Man with a Safety Bicycle, circa 1895
01
Artifact Overview
Innovators in the 1890s sought to improve on the safety bicycle. Some ideas, like the pneumatic tire, succeeded; but others did not catch on. This photograph shows a safety with a large-diameter front chain sprocket. Though it provided a high gear ratio (one turn of the crank producing multiple turns of the rear wheel) useful for racing, this fixed-gear design failed to entice everyday cyclists.
Artifact Details
Artifact
Cabinet photograph
Date Made
circa 1895
Subject Date
circa 1895
Creators
Place of Creation
Collection Title
Location
By Request in the Benson Ford Research Center
Object ID
86.18.32.1
Credit
From the Collections of The Henry Ford.
Material
Paper (Fiber product)
Cardboard
Technique
Gelatin silver process
Mounting
Color
Black-and-white (Colors)
Dimensions
Height: 6.563 in
Width: 4.188 in
Inscriptions
Photographer's imprint on front: "Musser" 16 N. 3rd ST. / Harrisburg, Pa.
Photographer's imprint on back:
F.E. Musser / PHOTOGRAPHER / 16 N. 3rd. ST., / HARRISBURG, / PA. / Negatives preserved / for future orders. / DUPLICATES CAN BE HAD AT ANY TIME.
Handwritten on back: One of the freak[?] bicycles / of the 1890's.
Keywords |
|---|