It's 1901, and on one of the metal staircases leading to the brand-new Bosch factory, eight workers are grooming themselves to look good in their portraits. They are some of the technicians and engineers who developed the ignition magneto: the invention that has made this mechanical workshop in Stuttgart, Germany, a success. It's a small device, but in just a few years' life, it has revolutionized the automotive industry. When activated, it generates an electric spark capable of starting a vehicle's engine. One of the employees holds it in his hand and proudly shows it to the portraitist, who is also taking photographs of the newly inaugurated facilities that day.