's not clear when the House of Hades' Toynbee Tiles were placed in Scranton. Internet search engine street view images show they did not exist downtown before June 2021.

There also may have been at least one other Toynbee Tile or copycat done in Scranton around eight years ago or earlier. An online post from 2014 referenced a Toynbee Tile previously seen somewhere in the city, but by the time of the post, it had been removed or paved over.

But the current Toynbee Tiles in Scranton also won't last much longer because they are not allowed on streets and will be removed, according to the state Department of Transportation.

PennDOT was not aware of the Toynbee Tiles in Scranton or anywhere else.

"This is the first we are aware of such markings," PennDOT spokeswoman Jessica Ruddy said last month via email. "We are working with the local municipality to ensure removal is done safely and properly."

Ruddy's email cited guidance from the Federal Highway Administration saying crosswalk elements must adhere to certain standards regarding design, color and patterns, and must not be "random, unsystematic or a source of distraction."

"No element of the aesthetic interior treatment can implement pictographs, symbols, multiple color arrangements, etc., or can otherwise attempt to communicate with any roadway user," the PennDOT email said.

Efforts to reach city officials were unsuccessful.

Duerr is not surprised that Toynbee Tiles persist, but thought they would have proliferated even more. But then, in terms of making art or communicating a message, the tiles are not necessarily an easy medium to work with, he said. Creators also probably stay anonymous to avoid getting into any legal trouble, he said.

Though conspicuous, the Toynbee Tiles in Scranton also go unnoticed by passersby.

While walking across Biden Street at Wyoming Avenue last month, Gretchen Ludders of Glenburn Twp. stepped right over the Toynbee Tile there and did not notice it. She was focused on crossing the street before the light changed.

"I was aware of the cars. I was being aware of the traffic," Ludders said.

Denise Leppo, general manager of Downtown Deli, 300 Biden St., first noticed the Toynbee Tile outside of her eatery a few weeks ago. It felt rubbery underfoot and she figured it probably was a marking of some sort for an upcoming road work project.

"I walked by it real quick and thought, 'Oh, this is weird. What the heck is this thing?'" Leppo said. "I thought they must be marking the road and I just continued about my day. It didn't even come to my mind as art."

Learning it's a Toynbee Tile piqued her interest.

"Its weird that they just put it there without any explanation or expectation — just plop it there and move on," Leppo said. "Now I want to know (more). Now I'm going to have to keep looking for them."

Contact the writer:

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5185; @jlockwoodTT on Twitter.