Cavity wall construction using two leafs of concrete blockwork is around since the 50s. Hollow concrete blocks have been in use since the 30s- my own great grandfather built a house using hollow conc. blocks (made using his own block making machine) around this time and the house still stands! Block making machines were quite popular after WWI and a lot of small to medium contractors made their own blocks, although quality was variable. A look through old trade journals of the time, like "The Illustrated Carpenter and Builder" reveals many different blockmaking machines were on offer from the manufacturers of the day. The popularity of mass concrete marked the decline of traditional brickmaking and laying skills. I'm sure there must must be a lot of reading material available on this subject. I have some old English trade books of the 30s 40s which are full of details of concrete construction, even for domestic work. I'm sure google could throw up some more answers for you.