Bricks in the United States have been turning into a global phenomenon.
But what if brick factories in the UK and across the world had been like brick factories?
What if brick makers and their customers could go from making bricks to turning bricks?
The story of how brick factories were transformed into a world-class business is a fascinating tale of the way technology and art combine to create something extraordinary.
The Brick Factory: A Story of Innovation, Art and Science opens at the National Theatre at Buckingham Palace, on Friday, May 17.
Written by BBC Future’s Sarah Taylor, the film tells the story of a brick factory in New York City that transformed into one of the most innovative and popular arts industries in the world.
The story begins in the 1860s when a team of brickmakers built a factory that produced hundreds of thousands of bricks for the world-famous New York Stock Exchange.
It became a hub of commerce, creating jobs, creating wealth and transforming the lives of many New Yorkers.
The brick factory turned into the nation’s first and largest commercial brick building.
The bricks were used to make clothes, furniture and furniture pieces, and were then exported around the world to build skyscrapers and industrial complexes around the globe.
The film also tells the inspiring story of the American brick manufacturer Robert Fulton (Matthew McConaughey) who came to the United Kingdom in the early 1800s to find work and build his first brick factory.
Fulton had been building bricks for years, and he decided to go back to his birthplace in New Jersey and try to replicate his father’s success in New England.
In 1776, Fulton opened his first store in the village of New Brunswick, New Jersey, which became known as the “first brick factory.”
The next year, Fulton expanded his business by opening a second brick factory that expanded to become the largest brick factory on earth.
In 1811, Fulton joined forces with another New Jersey brickmaker, John McInnes (Samuel L. Jackson), to build the world class brick factory of the United Stated.
The U.S. National Bank opened a branch in New Brunswick and Fulton’s brick factory thrived.
In 1870, Fulton and McInnis purchased the brick company.
Together, the two companies became the first brickmakers in the U.K. They expanded and expanded their business, adding brick, brick and brick to their bricks.
Today, the brick manufacturer company in the company name Fulton & McInneys is one of Britain’s largest brick makers.
In this new film, Sarah Taylor explores the history of the company and the challenges that faced the brickmakers as they built their industry.
It’s a fascinating story that sheds light on the relationship between innovation and art and the changing world of brickmaking.
Sarah Taylor is a BBC Future UK presenter and the author of ‘Pioneers: The Art of the Innovator.’
This is a part of the BBC Focus on Africa series.