Paleocyclists

One thing is missing from the picture chronicle of the paleocycle: a photo album of paleocyclists. Not a massive album, indeed. From before the spreading of the “safety bicycle” in the 1890s and of the “bicycle craze” it has brought with itself, there are not many bike photos. Not only the bicycle, but also the camera was a new invention and a rare good. Moreover, until the end of the century the moving of any of the two wanted a full man, so the gentleman sensitive of novelties had to choose: either pedaling, or dragging the heavy camera.


Fortunately the gentlemen at that time still allowed themselves the luxury of coming regularly together, and if opportunity presented itself, one by pastime took a photo of the other’s pastime. But even so we managed to collect only about forty photos on paleocyclists from Michaux’s boneshakers through the tricycles and quadracycles to the penny-farthings, and this number already includes the dwarf version of the tricycle which has stalled in the phylogeny, the children’s tricycle. If you know about any more photos of velocipedists, send them for our collection.