I'm compiling clincher tire information for an article.
If you folks know of any tire historians I can interview over the phone, I'd sure appreciate the opportunity.
Guess I'll have to bump this.
I've repaired plenty of clincher flats in the past 40 years but a historian,.....don't think so....J.
Sorry about all the bumps.
I thought there was a discussion not too long ago on the forum about tires and several folks posted contact information of different manufactures and old sales ads. Perhaps the current vendors could direct you as to who to contact.
I think it would be neat if they would made standard tires again, not oversize!
In trying to find history on Champion X plugs I found lots of old ads, often without dates, and some random bits of information, but any actual history is pretty scarce. I'm afraid the same may hold true for tires.
Most historical research is done by amateurs who are interested in the subject at hand. You will most likely have to be your own historian.
Regarding research:
There are trade publications that you can view on Google Books such as Horseless Age, Motor Age, The Motor, etc.
If you live in a major metropolitan area your local public library and/or college/university library may have original copies in bound volumes.
There are also a number of period books. For example: "A Practical Treatise on Automobiles" copyright 1909 has an entire chapter (49 pages) devoted to wheels, tires and rims.
There are other books out there that I know of but I'm short on time. If I remember, I'll come back to the forum later and make additional suggestions.