Vintage Cycling Photos Gallery: One of my hobbies is to find interesting vintage pics – often over 100 years old. I often need to digitally enhance the originals – particularly where they have deteriorated due to storage or ageing. On this page I have selected photos that I believe are interesting from a historical, technical and transportation standpoint. The theme is vintage cycling but as well as pleasure cycling it illustrates how bikes were used in child labour in the USA (around 1910). A video has also been prepared with some music I have composed to accompany the slide show.
Photographs relating toCycling. Many pictures of some of the earliest Velocipedes and Penny Farthing (or ‘Ordinary’) Bicycles can be found here. As most of the original pictures are over 100 years old I have enhanced these copies to improve their clarity whilst maintaining detail and character. You can either scroll through the photos, clicking on individual pictures to see a higher definition versions, or use my YouTube video below which has a slide show of some of these photos (and many more) set to my music.
You can download the soundtrack ‘Bike Boys‘ for this video from iTunes using the link here
I hope you enjoy the pictures below. You can view more old photos on the Vintage Photos part of this website (link is here).
In 1868 Gentlemen Could Be Found In The Parks Parading On Their BikesIf You Prefer Your Little Wheel ‘Up front’ Try this Tricycle from 1880Bigger Wheels Meant More Distance For Each Turn of The Pedal -Also Fewer Wheels meant Fewer Service Problems. The Ultimate One WheelerThe Michaux Velocipede Was Popular From 1867 to 1869. Then It Was Superseded By The ‘Ordinary’ or Penny FarthingBefore the Invention Of Rubber Tyres Riders Had to Endure A Pretty Rough Journey On ‘The Boneshaker’ – This One is from 1868Long Before The Starship Enterprise Travellers Could Experience Double Warp Speed by Smoking This Stuff When Riding The Newly Developed Bikes With Rubber Tyres in 1861Clearly It Was Common For Gentlemen on Velocipedes To Smoke Pipes in 1869Velocipede Riders Used to Promote Tobacco in 1869As Fashion Items Velocipedes Featured Often on Tobacco Packs. This One is from 18691819 The Velocipede – A Must Have For ‘Dandies’. Who Needs Pedals? Published in 1894In the Early Days Riders Had Freedom from Pedals. As Here With Von Drais’ 1818 ‘Reitmschine’ (Riding Machine)Quakers Demonstrating Velocipede Capabilities in this 1819 PrintAn Early Ecofriendly Freight Vehicle – The 1880s Luggage Tricycle1882 Photo of The Charles Oldreives TricycleThe 1880s ‘Sociable’ – Germany’s First Convertible Two SeaterA Lady Takes a Ride on Her Otto Bicycle – Picture From 1887Drawing of Invincible ‘Renn’ (‘Racing’) Tricycle from GermanyThe Manuped Bicycle drawn in 1887The Humber Tandem TricycleSunset Tour for the Penny Farthing Enthusiasts Club in 1880The Humber Tricycle drawn in 1887Steps No Problem for These Penny Farthing Pros in 18841885 Bicycle Parade at Hartford, Connecticut, USAThe Invincible German ‘Renn’ (or ‘Racing’) Bicycle drawn in 1887A Country Bike Ride in 1887Ordinary Bicycle Race from 1890‘Ordinary’ (Penny Farthing) Bicycle Race from 1890One vehicle in this picture hasn’t changed much in over 100 yearsGlamourous models posing on their new tricyclesExamples of early bicycle design from around 1900Ever wondered how you mount a Penny Farthing?
I would like to dedicate the rest of this part of my photo archive to the young boys who worked with their bikes in 1910-1915 helping to build the US economy. For many of the images on these pages I am indebted to the work of Lewis Wickes Hine (1874 – 1940) a pioneer in the use of the camera as an instrument of social change in the USA.
Around 1910 young messenger boys in the US often delivered to whores and gambling dens10 year old working for a department store in Opelika, Alabama (I’m not sure whether they sold shoes) 191410 yr old boy at Danville Messengers – wearing company issued company ‘self cleaning’ footwear 191111 year old Meat Market delivery boy in Opelika Alabama 191411 yr old Percy Neville, a Red Light district regular messenger (in the proud possession of a quarter ‘tip’ from one of the local whores) in Shreveport 191311 yr old Western Union messenger works regularly in red light district Houston, Texas 1913 (Ladies of the night risked arrest for vagrancy if they visited the local shops in person – therefore they provided good regular business for the messenger boys)12 Yr Old Isaac Boyet – the CEO (and main employee) of his ‘Club Messenger Service’ based in Waco’s Red Light Area (background) 191313 year old Ben Collins received $5 a week from Mackay Telegraph Co, Oklahoma in 191714 year old George Christopher (already with 3 yrs experience) working in Nashville, 191014 year old Marion Davis – Covered the Reservation for Belle Vue Messenger Service in Houston, 191314 year old Western Union messenger boy in Oklahoma, 191715 year old Wilbur H Woodward – Washington DC, 19121910 Postal Telegraph Messenger Boy, Birmingham, Alabama1913 Red Light District messenger boy 15 yrs of age in Waco Texas – I understand from the photographic records that he was exposed to the local ladies of the night!Boy selling papers during school time in Syracuse 1910Curtin Hines a regular drug store messenger for Whores at the Reservation – Houston 1913Dallas Texas Reservation Red Light Area as a messenger boy passes through in 1913Danville Messengers’ Boy – His boss has found a way to help him keep his feet cool while working in 1911Look at Jeff Miller’s face – It tells you a lot about his view about his future prospects, Houston, TX 1913Postal Telegraph Boy in Danville, VA 1911Sadly $3 a week was not enough to cover new shoes in Alabama 1914Well presented messenger boy in Birmingham, Alabama – 1914Willie at 5 yrsearned his nickels from selling papers in Washington 1912Young messenger boy in New Bedford, Massachusetts – 1911
You can download the soundtrack ‘Bike Boys‘ for this video from iTunes using the link here
To view my other vintage photo collections or see the videos just click on the headings below:
Chris Duggleby 