Social History and the Bicycle as Portrayed in Early Real Photo Postcards

Social History and the Bicycle as Portrayed in 

Early Real Photo Postcards

 This link will take you to the introduction

     In 1839, the first practicable photographic process was invented by Louis-Jacque-Mande Daguerre, a French artist and photographer. Some believed he had unleashed a nefarious invention on the world that raised questions about the morality of a device that seemingly captured a person’s spirit, but as the medium matured, most came to revel in its magic.

     During the 19th century, professional photographers made the bulk of the images that were produced. Posing for a formal photographic portrait during this period was a form of ritual. Both men and women, generally speaking, were very conscious of appearances. Folks got dressed in their best outfits and attendants saw to it that a sitter was posed properly. Even the folds in a lady’s dress were attended to, making sure they were aesthetically pleasing for the photo.   Victorian society was, after all, fastidious when it came to appearances, so sitters dressed for the occasion.

     When George Eastman introduced a personal “snap-shot” camera in 1888, it paved the way for amateur photography. The camera was sold with a roll of film already installed that could take 100 images. The user would simply send it back to the factory for development when they were done. The images would be developed, a new film installed and everything was returned to the sender. The advent of the photographic post cards was not far behind and they were of two basic types; portraits that were taken in professional photographic studios and vernacular images that were taken by both amateurs and professionals.

001-Two New York City area policemen. PHOTO BY DEY, BROOKLYN AV, JAMAICA N.Y. Note on back reads: Best regards. John H. Larkin. Circa 1910

      The history of the bicycle begins in the early 19th century and its development reached a state of maturity by the 1890s. By 1900, the high-wheel or ordinary bicycle, was already a relic of a bygone era, replaced by the safety bicycle which had become a conspicuous commodity that was used as both a form of healthy recreation and personal transportation. As a contrivance of personal mobility the bicycle allowed people to travel greater distances quickly and economically. It also offered a sense of freedom, especially for women, that was previously lacking. Now she could travel by herself or with companions to destinations previously unavailable to her.

     These liberating pleasures were only one aspect of the role of the bicycle in women’s lives, which had been augmented by the independence gained in the taking of vital jobs in factories and in the service industries during the First World War… Susan B. Anthony, the prominent suffragette, had written as early as 1896 that the bicycle has done more to emancipate women than anything else in the world (From: Bicycles: Vintage People on Photo Postcards by Tom Phillips. Published by Bodleian Library, University of Oxford, 2011).

     The bicycle had also become an important tool for small, commercial businesses, such as grocers, butchers, and general stores that allowed them to quickly get their products to customers. It was further used by mail and message couriers to make deliveries, by police to patrol the streets, by doctors to make house calls and for a host of other social activities. Bicycle shops arose to keep all these vehicles in proper working order. This was a world-wide phenomenon. 

002-Interesting occupational image of a doctor and his tricycle on his rounds to see patients. Note on back reads: Dr. Fleming, Springfield. Circa 1910.

     Around 1903 Kodak introduced their Folding Pocket camera. It used standard, postcard-sized film that produced real photo post cards (RPPCs) when printed on post card stock with a preprinted post card back. Changes in postal regulations during this period allowed privately printed post cards, like the RPPCs, to be mailed for one cent and the general public quickly became enamored with them. They mailed countless photographic post cards to family and friends of their siblings, sweethearts, and portraits of themselves sitting on the family porch or out in the yard. Street scenes were common, as were disasters, sporting events and of folks all decked out for social events like parades or holidays. Postcards often recorded an individual’s occupation by displaying them at their workplace or with their tools. The individuals portrayed were engaged in what they were doing and were proud, lively and spirited subjects.

003-Handwritten note reads: The Stromsburg Bicycle Factory, Stromsburg, Nebraska. This has a Private Mailing Card back. Circa 1902. Mailed to someone in Sweden.

     About this time, Kodak also introduced a service which facilitated making postcards from any type of photograph, so the postcard craze quickly became very fashionable.

     Several factors accounted for the popularity of photographic postcards in the years just before the First World War. In 1898, the United States Post Office had announced that Rural Free Delivery of the mail would be provided for groups of farmers who petitioned their congressmen. Until that time, free home delivery had been made only in towns of ten thousand or more residents—roughly twenty-five percent of the country’s population…

     The change to Rural Free Delivery was not instantaneous, but by 1906 most of the delivery routes had been established, and rural agents were bringing daily mail to isolated homes and farms all across the country. In a few short years, this apparently minor shift in mail delivery policy united the entire nation in an efficient communications network. Previously, many people had made the trip into town for their mail only once a week, but, with the new system in effect, the mail could be counted on to arrive every day, and people began to use the mails differently. Rural daily newspaper experienced a tremendous increase in circulation, and on a more personal level, and invitation to a Saturday night dance could be mailed safely a day in advance (From: Prairie Fires and Paper Moons: The American Photographic Postcard 1900-1920, by Hal Morgan and Andreas Brown, published by David R. Godine, Boston, 1981).

     Before World War 1, America was entering the modern era. Both the automobile and the airplane had been invented and the country was becoming less agrarian and more urbanized. Cities were being populated by immigrants from around the world and many of them found their way to a photography studio for a post card image of themselves that they could send back to family in the home country. 

004-Decorated bicycles were a vital prop in parades and other community events.  Message on back reads: 9/27/09 – Dear Ednah: Just got home from the N. W. depot. Nellie & I walked over with Clarence.  He is going to Iowa City. McKee is back again. I suppose he came back to see Maude. Your folks went out in the country. Saw Lucia. Postmarked: Maquoketa, Iowa Sept. 29, 1909. Photographer: THE HAMELY STUDIO, MAQUOKETA,  IOWA.

     This new era also saw Victorian dress styles give way to new fashion trends and many women were inspired by the new modern woman represented in illustration of the “Gibson Girl.” Post cards from this era documented the trends as women began wearing more leisurely fashionable clothing.

     Professional photographers continued to take untold numbers of studio shots and because post cards were less expensive to make, the practice ultimately led to the demise of the popular cabinet card and the tintypes of the late 19th century. Traveling photographers took vernacular images as they traveled from town to town, documenting life in the places they visited, and local photographers produced a seemingly limitless amount of RPPCs of their small towns and villages. Amateur photographers were also taking images that were produced as real photo post cards.

     The formality around sitting for a portrait abated somewhat after the turn of the century.  This was achieved, in part, by the faster film speeds that were used to make RPPCs. The stiff, formal portraits of their Victorian counterparts, where the sitters often had to use a studio neck brace to keep from moving during a longer exposure, were replaced with post cards of sitters that were more natural and relaxed.  

     The following group of real photo post cards, although just a very modest representation of the countless millions that were produced, are an evocative record of the period. There is a connectedness to the images because, for the most part, the subjects chose how they would be represented.

005-Handwritten note reads: The “Saturday Evening Post” boy in Palm Beach Seminole Sun Dance. March 13, 14, 15 1919. W. Palm Beach, Florida.

     For bicycle history enthusiasts like myself, the post cards all have, besides the social history content, the added element of one or more bicycles in the image, fittingly illustrating how the bicycle represented modernity.  In a sense, the RPPCs were an incipient form of instant messaging; a way to quickly convey a note or image to someone at a distance.

     The popularity of post cards soared during this period and many of the RPPCs are unique, one-of-a-kind images that were collected and saved at the time, in just about every household, in albums designed specifically for them. That’s why so many have survived until this day. They sometimes contained a note on the back that said “this card is for your collection.”

     Many of the postcards from this period retain a charm that exposes an intimate look into the day to day lives of the people portrayed. They are a revealing window into that lost world.

 

NOTE ON THE IMAGE CAPTIONS:

     Any messages written on the back of the cards are set in italic type. When the photographers back stamp or imprint is present, it is set in capital letters. Notes and supplementary dating are in roman type. On cards that were not dated or postmarked, the stamp box or the post card back is used to approximate the date of the card.

006-Young boy with his finely decorated bicycle. Circa 1910.

007-Looks like a well-to-do group of friends, perhaps on a Sunday outing. Circa 1910. Love the ladies’ hats.

008-Very detailed interior view of a bicycle shop. Date on calendar is June 1912.

009-Large commercial tractor pulling several wagons.  Text on tractor reads: Emerson Landscaping Company. Message on back reads: Hello, I heard you had moved to plaza so I thought I’d drop a line and hear how you like it. I like this country (Montana) fine. I am 15 miles from R.R. but we live all the same, it sure can’t be beat for nice weather and working for Henry Torgriscomb (sp) and like it fine, if you receive this could please let me hear from u at once. Picture of an outfit we sold. Maurice. Postmarked; Absarokee, Montana April 27, 1916.

010-Family portrait. Young boy with tricycle. Message on back reads: Mom’s Uncle Tom Ingalls, his wife Victona, Daughter Bess; Bell not in picture. Grandson Tom Sauvain.  Uncle Tom had run a nail in his foot. Amputated leg because of it. Circa 1910.

011-Fine view of an early commercial truck. Samuel Mahon Company wholesale grocer. Postmarked: Pittsburg, Illinois October 3, 1918 and mailed to someone in Canton, Illinois. Since his time in the Union Army, during the Civil War, Mahon was known as Major Samuel Mahon. He operated his very successful wholesale grocery business in Ottumwa and Iowa City, Iowa.

012-Mitchell’s Sanitary Bakery horse-drawn wagon. Message on the back reads: Dear Friend, I am going to write to you soon. I think of you often. We are all well. With Love, Laddie. Postmarked: Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, December 16, 1908 and mailed to someone in Penobscot, Maine.

013-The establishment of Oscar L. Hay, the magistrate and famous marrying squire. Message reads:  Best wishes for you and congratulations to the “Lucky Fellow.” Are you coming down to Old Kentucky on your honeymoon? I met your brother Ross and liked him very much indeed. Let me hear from you just for old times sake. Jno. Quinn was married Sunday and I was best man. Your sincere friend, A.L.C. Nelson County, Ky. Mailed to a lady friend in Afton, Virginia. Postmarked: Louisville, Ky. November 14, 1910.

014-Two clowns. The bicycle has a horn plus its rear axel is off center, no doubt for the comic effect.  Circa 1910.

015-Family group. No location indicated. Dad with his shotgun and the family dog. His wife Ida doesn’t look like a woman you want to mess with. Subjects identified on the back as L.W. Hatt, Sr., Ida Hatt, sons, left to right: Lewis W., Roll P., and Garrett. About 1908.

016-Bicycle repair shop interior with numerous saddles and sundries on the wall and in the glass cases. No location indicated. Circa 1910.

017-Rider in blackface with a decorated bicycle. Today, images like this are considered racist and certainly an unfortunate part of our history.  The rampant racism a hundred years ago was more overt. The rider appears to be dressed like the afro-haired character in his bicycle decorations. This was perhaps a product mascot from a bygone day. Likely at a fair somewhere. No location indicated but the back of the card appears to be British. Circa 1910.

018-Group of bicycle performers on high-wheel bicycles. No doubt doing old-time stunts. Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. Circa 1910.

019-British postcard. Message on the back reads: Taken 22nd August, 1917. Police – Royal Household, Section based at Windsor or Buckingham Palace. They likely went about warning people during an air raid.

020-Street scene in Lenox, Iowa. Circa 1910.

021-Very fine view of Bryant Brothers Bicycle Shop, Noble Street, Anniston, Alabama. Circa 1910.

022-Commercial bakery with Coca Cola and Orange Crush signs. No location indicated. Circa 1930.

023-All were proud to pose for the camera at the corner drug store in Syracuse, New York, with Syracuse Ice Cream sign. Circa 1910.

024-This looks to be a lumber yard. Black courier with a satchel over his shoulder.  Circa 1910. Message on back reads: The Negro Messenger Boy.

025 – A traveling musician. Message reads: Here is an autograph for your collection, Muriel dear. Also, a picture of a genius boy. He could sure play the piano. Love, Bob xxx  June 1, 1942.

026-The man in the image is wearing trouser clips so he was likely out for a ride and had an impromptu run in with his lady friends. There is an Oldsmobile dealership in the background. The card is unposted. The photographer’s blind stamp reads: LIBERTY STUDIO, 164 SO. STATE ST., SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.  Circa 1910.

027-Either a dangerous, early biker gang or a local bicycle club. No location indicated. Circa 1910.

028-Interior view of a bicycle shop. Centralia, Washington. Note on the back says the bicycle shop was owned by the lady in the photo. Circa 1910.

029-The Columbus Gas and Light Company and the Columbus RR [Rail Road] Company, Columbus, Georgia, Circa 1910.

030-Lovely view of an elegant lady and her bicycle. Circa 1910. Great Britain.

031-Motor Paced cycling. Rider not identified. Although quite dangerous, these were popular in the early 1900s. These postcards were sometimes called Glory Cards – cards of racers posing with their bicycles for posterity. The image often represented the zenith of their careers. Photographer: VERLAG FPANZ MARTIN, LEIPZIG, Germany Circa 1910.  

“The phenomenon of “Pacing”–a word used to describe the aerodynamic and athletic technique by which one cyclist benefits by riding in the slipstream either of another single cyclist, a multicycle or motor-driven pacing machine–made it possible for cyclists to ride faster and further, and gave rise to the systematic organization of pacing to achieve record speeds and distances. Overcoming wind-resistance was understood very early on–even in the high-wheel days–to be a crucial factor in bicycle racing, and continues to this day to be the most fundamental technical and tactical aspect of the sport.” From: Quest for Speed – A History of Early Bicycle Racing 1868-1903 by Andrew Ritchie, 2011.

032-Group of surveyors. No location indicated. Circa 1910.

033-Bicycle shop on left with Racycle bicycles in the window. Postmarked: Boston, Massachusetts, September 10, 1908. Mailed to someone is Waldoboro, Maine.

034-View of W.F. Crisman’s grocery store with boxes of both Toasted Corn Flakes and Indian Corn Flakes in window. A postcard display rack can also be seen. Message reads: Dear Friend, Rcv. Your card. I will send you a picture of the store we inhabit. The fellow in the sweater is my old man. It is a swell likeness. I tell you I am going to write someday. When you are taking pictures don’t forget dish No, 67. You know I value that highly. Mama & Papa are here assisting. She says hello. Love to all. Leila. Addressed to someone in Wilber, Nebraska. Not mailed but most likely sent in an envelope for someone’s collection. Circa 1908.

035-Occupational. Carpenters and brick layers for the Burgner Bowman Lumber Company. Circa 1910. William Mitchell and Friends, taken at Caney, Kansas.

036-The crew at Woods Market. Somewhere in Michigan. Circa 1920. 

037-Another bicycle repair shop. No location indicated. Circa 1910. Posters in the window for the Harvey Stock Company Repertoire performance at the local opera house.

038-Christmas scene with large tricycle and other gifts under the tree. Message reads: Your card – see half the things on the tree but you can see a little how it looks. No location indicated. Circa 1910.

039-Clown advertising a six-hour bicycle race. The sign reads: 6 hour – 2 man teams – Bicycle Race – Fairgrounds – Sun, August 25^th – Admission 25 cents – Grand Stand Free – 15 Teams Expected to Compete – 10 Bicycles and Other Prizes to Date.   No location indicated. Circa 1920.

040-Street view of Wilson Drug Store, Dayton, Ohio. Corner of Linden & Fifth with Coca Cola and Moxie signage. 8/14/10. Message reads: Find the proprietor. Addressed but not mailed to someone in Mendon, Ohio.

041-B.E. Northup’s Lunch Room, restaurant and Pool Room.  Somewhere in New York state. Circa 1910.

042-A wooden-decked velodrome. Postmarked: New Haven, Connecticut. September 12, 1910. Note on the back reads: Frank, do you recognize this place. Carrie. Mailed to Frank Mihlon, 152 Market St., Newark, New Jersey. Frank Mihlon was the financial backer of the Newark Velodrome. He purchased the Newark Cycling Franchise from John Chapman - part of the circuit that included New Haven, Connecticut.

043-Somewhere in France. Circa 1910. 

044-Commercial building. Otter River, Massachusetts. Dated: 11/5/11 Message reads: Hope your eyes will improve Lou. Very glad to hear from you. The enclosed clipping re: Sandford may be of interest. Can you recognize me on the right? My engineer on left.

045- Group of young women enjoying a bucolic summer day. The place was no doubt decorated with 4^th of July bunting. The lady on the right, in the top row, is holding a pair of binoculars. Postmarked: Lewiston, PA July 22, 1909. Message reads: Write soon. We live at 113 Penne-Baker Ave now and we would like to hear from you. This is a picture of our camp. We were down at the pines for one week. Ruth. Mailed to someone in Fort Screven, Georgia.

046- Parade float with decorated bicycles. No location indicated. Miles Bros. must have been a department store. Signs on the float read: Leaders of Style – Low Price Markers and Largest Assortment. This was no doubt for a 4^th of July parade. Circa 1910.

047- Down on the farm. A family gathering. No location indicated. Circa 1910.

048- A cycling and acrobatic demonstration at a street fair in Clearfield, Iowa. Unusual with a woman performer. Photographer: J. W. McNEES, CRESTON, IOWA. Postmarked: Clearfield, Iowa December 16, 1911. Message reads: Dear momma: Well I wear a 7 ½ ring. Will be home Tuesday the 19th. Gee.

049- A patriotic young cyclist, preparing for the local 4^th of July parade. No location indicated. Note on the back reads: Merrill this July 4^th 1910.

050- R. Elias’ Store, and Post Office, Whittier, New Hampshire. Scene with both bicycles and a motorcycle. Postmarked: West Ossipee, New Hampshire, December 7, 1917. Message reads: Dear Elsie, Ernest and I is coming down tomorrow on the first train in the morning Sat. 8. Will you tell Father to meet us or if he can’t can you? I wrote you so to be sure you get it. Didn’t know as they would go to the box in heat. C.E.Grace.

051-Yonkers Store, Allegany County, Maryland, a popular tourist spot. Postmarked: Flintstone, MD, August 13, 1928. Message reads: We stopped here to get oil and gas and are going up this tower. We went 200 miles yesterday and we over Washington now. Have went up 3 big hills and have 3 more to go up. Ellie.

052-Circa 1905 French postcard, mailed by the woman on the bicycle to C. Duplais, Inspector of Police, Sancoins, France. Message reads (translated from the French): My Dear Duplais, I learned from Mrs. DuPlais, who gave me a ticket in Marrouejarz, (sp?) that you are suffering with pain. I hope with all my heart that the air of this beautiful France will return you to health soon. Choose a good corner of your country to recover. I very much regretted my absence during your stay at (illegible city name) in search of (illegible). Sincere friendship from, Stella. It’s unclear why she sent the police inspector this note along with a naked photo of herself.

053-Two young ladies on a bicycle outing. Wheeler, Wisconsin. Unposted. Circa 1910.

054-Backyard portrait. Great pair of old-time striped denim coveralls on the central rider. No location indicated. Circa 1910.

055-A charming and engaging portrait of five young boys and their bicycles. Circa 1910. No location indicated.

056-Postmarked: Fort Wayne, Indiana, August 24, 1914. Message reads: Dear Cousins, I am slow about writing. We are well as usual. Hope you are enjoying good health. Will write more next time ans. From Wilbur & Dossie, 936 Herman Street. Mailed to someone in Roanoke, Indiana.  

057-Group of lady cyclists with their decorated bicycles. Postmarked: Lynn, Massachusetts, September 24, 1907. No message. Mailed to someone in the city of Lynn.

058-Studio portrait of a young man and his bicycle. He is smoking a cigarette so he obviously didn’t ride a bicycle for its health benefits. French, circa 1910. 

059-H.C. Cottrell & Sons Store and Post Office. Numerous product posters in the windows. Chesterland, Geauga County, Ohio. Unposted. Circa 1910. MANUFACTURED BY THE LEITER POST CARD CO., LORAIN, OHIO.

060-A young woman and her bicycle. The large siren and the battery that powers her lamp are conspicuously visible. Circa 1920.

061-Street Fair with a trick bicycle rider performing a ramp jump at the Dowagiac Home Coming. Postmarked: Dowagiac Michigan June 24, 1913. Message reads: Dear Friend, It’s been an age since I heard from you so I guess I will write again. Am in Dowagiac for a week. How’s everything in Vicksburg. Ralph Byers. Mailed to a lady friend in Vicksburg, Michigan.

062-Street Fair with clowns, a band and at least one cyclist. Tama, Iowa. Unposted. Circa 1910.

063-Retiring the local donkey-drawn street car. Winfield, Kansas. Circa 1910.

064-Interior view of a bicycle shop. No location indicated. Circa 1910.

065-Early group of American Boy Scouts. No location indicated. Late 1920s.

066-Bellows Falls, Vermont Fair, October 3, 1911 with a rider in blackface. Today, images like this are considered racist.  The rampant racism a hundred years ago was much more overt and is unfortunately part of our history. Message reads: I am sending you a view of our street fair. Hope you are feeling better. Don’t go to the mountains next time – come here and you won’t be sick. Jenni. Postmarked: October 28, 1911 and mailed to someone in Gardener, Massachusetts. 

067-A group of young cyclists with decorated bicycles and in blackface, likely for a 4th of July parade or some other local event. Wamego, Kansas. Circa 1912. Another racist image from a time gone by.  The racism from this period was rampant, even among cyclists, as evidenced by the unfair treatment that Marshall “Major” Taylor, a world champion cyclist, received because of his skin color.  In the 1890s, a contingent of southern cyclists, who made up a sizeable portion of the membership of the League of American Wheelmen, had threatened to leave the organization if blacks were allowed to join. They pressured the League to amended their charter to read that the LAW was for “white” cyclists only.

068-Occupational. Group of road construction workers. No location indicated. Circa 1910.

069-Messenger service delivery riders. No location indicated. Message reads: Helen, keep this as I only had three. I sent ma one and you and I have one left. December 18, 1918. The riders are also identified on the back.

070-Interesting scene at a hunter’s camp with dogs and bicycles. No location indicated. Circa 1910.

071-French postcard. Cyclist with a decorated bicycle and an early Michelin Tire character. Photographer:  R. GUILLEMINOT, BOESPFLUG et CIS – PARIS.  Only message on back reads: Monsieur Dali. Circa 1930. Possibly the artist Salvador Dali.

072-Long distance riders leaving on a transcontinental excursion. Photographer: PATTON POST CARD CO., SALEM, OREGON. Sign on the bicycles reads: Portland to New York. Circa 1912.

073-In 1825, General LaFayette rode in this historic coach. Photographer: HEBERT A. MEYER & CO., JORDAN, N.Y.  Circa 1910.

074-Post Office for the city of Oxford. No state indicated. Circa 1910.

075-Transcontinental rider. Circa 1920. A note on another copy of this postcard read: This outfit was in Worden [possibly Oregon] July 4th on way to New York. He is a crippled man and suppose you may see him in Utah sometime this fall. It is worth seeing as it is quite a rig. Dogs look fat and sleek and so does the man. He sure has been looking on the sunny side of life this summer as he hasn’t had a cloudy day for eight months. Not a cloud for eight months? Now that doesn’t sound like an exaggeration. He was no doubt selling postcards of himself along the way.

076-Group of French soldiers with a bicycle. Circa 1918.

077-Looks like a celebration before a big baseball game although many of the marchers are holding rifles.  Postmarked: Albany, Oregon, November 17, 1915. Message reads: Dear Ray, Yours received am glad you are back from the hills and having such a good time. Am attending revival meetings here now. And busy as ever. I haven’t been to a dance since I came home. Almost forgot dances. Have a good time for me. Will write a letter in a few days. As ever, M.R. Mailed to someone in Walterville, Oregon.

078-Postmarked: Manitowoc, Wisconsin, March 20, 1916. Message reads: This is a photo of Albert’s wheel after that fellow ran over him. I took it to the repairman yesterday. A.C.P. Mailed to someone in Waldron, Arkansas. The sprocket has the name DAYTON as part of the design, a bicycle manufacturer. The brand was produced from 1895 until 1918 by the Davis Sewing Machine Company of Dayton, Ohio.

079-Another bicycle mishap. No location indicated. The young cyclist has a nice bruise on his head. Circa 1920.

080-Family group. Unposted but addressed to someone in Mt. Victory, Ohio from Jacque Lafontaine in Thessalon, Ontario. Circa 1910.

081-Rider on the left is Wilfrid Westwood, the tallest and heaviest boy in the world. At the age of 11 years he weighed 341 pounds. Born at Foxton, New Zealand. The girl on the right is his sister Ruby. At 13 years of age, she weighed 278 pounds. They were booked for a time with the Fitzgerald Brothers Circus. Circa 1915.

082-Interesting scene although no location is indicated. Dated on the back: September 5, 1910. Perhaps a Labor Day celebration or the first day back at school.

083-Postmarked May 19, 1910. Somewhere in Minnesota.  There Is a long message on the back, in pencil, but unfortunately it’s too faded to transcribe. 

084-Two riders on a tandem bicycle. The one on the left, with the dark glasses, might be blind. No location indicated. Circa 1910.

085-Young boy on a decorated bicycle, perhaps advertising a product his father sold. Note on the back says Co-operative Wholesale Society. All the products advertised are soaps: C.W.S. Solvo, Microl Soap, Minerva Soap, White Winsor Soap, and Congress soap. They all appear to be products of the C.W.S. Ltd., CWS Soap Works, Irlam, Manchester, Great Britain. Circa 1910.

086-Post Office, Hancock, New Hampshire.  April 17, 1911. Message reads: Hello. How are you. If you see where I am rite me. Yours truly. Addressed to someone in Deposit, New York but not postmarked. 

087-Looks like another dangerous gang of bikers in front of Lyles & Jagger’s store. No location indicated. Circa 1910.

088-Rider with his bicycle and trophy. Another glory card. No location indicated. Circa 1920.

089-Post Office, Sanford, New York. Posted November 26, 1917.  Message reads: Hello Maudie, How are you these days.  I have got three musk rats. Father got me a 22 revolver to shoot musk rats. I was down town today. We have got only one day vacation at school. Mailed to Maudie Whitney in Deposit, New York.

090-Interesting street view, postmarked: Hammond, Indiana December 1, 1908. Photographer:  A.J. SCHUMANN, MAKER. 4070 LAKE AVE. CHICAGO. Mailed to someone in Indiana.

091-Rider with a Smith Motor Wheel attached to his bicycle. Circa 1920. No location indicated. A 1916 advertisement for the product stated: One short ride is your introduction and in a few moments you are on friendly terms with this new travel comrade. It attaches in five minutes to any bicycle. Two easy turns of the pedals send the power flowing into the steel sinews of your wheel and you coast magically along. There is a simple “grip” control – a turn of the wrist gives you 4 to 20 miles, as you choose. No troublesome levers, belts, clutch, or transmission. Your new steed needs but a gallon of gasoline for up to 125 miles, and any bicycle road – uphill or down – invites you. No special riding togs are needed – you travel the clean way… More than 10,000 in circulation. The O.A. Smith Company was from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

092-Intense portrait of a group of riders who were possibly professional racers. One is wearing an Xcelsior Motorcycle shirt. No location indicated. Circa 1910.

093-The shop of E.R. DeWitt, Harness Manufacturer and maker of trunks and valises. Postmarked: Lincoln, Maine July 13, 1911. Message reads: Donts you want a good man in the hay field. I am looking for a job. It is too hot to work in this shop. E.R. Mailed to someone in Levant, Maine.

094-Main Street, Bellows Falls, Vermont. Not posted. This parade was to say goodbye to the troops who were leaving to participate in the Poncho Villa Expedition, now known officially in the United States as the Mexican Expedition but originally referred to as the Punitive Expedition. It was an unsuccessful military operation conducted by the United States Army against the paramilitary forces of Mexican revolutionary Francisco “Poncho” Villa from March 14, 1916, to February 7, 1917, during the Mexican Revolution. The expedition was launched in retaliation for Villa’s attack on the town of Columbus, New Mexico, and was the most remembered event of the Mexican Border War (info from Wikipedia).

095-Jordan’s Store, Clayville, N.Y. Postmarked: Utica, New York, September 14, 1907. Message reads: Sauquoit, New York 9/14/07. Dear Cousin’s. Your card received yesterday. Many thanks. I will send you this one of the store where I went the morning I carried you over. The train came just after I got there. The R.R. tracks are just back of their store. G.S. is feeling better than when you were here. We think some of going to Kane next week if he continues to improve. I had a card from E. Thursday – he had a nice trip but was rather sleepy. Hope to hear from you again. Your cousin, Mrs. J. G. H. Mailed to Morrisville, New York. Photographer: MANNING, PHOTO, UTICA, NY.

096-L.O. Sand’s store with bicycle in the window. This was likely a hardware store. Postmarked in Minnesota but date illegible. Circa 1910. Message reads: The extras for your store has been here for some time. Charges & freight amount to $4.95. Yours truly, L.O. Sand. Mailed to someone in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. 

097-Advertising parade float for Milleville Brothers, a tin and asphalt roofing contractor. No location indicated. Circa 1920.

098-Clark Roberts Store. Not posted. Circa 1915. Label on the back has an address in Canastota, New York. More recent note reads: Melvin Roul, Clark Roberts Store, late 1915-1920, corner Canal & Peterboro. Occupied by Corning Baker Shop. 

099-Interesting group portrait of four Latinos with their decorated bicycle. Possibly in Mexico. Circa 1930.

100- A dismal scene for any cyclist. Unposted. Circa 1920. Note on the back reads: Dear Jim and Pem.  Just to wish you the compliments of the season. Near this delightful place I am going to spend my Christmas. Love you all. No location indicated but someplace in Great Britain. 

101-Postmarked: Zimmerman, Minnesota, August 7, 1913.  Message reads: Zimmerman, Aug. 7, Dear Sis: Come & meet me Friday morning, please. Frida. Interesting signage. Pool Room and Confectionery. Child with ice cream cone and early motorized bicycle.  Mailed to her sister in Minneapolis.

102-French postcard. Circa 1920. A rough translation of the message on the back reads: My dear aunt, I am sending you a photo of George with his pupils. I point out to you that we are married to some who do everything in front of our garage. (illegible word) where George went to school and gave driving lessons to poor George was bad luck.

103-Three young cyclists from back in the day when it was cool to smoke. French postcard. Circa 1910.

104-The British Army Airship "Gamma" with numerous spectators and their bicycles. In the early 1900's, the United Kingdom experimented with dirigibles for military purposes. In 1910, the Astra Company in Paris, built parts, if not all, the components for some airships for the UK. The Gamma was completed in February of that year."  By June 1910, Gamma had a new car fitted with a shorter framework, 21 feet long and 16 feet wide; the forward and aft elevators were replaced with a box-like tail plane, and the inflated fins with fixed types..., it became known as the Gamma II, able to carry six people - crew and passengers (although nine were carried at the 1912 army maneuvers) - as well as wireless equipment and enough fuel for an eight-hour journey," (from British Airships 1905-30, by Ian Castle).  Only after at least two changes of the Gamma's envelope and many other changes did she become the "Gamma II" being first called so in the media in September, 1912, after being fitted with its larger, 101,000 cu foot envelope. The Gamma was a "trail blazer" for British airships from 1910 to 1914. She underwent many modifications and improvements in her 4 years of operation, and had proven herself a capable vehicle, and provided many design improvements to later airships (the Delta and Eta for example) by the time she, and the other active airships of the Royal Air Service were suddenly turned over to the Royal Navy on 1 Jan, 1914.

105-No location indicated. Circa 1920. Note on the back says Arvid and friend. 

106-No location indicated. Possibly British. Circa 1910. Numerous experiments were carried out in the late 19th century to determine the possible role of bicycles and cycling within military establishments, primarily because they can carry more equipment and travel longer distances than walking soldiers. The development of pneumatic tires coupled with shorter, sturdier frames in the late 19th century led military establishments to investigate their applicability. To some extent, bicyclists took over the functions of dragoons, especially as messengers and scouts, substituting for horses in warfare.  Bicycle units or detachments were in existence by the end of the 19th century in most armies. The United Kingdom employed bicycle troops in militia or territorial units, rather than in regular units. Essentially this reflected the popularity of cycling amongst the civilian population and the perceived value of bicycles in providing increased mobility for home defense units.

107-The new Oneonta, New York fire engine pumper in front of the Oneonta Hotel. Circa 1910.

108-Rapid transit in 1910. Middletown, Ohio. Donkey drawn railway car for the O H. & D. Traction Company. 

109-Circa 1912 postcard. Printed on the back: The signature below is none other than that of the velocipedist photographed with the bicycle, which, after twenty years of rest, left Villiers in August 1912 to go to Paris via Joigny, Orleans, Le Mans, Carhaix, Brest, Saint-Brieue and Aleneon. This is the same bicycle that made the 1st Paris to Brest and return excursion in September 1891. Signed: Souvenir of G. Duval.

110-This card has a DOPS stamp box which dates it to between 1925-1942. So this is a second generation issue from an 1890s image. Judge Roy Bean, a self-appointed justice of the piece, was from Langtry, Texas. He carried out his form of frontier justice from his combination saloon/courtroom. Both the village of Langtry and the original the Jersey Lilly Saloon, seen here in the postcard, were reportedly named after Lillie Langtry, an English actress that the judge was infatuated with. Though they never met, she visited the saloon in 1904 not long after the judge had died from a drinking spree at the age of 78.

111-A circa 1910 postcard of cyclist Tom Grave.   It was pointed out to me by a cycling specialist that “this is not a proprietary frame and bicycle. It’s a ‘special’ and made for a one-off attempt at a pacing record. The various elements of the bicycle are a small sturdy, heavily built frame taking what look like 26” diameter heavy duty wheels, a huge chain wheel, but straight handlebars, so no attempt at streamlining. This bike was built to go behind a ‘shelter’ – either a car or behind a railway train, like Mile-a-Minute Murphy behind a train in 1899. I would guess that the curiously padded suit and long boots (not real cycling gear) were for the same reason. I can’t quite work out how that headgear worked. It looks as if it might have been a full face helmet of some sort. I think your photo of Tom Grave is of a man equipped for a cycle speed record, but I can’t find him in any of the record books, so maybe he was not successful. But that is certainly what the bicycle is.” Message on back reads: Dear Miss Deer, hope you will like this card. Lone Rod. Addressed to: Miss Deer, Deer Family, Pavilion, Newcastle on Tyne.

112-Store interior with a selection of bicycles for sale on the right hand side. No location indicated. Circa 1910.

113-Street scene in Arcade, New York with bakery shop and laundry. Postmarked September 23, 1911. Mailed to someone in Sweden. Text written in the Swedish language.  

114-Image of a group of young friends under what looks like a very old oak tree. No location indicated although the photographer’s blind stamp on the back is W.W. DEATRICK, KUTZTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA.  Dated May 3, 1910.

115-Circa 1912 image of the west side of Main Street, in Homer, Illinois.  Race between a five-dog wagon hitch and an early Indian motorcycle.

116-Yet another dangerous looking bicycle gang. Postmarked August 8, 1914, Sullivan, Wisconsin. Message on the back reads: Dear Sis, Many thanks for the lamp you bought me. I am fine. How is the world using you?  What do you think of this card? My bicycle is broke. My love, Brother Josie.

117-No location indicated. Dated on the back: June 1, 1914.

118-Circa 1910 pacer and stayer. No location indicated although this appears to be a French postcard. The cyclist (or stayer) follows closely behind the pacer to take advantage of the slipstream.  In the late nineteenth century, cyclists followed riders on tandem bicycles and there could be as many as five pacers riding on a single tandem bicycle. By the early 20th century, the sport had changed to motor pacing which was much faster and more dangerous. Cyclists often attained speeds of 50mph or more by peddling behind a motorized pacer. Because of the long distances covered when following a pacer, these cyclists were called stayers, a term that was from long-distance horse racing. 

119-Group of young men playing with dice, eating watermelon and drinking what looks like ginger ale. Circa 1910. No location indicated.

120-Los Angeles, California. An 18 engine fire at the Byrne Building with what might be an early motorcycle in the foreground. Dated February 16, 1911.

121-Postmarked Bluffton, North Dakota – October 11, 1908.  Possibly a Columbus Day celebration, with a woman cyclist riding across a suspended cable with an acrobat in tow.

122-Interesting character study of three young men, possibly siblings. No location indicated. Circa 1910.

123-Another interesting character study. No location indicated. Message reads: At the end of a 30 mile ride. Sept. 4, 1908.

124-Photographer Hermann Walter, Leipzig Gottschedstr 24, Germany. A number of delivery vehicles and bicycles for Lewis Rothe, a local merchant. Circa 1910.

125-A circa 1910 bicycle race somewhere in Germany. None of the riders are identified. 

126-An interesting aviation scene. Even though this image was taken over a decade after the Wright Brothers first flight, the sight of an airplane still elicited wonder. No location indicated. Early 1920s.

127- The rider is identified as Miss Effie Hughes. Interesting scene with the rider posed in front of a bicycle shop and a large Barnum & Bailey Circus poster on the building in the distance. Circa 1910.

128-Early postcard scene at Stonehenge, located on a chalky plain north of the modern-day city of Salisbury, England. Circa 1920.

129-A wonderful patriotic scene of Ben Franklin Copp Jr. who was riding in the 4th of July parade. No location indicated. Circa 1910.

130-Circa 1910 postcard of a group of Boy Scouts from Pittsfield, Massachusetts.

131-No doubt a staged shot for the photographer. A couple of young dudes out on a big camping adventure. Fella on the left is holding some playing cards and a hand gun. Interesting that he is also wearing a tie. Seems rather formal for camping out. Circa 1910 unposted postcard. There are rifles, pistols, fishing poles, a lantern, a deck of cards and of course a bicycle. They were ready for anything. 

132-Circa 1910 occupational postcard with a group of telephone linemen. No location indicated.

133-Fun scene from Whitmore Lake, Michigan, postmarked August 11, 1913. Message on the back sent to someone named Cora in Port Huron, Michigan: Just a look to show you I have not forgotten you and just a line in reply. Yours, Len.

134-A decorated bicycle with the subject advertising Palmer Tyres, a British tire manufacturer that started in 1895. The poem on the container he is holding reads: With any load, on roughest roads, with many miles, the postman smiles, with Palmer’s. Circa 1910.

135-An inventive rider with a bicycle modified to ride on pontoons. No location indicated. Circa 1912.

136-Café de la Peste in Royan, France. Circa 1910. This was a resort town and a popular tourist seaside destination along the Atlantic Ocean side of southwestern France. Parisian artists often visited Royan, as it was considered a haven from growing hostilities felt in Paris from the Nazis in the late 1930s and early 1940s. It was one of Picasso’s favorite destinations. He visited a hotel and villa in the area throughout the 1930s and kept a full studio on one floor of an oceanfront house. The views from his studio influenced several of his works and he may have produced a sketch of this cafe. He was in Royan in September 1939 when the war with Germany was declared. 

137-Bicycle daredevil by the name of LaBard performing a stunt with his bicycle. No location indicated. Circa 1910.

138-Another decorated rider with a bicycle covered in advertisements for different products. Possibly a grocer or a product salesman at a local fair. Above the front wheel of his bicycle is a platform with what could be samples of his products. Possibly from Kettering, an industrial town in Northamptonshire, England, some 70 miles north of London. Blind stamp on the back of the card reads: Spencer Percival, Press Photographer, Kettering.

139-A Slow Bicycle Race where the slowest contestant or the one with the longest time wins. Photographer: G. E. Mills, Liverpool, England. 1909.

140-A group of friends clowning around with their bicycles. The handlebars on the bicycles are made from antlers. Somewhere in Germany, circa 1910.

141-Two riders who have their bicycles connected with a bicycle coupler. These became popular in the late Victorian period. French postcard but no location indicated. Circa 1910. The next image is an advertisement for a bicycle coupler from an American manufacturer.

141a-An 1896 advertisement for a bicycle coupler similar to the ones used in image 141 and 142. 

142-Another circa 1910 postcard with the riders using a bicycle coupler. A postcard from the USA but no location indicated. No doubt an early taxi service, possibly associated with a hotel. Love the front tire on the closest cyclist.

143-British postcard postmarked in Norwich, England in 1907. I wonder who was having the most fun on this ride.

144-Circa 1910 postcard of Beardstown’s steam laundry and dry cleaning delivery truck that is parked in front of the Cottage Hotel where meals were just 25 cents. Beardstown, Illinois.

145-Two riders with decorated bicycles. A European postcard, possibly Great Britain, although no location indicated. Circa 1910.

146-A hand-colored postcard of a young woman with her decorated bicycle. Apparently the ornamentation won her first prize. No location indicated but it looks to be a British postcard. Circa 1910.

147-An elaborately decorated bicycle. No location indicated but it looks to be a British postcard. In the enclosed area, beneath the text WINTER, are three stuffed birds. Likely part of a festival that celebrated the seasons. Circa 1910. 

148-A 1907 image of Cromwell Dixon flying his Sky Cycle. Back in the day when the nation was still obsessed with aviation, following the first historic flight by the Wright brothers, Cromwell became intrigued with flying and developed his flying bicycle known as the "Sky-Cycle."  From Columbus, Ohio, Cromwell was intrigued with mechanical devices from early childhood and he could fix or build just about anything. Before he was 12, he had already built a mini-roller coaster and a motorcycle. He built his Sky Cycle, seen here, in the back yard of his home when he was only 14 years old and traveled to fairs and other events demonstrating it. By 1910 his interest had shifted to airplanes and in 1911 he received his pilot’s license. At 19 years of age, he was the youngest pilot in the country. While demonstrating his flying skills at a fairgrounds in Spokane, Washington, that year, a gust of wind caught his plane as it ascended. The fragile craft broke apart and dropped to the bottom of a rocky ravine. As he went down, his last words were “Here I go!”  He died within an hour of being rescued from his injuries. He was only 19 years old.

149-A circa 1910 British postcard of a boot maker’s shop with tons of both men’s and ladies’ boots and shoes on display in the shop windows. A young man with his bicycle is ready to make deliveries, Photographer’s blind stamp on the back reads: W.S. Wood, Bear Street Studios, Barnstaple, a town in North Devon.

150-Interesting character study of three, circa 1910, British cyclists. Photographer: J.L. Wood, Royston, a town and civil parish in the District of North Hertfordshire and county of Hertfordshire.

151-Another engaging character study of three young rifle carrying cyclists. No location indicated. Circa 1910. Photo by: MARS.

152-Nice view of A.J. Miller’s drug store and ice cream shop. No location indicated. Circa 1910.

153-General view of B.H. Latham’s general store in North Windham, Connecticut. Card is postmarked 1929.

154-The view is of a British post office in the village of Marham, a civil parish in the English county of Norfolk, although the card was mailed from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada to someone in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Message on the back reads: December 8, 1912. So sorry to hear of Rev. Chambers death. We are writing to Evelyn. Mrs. Holland has gone South for the winter. CPR [Canadian Pacific Railroad] train held up at Barnet last evening. [Barnet is a district outside of Vancouver, BC] They got $300 and watches. Foggy weather begins. Had tea at Biggs today. Will write soon. Love, E.B. Sign above the door reads: R. Parlett- Grocer and Tea Dealer. Post Office sign reads: Money Order, Savings Bank, Parcel Post, Telegraph, Insurance and Annuity Business. There is a nice, early tandem bicycle in the background.

155-An intriguing postcard of two women. A note on the back indicates the image was taken behind the Sharon Inn, in Sharon, Connecticut. The women are identified as Susie Sharon, perhaps the proprietor, and Blanch Hasbrook, who may have worked for her. Dated 1910. One can only speculate as to the dynamic that existed between these two women.

156 – Circa 1910 postcard of John Knoll’s grocery store, 165 School Street, South Manchester, Connecticut. Who is that hanging from a branch of the tree?

157-A sod house.  Soddies, as they were sometimes called, were a common style of dwelling built in the Prairies of the central United States during the second half of the nineteenth century. They were generally small structures that were cheaply built out of blocks of sod and rudimentary house fittings, such as doors and windows.  Austere living at its finest. No location indicated. Circa 1910.

158-A penetrating portrait of a young mother and her son. She might have been a domestic servant or a midwife. Her dress does not look like any of the nursing outfits I have seen. No location indicated although some place in Europe. Circa 1910. That could be a pistol holster mounted on the down tube, below the handle bars. It wasn’t uncommon for cyclists to carry a pistol with them during this period to protect themselves from attacking dogs and other dangers.

159-Fun portrait of a young woman dressed in men’s clothing and smoking a pipe. Has a faux carnation in her lapel.  A circa 1910 British postcard.

160-Lovely and serene summertime view of a family gathering. No location indicated. Circa 1910.

161- A striking portrait of a mustached rider and his daughter. There is a pistol holster attached to the head tube of the frame. It wasn’t uncommon for cyclists to carry pistols with them during this period to fend away attacking dogs and other dangers. (See the next image). Subjects are identified as John and Mary Brazel. No location indicated. Looks to be from the 1920s.

161a-A circa 1910 advertisement for Smith & Wesson’s bicycle revolver touting its advantages when cycling.

162 – Postmarked Marcus, Iowa, November 30, 1909. The Neiman Hardware Store float in the Marcus parade. The float has numerous items the store offered for sale, including a bicycle. Mailed to Glen Davenport in Cherokee, Iowa. Message on the back reads: Hello Glen, This is one of the Marcus floats. Isn’t it nice? This is the business hardware store float. Answer soon, from Estelle G. 

163-Great circa 1910 postcard of a pool hall in St. Mary's, Ohio with “Bull” Durham smoking tobacco posters and Permit cigar boxes displayed in the window.

164-J. Bailey’s Auto and Bicycle Garage. 1920s. Note on back reads: 45 years same address. Now leaving in March 1927. Further address unknown. Photographers back stamp: FOLADORI & ARIS, THE WINTON STUDIOS, 203 WIMBORNE RD., BOURNEMOUTH. Bournemouth is a coastal resort town on the south coast of England.

165- No location indicated but somewhere in Great Britain. Circa 1910. A rider with a high-wheel tricycle and wearing an outfit that represents the stars-and-stripes and in blackface. Perhaps his outfit is a reflection about how Brits saw Americans at that time. Certainly an unfortunate part of our history. 

166-The same rider from the previous postcard with a friend. Both in blackface. Circa 1910. No location indicated but somewhere in Great Britain.

167-Lovely circa 1910 image of a storefront for International Stores with a young delivery boy and his bicycle. Photographers blind stamp reads: J.A. LATTER, PHOTOGRAPHER, WALLINGFORD. Wallingford is a historic market town located to the south of Oxford, on the River Thames, in England.

168-A three building fire in Chicago, Illinois, postmarked August 1, 1910. Message on back reads: This is the rear view of the fire. The damage amounted to 2,000,000 dollars [which seems quite excessive for the time period]. The fire burnt a whole day. We rec’d Charlie’s card this morning and it was fine. Write and let us know how everybody is. All well here. Darlene.   P.S. Can you find me in this picture.

169-A circa 1910 postcard of Thomas Robson’s shop. He was a bicycle maker in Corbridge. This was a small village in Northumberland, England, about 16 miles west of Newcastle. Numerous bicycles, no doubt of his manufacture, can be seen in the image. Sign above the door reads: T. Robson, cycle maker, Incoe. There is also a graphic sign above the door with his name and an illustration of a safety bicycle. Message on the back reads: Dear B, Excuse writing on hay making. Just now two fields up and one in hills, but no weather this week. One to cut yet. Where is little Hebert now? No word or letter. Our home is lost I’m afraid. Meggie.  P.S. Our John never mentioned any of this.

170-Circa 1920 bicycle shop in Brenzett, a village and civil parish in the Folkestone and Hythe District of Kent, England. A sign for Rudge bicycles and motorcycles can be seen on the upper left corner of the building.

171-Postcard dated July 24, 1908 of a street scene in Hutchinson, Kansas. Note reads: Auto’s waiting to show visiting Elks over the city.  Photographer: Bailey.

172-Circa 1910 postcard of the Universal Store and post office, Lower Stoke, Kent, England. Photographer: P. Johnson.

173-Home construction project, Bryant, Wisconsin, postmarked May 8, 1911. Message on back reads: Dear Sir, Could you tell me where those jack screws are and if I could get them a few days and tell me how many there are and oblige. Yours respectfully, E. Schardor. 

174-Edward Mielke’s blacksmith shop, Galesburg, Wisconsin. Postmarked: September 8, 1908. Message reads: Hello everybody. We are all well. Hope yous the same. I got your letter. This is our shop. From Mrs. Mielke. Mailed to someone in Black Creek, Wisconsin. 

175-A circa 1910 postcard from Carlisle, in the UK, located about 10 miles south of the Scottish border. Message reads: I saw the man do it at Barmouth. He rode his bike right into the sea, off the end of the pier. He was with a splendid woman. 

176-Circa 1910 postcard from an unknown US location. Not sure what was going on here but they all seem to be having fun.

177-Likely a staged scene of a bicycle accident. A French postcard but no location indicated. Circa 1910.

178-Group of military men, possibly French. Circa 1910. No location indicated.

179-Group of trick riders. Possibly German. Circa 1910. 

180-Young man with his bicycle. He no doubt delivered meat products for his employer. Circa 1910. Message on back reads: Edgar’s eldest son, age 21, is a Soutcher. Photographer blind stamp reads: A. E. PIERCE, 158, LANGDALE ROAD, THORNTON HEATH. This is an area of southern Greater London, England.

181-Circa 1910 postcard of a postman on his rounds. No location indicated but it appears to be a British card.

182-Unposted postcard. Circa 1920. No location indicated but somewhere in the US.

183-Young boy with his tricycle. Note on the back reads: As Ivan was dressed, May 30, 1914 when he acted as page to the May queen. No location indicated but somewhere in the US. 

184-Circa 1912 French postcard of a group of soldiers with their bicycles. No location indicated.

185-Plainfield, N.J., circa 1915. The third rider from the left is George Simon who went on to have a bicycle shop at 133 North Avenue, Plainfield, N.J. Plainfield would for many years be the site of the annual Labor Day bicycle race.  Simon was also an amateur racer.

186- Interesting view of the local barber shop. No location indicated. A sign in the window says they gave the best shave in town. The signs on the posts in the foreground, which might be electrical or telephone posts, appears to say $5 fine for tying here. That may be a reference to not tying your horse or carriage to the post. Circa 1910.

187-This individual might be a cobbler (a person who mends shoes for a living). There is a poster in the window of someone working on a shoe and there are soles of shoes visible in the lower left window. A rather prosaic note on the back reads: This is my wife. I have no single picture.  Looks to be circa 1910. No location indicated.

188-Charming postcard of children identified simply as Claud and Emma. Lovely old Wagner wagon. No location indicated but somewhere in the US.

189-A foot race through Wymondham, a market town in the South Norfolk district of Norfolk, England. Sign on building reads: White Heart Commercial Hotel. Circa 1912.

190-Circa 1910 postcard of an unidentified group. Addressed to a Pam Rajala in Michigan but not posted.

191-A circa 1910 postcard of a grocery store at an undisclosed US location. Part of a bicycle can be seen at the far right of the image.

192-An interesting view contrasting a single women cyclist against a group of equestrians. A stark juxtaposition of the old and the new. No location indicated. Circa 1910. 

193-Occupational postcard of a chimney sweep and his helper, likely his son. No location indicated. Looks to be a European card. Circa 1910.

194-Not particularly an interesting image visually but this is one of the earliest real photo postcards I have seen. A German card postmarked on the back: April 14, 1899.

195-Another “glory card” for a French cyclist. Dated 1926, Agen, France, a city in southwest of the country.

196-A Norwegian postcard with the following inscription on the back: Happy New Year, to Morlr’s family. [Signed] Hilmer Astrid. The business name, Balteberga Milk, can be seen in the building’s window. The following card is a close-up of the cyclist in this image.

197-A Norwegian postcard with the following inscription on the back: Happy New Year to Gunnar. The sign on the bike translated to: Balteberga Milk, no doubt the family business name. The cyclist is holding a bottle of milk in one hand and has another in the side pocket of his coat. This is the same cyclist depicted in figure 196.

198-A rider with a Raleigh X-frame gentleman’s roadster. Circa 1910. A British postcard.

199-A family group with their bicycles. No location indicated but somewhere in the USA. Circa 1910.

200-A messenger boy for a postal telegraph service. No location indicated but somewhere in the USA. Circa 1910.

201-I’ve added this image as a cautionary tale. Purchased this on an online auction. The auction page image was a little fuzzy but it’s an awesome image and the seller said it was an original RPPC, so I thought I would take a chance. When it arrived, it was quite evident that it was a fake. There were two large bubbles on the surface that were caused by an air pocket beneath the image from it being poorly glued onto an old postcard to make it look genuine. A magnifying glass revealed that it had the familiar dot pattern of a lithographed image. It’s a great postcard but was clearly made to deceive. Buyer beware.

202-An occupational group of railroad workers with a four-wheeled, pump action, rail velocipede and a safety bicycle that is fitted with a Coey bicycle attachment. A separate advertisement for the Coey attachment reads: Invented and patented by C. A. Coey, Fits any bicycle. Weighs only eight pounds. Can be folded when not in use. Can be attached in three minutes. Greatest seller of the age. Price $12. C.A. Coey & Company, Chicago.   The group in this image are identified as the St. Joseph Valley Railroad Company crew from Angola, Indiana. Dated June 25, 1908.

203-Hand-colored postcard of the Kaufmann Cycling Beauties, one of several trick riding troupes that was formed by the world renown trick rider, Nick Kaufmann. Circa 1910. There were many cabinet cards of Kaufman and later postcards that were distributed to advertise the shows by the Kaufmann Family. A note on the back is from one of the girls depicted in the image. It reads: What do you think of the bevy of beauties. Can you find me, also my sister? Rather highly coloured, don’t you think. Of course I am not with this troupe now. Love, Kitty.  Mailed to someone in Providence, Rhode Island.

204-An undivided back French postcard of an early motorcycle fitted with a wicker side-car. It’s dated Lourdes, August 19, 1911 on the front. Message in French on the back reads: See that we are not afraid to bring mother on the motorbike and come to you for good fun.

205-A 1908 postcard of the “Flower Girls” getting ready for the fourth of July parade in Mount Upton, New York. No message on the back.

206-D. H. Green’s General Store, Indianola, Mississippi. Circa 1915.

207-The Boxer rebellion was an uprising by members of the 'Yihequan' (“Righteous and Harmonious Fists”), a semi-religious sect who were against western imperialism throughout regions of China but mainly in the north East of the country. Hostilities are generally considered to have started with the murder of missionaries and Chinese Christians in Paotingfu in May 1900 and concluded with the signing of the peace treaty on 7th Sep 1901.  The rebellion was put down by an alliance of eight countries including Britain, France, Russia, Germany, Japan, the United States, Italy and the Austro-Hungarian empire. The German forces arrived too late to take part in much of the fighting during the rebellion but they did gain a reputation for brutality in murdering Chinese civilians after the uprising. The majority of German forces had withdrawn by the middle of June 1901. This is a group of German soldiers who were a part of the Feldpost Exposition Reserve Division, possibly stationed in China after the rebellion to maintain the peace. Postmarked February 25, 1915.

208-Another group of German soldiers who were part of the Feldpost Exposition Service. Postmarked May 11, 1910.

209-A group of house painters from Wausau, Wisconsin who clearly rode their bicycles to the work site. Circa 1912.

210-Unposted, Circa 1915 French postcard of a man with his best friend.

211-Unposted, 1930s postcard of Burman’s Resort on Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota.

212-Early, undivided back postcard of a group of cyclists in Wurzburg, Germany. Hard to say what is going on here as two of the standing women are actually men dressed as women. One has a mustache. Postmarked in 1904.

213-Street view of W.T. Widell’s bicycle shop in Bracknell, a town and civil parish in Berkshire, England with window advertisements for Royal Enfield Bicycles. Postmarked in 1915. Note on the back addressed to Edie Darge. Dearest Edie, Just a few lines to say that I am on the way to Wargarve and I am stoping at Barcknell tonight and shall be moving on in the morning. Well Dear, I got back quite safe last night near Waking Station at 8-40. Well Dear, I can’t say how long I shall be up here but the next letter I write I may be able to let you know. Yours ever Thom. Sweetheart, I’m hoping this will find you and mother in the best of health. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx   

214-Circa 1910 postcard of a Russian cyclist. He appears to be holding a whip in in hand, perhaps to fend off dogs. The card is postmarked but the date is illegible. 

215-A pre-1910 postcard of the exterior of W & R Fletcher Ltd, butcher shop, 39a High Street, Stratford Upon Avon, in England. W & R Fletcher were an Australian Company with cold stores, depots & shops in Great Britain. They were taken over by Union Cold Storage Co. around 1910 eventually being badged as Dewhurst the Master Butcher. Love the striped aprons. I imagine the flies that were attracted to the exposed slabs of meat came at no extra charge. 

216-Street scene during the 1910 streetcar strike in Columbus, Ohio. It was a union protest against labor practices by the Columbus Railway and Light Co. The summertime strike began as peaceful protests, but led to thousands rioting throughout the city and injuring hundreds of people. Dated on the back: September 6, 1910. Photo by: Meyers Photo Company, 112 ½ South High Street in Columbus.

217-A circa 1910 postcard of a tailor shop in Piqua, Ohio that was mailed decades later from North Miami Beach, Florida to Alice Steele in West Cummington, Massachusetts in February of 1965. Message reads: Here’s one type you like! Don’t know where it is though. Had dinner last night with Jim McCullough antique dealer from Castleton, Vermont who turns out knows Mr. Parker well too. Lovely down here now. Been swimming all afternoon. Regards to Mr. Steele. Ray.

218-1911 postcard of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Miller, known as the Riding Millers, who were from Toronto, Canada. On a wager, they left Toronto on June 3rd, 1911 on a 10,000-mile excursion across North America. There were numerous "eccentric travelers" making their way around the country in the early 1900s on professed wagers. Some were offered prizes if they completed a certain number of miles or followed the provisions of the "wager." Much of this was just for fun and tomfoolery as their adventures were contrived to get attention and sell postcards -- and hopefully get free food and lodging along the way.

A September 16, 1911 newspaper article in the Buffalo New York Courier described their quest:

MAN AND WIFE HERE ON 10,000 MILE TRIP

E.H.Miller and Youthful Bride Have Covered 3,800 Miles on Bicycles

     With about a third of their 10,000-mile bicycle journey behind them, Mr. and Mrs. Harry E. Miller of Toronto, the “Riding Millers,” as they style themselves, arrived in Buffalo yesterday and called at The Courier office last night. Miller is a determined looking chap, 26 years old, while his wife, a pretty little lass, no bigger than a child, confesses to 19 years. The pair have covered 3,800 miles and have to go 6,200 miles further. If they succeed in their task they are to receive a purse of $1,000 offered by the Toronto Social Club with which the pair will settle down and Henry will engage in business. They are due to arrive in Toronto in May, 1912.

      Mrs. Miller is a vivacious and enthusiastic little woman and eager to do the talking for the pair.

     “We have had a delightful time,” said she, “and so far our trip has been no hardship whatever. We started from Toronto on June 3 of this year and rode to Montreal, Quebec and St. John, N.B., crossing over to Maine and thence down through the New England states to New York City. We have the signatures of the governors of all the states and Mayor Gaynor of New York City. We didn’t linger long in New York, but struck out through Jersey, Delaware and Maryland, thence to Washington, the objective point of the trip. We met the president but he left it to his secretary to sign our book. We came to Buffalo by way of Frederick, Md., thence to Harrisburg, Pa., Wilks-Barre, Scranton, Binghamton, Elmira, Bath, Owego and thence to Buffalo. This was agreed upon before we started and some of our friends are to meet us here with new clothing and tires, after which we will again start toward the south. We did not care to go south until the warm weather had abated.”

     The Millers left Toronto without a single penny and have visited ten states in their travels. They are to make their way without working, existing solely on the sale of postal cards bearing their pictures. When possible they sleep in hotels or where hospitable farmers offer shelter, but many times they have slept with the earth as a mattress and the sky as a canopy. They will stay in Buffalo until Sunday. (My thanks to John Weiss for bringing this article to my attention). It’s remarkable that two foreign travelers could just stop by the White House and speak to the president. How times have changed.

     It’s unclear if they ever finished their 10,000-mile wager but Billboard Magazine reported in January of 1914 that they were performing equestrian acts with the Mighty Haag Shows and would be performing with Howe’s Great London Shows the following season. 

219-Circa 1912 postcard of the Denver Omnibus & Cab Company with company advertising on the back. Unposted.

220-Circa 1910 image of two young cyclists and perhaps their trainer. No location indicated. Love the outfits.

221-Looks like an early motor driven bicycle with a 1915 license plate. The manufacturers name on the gas tank appears to be Ace or Acme Bicycles, but it's not that clear, even under high magnification. This could be a general store that carried lots of bicycle items like tires, gauntlets, etc. No location indicated but a small souvenir pennant flag hanging in the upper central left section of the store reads: Landsend Newport, RI.

222-World War 2 era postcard of four GIs in France. No other identifying info.

223-Looks like a blacksmith shop in Vernon, Ohio. Circa 1910.

224-Circa 1910 postcard of two charming young cyclists. Message on back reads: Dear Helen, From Ruth G. and Faith J.   Ms. Kings have moved in. I am coming down for a long time. Ha ha.

225-Circa 1920 image of Prince and his Master. Appears to be a tricycle designed for an invalid with a single right-hand crank for locomotion, along with Prince’s help. From Higher Hodder, Clitheroe, England.

226-D. Nelson’s Express and Moving Company wagon from Kenosha, Wisconsin. Postmarked 1907. Brief message on the back reads: Why don’t you write? Mailed to Iver Ericson in New Haven, Connecticut.

227-A bucolic country scene. Circa 1910. Subjects identified as Herbert Lacey and Emma Holmes. No location indicated.

228-The photographer’s blind stamp reads: G. PeMendarfer, Stettmeyer Nechf, Muchen, Zweibruckenstr, from Munich, Germany. Circa 1910. No other info.

229-Lovely French postcard of charming child with her tricycle. Circa 1910.

230-British postcard of a May Day Fair. Postmarked 1908. Message on the back reads: Dear Garry, What do you think of a snapshot of the “May Day. Can you can see me anywhere in it. Has Frank gone to camp or not, if he has, I will go & see him. Expect a long letter from you on Sunday. Looking forward to seeing you at whit. Bert gone to concert at Asylum. With best love from all to you. Fred. Mailed to: G. J. Williams in Lancaster. The young girl with her decorated bicycle hold a sign that she won second prize.

231-A circa 1910 postcard of a British couple. Text on back reads: With best wishes for a prosperous New Year. 

232-Dundee, Illinois. Postmarked July 18^th but the year is illegible. Circa 1910. Message reads: Dear Mamma, Arrive here alright. Hope you are all right by this time. Am having one large time. Uncle Will tells me I am getting fat. We are eating water-melon. Have a piece. Went to a social Thursday night. Had a fine time with two other girls. How is Papa and Sister and Paulie and the rest of them? Hope all are well. Leaves me fine. From Olive. Mailed to her mother in Palatine, Illinois.

233-A bicycle racing event at Springfield, Vermont. May 27, 1910. Postmarked August 24, 1910. Message on the back reads: Tell father to keep the rest for his trouble. J.E.S.

234-Blacksmith shop in Atlanta, Kansas. Not posted. Circa 1910.

235-Denmark: Aarhus Bors Cafe on Mindebrogade Street. Unposted, circa 1910. Interesting exterior café scene with bicycles and a dog.

236-British postcard of the bicycle dare-devil “Schreyer, the Sensational Ariel Cyclist.” Postmarked August 28, 1905. Message on the back reads: My Dear L., Arrived safe last night. No news from Narberth today. Perhaps they don’t want to be disturbed.  Hope you will enjoy yourself if you go to the zoo today. Hope you are better…

236a-A piece of sheet music (1902) that was written about the daredevil Schreyer by his friend Laurent J. Tonnele.  You can’t tell from the illustration or the postcard but he would dive into a pool of water.

237-British postcard of a young lady with her decorated bicycle. She wears a banner across her chest that reads: RUSSIA. Photographer: H. Cooper, 4 Chelmsford Road, Southgate. Circa 1910.

238-Image of a Princeton University student indoctrination event called a p-rade. Postmarked Princeton, New Jersey, November 11, 1912. Message of back reads: Dear Auntie, This is a picture of a Freshman P-rade. The fellow on the bicycle is a sophomore. This is a very small P-rade, we had some over a hundred and fifty in them. Charles. Mailed to a Miss Rosenthal in Hempstead, Long Island. Found this online about the Princeton P-rade:

The P-rade, one of the most popular and colorful reunion events, officially began in the late 1890s but evolved from earlier traditions.

Beginning in the 1860s, alumni formally processed to Commencement Day dinner meetings. In 1888, Princeton and Yale began scheduling one of their baseball games at Princeton on the Saturday before Commencement — and as this coincided with class dinners, alumni attendance was high and many classes formally marched to the game at University Field.

Then, in October 1896, when the newly renamed Princeton University celebrated its 150th anniversary, 2,800 undergraduates and alumni took part in a mile-long procession through the campus and town; most carried an orange torch or lantern, and many classes wore coordinated costumes. Inspired by the grandeur and organization of this parade, in 1897 all returning classes joined to march in order to the baseball game.

Gradually, classes began to distinguish themselves with ever-more elaborate costumes, signs and stunts. In 1913, graduating seniors started to wear "beer jackets" as their costumes, with a class logo emblazoned on the back. To this day, each graduating class designs its own class jacket, worn for the first time during Reunions weekend. Over time, P-rades and Reunions increasingly became a family affair, but it was not until the undergraduate body became coeducational in 1969 that women were officially welcome to participate in the P-rade.

239-Circa 1910 post card of Charles H. Odell & Company’s store. No location indicated.  Besides harnesses and horse goods, he also sold bicycles as seen in the left window display. 

240-A circa 1912 postcard of a group of young cyclists. Unposted and no location indicated.

241- Circa 1920 RPPC of a peanut and popcorn store that also carried Plantation brand ice cream.  There is also a nice instore display for Hydrox Guernsey brand ice cream. No location indicated.

242-Another bucolic summer scene. From a Connecticut estate although no location is indicated. Granny has a cat on her lap. Circa 1910.

243-Genial portrait of a young lad with his dog. No location indicated. Unposted. Circa 1910.

244-Unposted RPPC of a furniture store and its proprietor. No location indicated. Circa 1908.

245-Fascinating portrait of the Blue Island Garage, in Blue Island, Illinois. Great signage for Ringling Brothers Circus and Wrigley’s gum. At least 15 motorcycles on display and a few bicycles beneath the Wrigley’s sign. Postmarked June 22, 1914.

246-A grim scene of a hunter and his prey. Message on the back reads: Dear Matt, Why don’t you write. Hope that you are getting better and soon be home. Every thing fairly good. All the family doing well. Dogs, cats, horses and chickens. How’s your money holding out. Business is good. Jack. Mailed to Mrs. Mattie Sarraith in San Francisco, CA.  Postmarked Santa Rosa, CA Circa 1912.

247-A motorcycle and bicycle repair shop. No location indicated. Circa 1910.

248-A hardware store in Waubun, Minnesota. Postmarked 1914. Message on the back reads: July 16, 1914, Hallo Old Scout. How are tricks? Let us hear from you once in a while. From F.V. Mailed to someone in Iowa.

249-Group of French soldiers and their bicycles. Unposted. Circa 1912.

250-Group of young musicians playing the Invincible Folio for Clarinet and Piano duets. They must be improvising. No location indicated. Circa 1910.

251-Group of racers at an undisclosed location. Somewhere in Germany. Circa 1910.

252-A family group of hunters with their catch of rabbits. No location indicated. Circa 1910.

253-The Frodsham Post Office. Frodsham is a market town and civil parish that is part of Cheshire, England. Circa 1910.

254-A Japanese postcard, postmarked in 1905 and mailed to someone in England. Message on front reads: Girl student of a high-class college. Flower of Japan. All girls at school high or middle or lowest even wear a reddish colored skirt to designate the school girls a student. Daddy.

255-Rider with an early Indian motorcycle. No location indicated. Circa 1912.

256-V.C.W. Eysel’s millinery shop. No location indicated. Someplace in Germany. Circa 1910.

257-Railroad depot in Fennville, Michigan. Postmarked October 27, 1911. Chicago-Petoskey Div., Chicago-Grand Rapids Line. Message on the back reads: Dear Friends, did you have a good time at the State Fair? We don’t know how anything went at all. We didn’t get a paper so we don’t know anything about the Fair. Write and let us know. This is a nice place but I don’t know anyone here at all and it is so lonesome and I get so home sick in this large house alone. Ed, he likes it very much here. He is doing fine, he thinks. I will write you a letter someday. Come and see us. Remember us to all. Mrs. E.E. Belman. Mailed to someone in Marion, Michigan.

258-A gathering of cyclists in Heythrop, England, a village northwest of London. Dated 1908.

259-Two young ladies dressed for some festive occasion. No location indicated but somewhere in the USA.. Circa 1910.

260-An interesting image of a group dressed for the Brecon Carnival (United Kingdom) and race week. Both wheels of the high-rise bicycle have an advertising poster attached to it for Raleigh Bicycles. Several of the other participants have also incorporated product advertisements in their costumes. Photographer is J. Clark, 13 High Street, Brecon. Circa 1920.

261-Subjects are identified as William Stratton and boy, and dated June, 1918. No location indicated although somewhere in Great Britain. 

262-Interesting image of an elderly gentleman who believed that drinking only water gave him his youthful appearance. Somewhere in Great Britain. Circa 1910.

263-A German family standing before their bakery shop. Identified as Karl Weber of Hannouer and dated August of 1912.

264-A bicycle-drawn carriage? A seated rider is holding reins that are connected to four cyclists. I’m not sure how well this arrangement would have worked but the decorated bicycles suggest that this was for a fair or some other event so this might have been staged just for the photograph. Circa 1910 and somewhere in Germany. 

265-A bicycle float for the Slinford Carnival. Slinford was a village in England located south of London. Circa 1910.

266-Another bicycle float for the Slinford Carnival. Slinford was a village in England located south of London. Circa 1910.

267-An enterprising cyclist modified his bicycle so that it incorporated a sharpening wheel. Sharpening the family knives was a specialized job. These guys would announce their presence by blowing a whistle. Somewhere in France.  Circa 1910.

268-Wilfred W. Booker’s sports shop where he sold BSA bicycles.  Somewhere in Great Britain. Circa 1910. 

269-Image of Lloyd Thomas, also known as the Frisco Kid, riding his bike on a board track in San Francisco. Circa 1910.

270-Circa 1913 postcard of two young black men ironing women's clothing. The cover of a large ledger on the floor between the two tables reads: Meyer and Company, Chicago, Fall & Winter 1913.  

271-Unposted circa 1910 postcard of C.H. Hastings Groceries, Anamosa, Iowa.

272-Unposted circa 1915 European postcard. No other identifying information.

273-Nice family portrait with a tandem bicycle. Sent as a holiday greeting. Circa 1910 and from the United Kingdom.  No other identifying information.

274-Circa 1910 postcard of a messenger service delivery driver. No other identifying information.

275-Circa 1910 interior view of Smith’s Store, Des Moines, Iowa with a bicycle leaning up against one of the cases. 

276-Circa 1910. No location indicated but looks to be a British postcard.

277-United Tire and Supply Store, Main Street, Westbrook, Maine. Looks to be from the 1920s.

278-Circa 1910 postcard. Text on back is possibly Russian. No other information.

279-Circa 1910 French postcard. Possibly a butcher shop. No other info.

280-Circa 1910 British postcard. No other identifying information.

281-Circa 1910 postcard of a boot repair shop in Santa Rosa, California. Not sure if they also repaired bicycles but the sign out front shows a boot with the text REPAIRING beneath it. The fella on the right is holding a boot. Message on the back reads: This is a correct imitation of the Turks in action. Love to you all and success. Myrl and the babies send their love to aunt Nora and uncle Jarome. Leo.

282-Postcard from Joe, dated 1913. Message on the back reads: I don’t think it fair that you never have sent me a photo yet. What do you think!! To: Mr. Mal Walthers, Redfield, South Dakota.

283-Studio shot of a young cyclist. Circa 1910. No other identifying info.

284-Circa 1910 real photo postcard of a young camper. This appears to be the same tent and location as image #131. This guy came prepared with two rifles, a pistol along with a lantern and a phonograph! Even a cot for the ultimate in camping comfort. No other identifying info.

285-Real photo postcard of a bicycle race. Circa 1910. No location indicated.

286-Real photo of a young family and what looks like a brand new bicycle. Perhaps on the occasion of the young man's graduation from high school or college. 1930s-1940s.

287-Circa 1910 RPPC of a young cyclist in front of a painted advertisement for Euclid Ice Cream. Subject identified on the back as Henry Sroubek, 9981 E. 111 St. Northeast, Cleveland, Ohio. 

288-Circa 1910 RPPC of a cyclist, possibly at a race track as there appears to be bleachers in the background.  Individual identified on the back as Robert Walthour, Atlanta, Georgia. 

289-RPPC postmarked July 9, 1919 of a train station in White Lake, New York. Message on the back reads: Hello Sweetheart, I am having a nice time. Wish you were here to go bathing with me. Hope you are well. XXXX Auntie. Mailed to Baby Lloyd Schafer in Ilion, New York.

290-Circa 1920 RPPC of three young cyclists dressed as birds?  Thomatson, Maine noted on the back but that might be a misspelling of Thomaston. 

291-Political RPPC dated 1936 of J.W. Warnken, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Possibly a candidate for political office.

292-World War 1 era RPPC of a group of sailors standing in front of a bicycle shop in Flagstaff, Arizona. Message on the back reads: Taken at Flagstaff, Arizona Nov, 9. I am standing in the rear. The third lad from the bicycle shop is shipmate with me on one of the tugs in New York.  

293-1912 RPPC of two lovely ladies and their bicycles. Somewhere in Germany.

294-Circa 1918 French postcard of two soldiers on bicycles. The wheels on the left bicycle don't have pneumatic tires but rather are spring loaded. An early attempt to give the rider a smoother ride and no chance for a flat tire. The other rider is on an early velocipede from the 1860s with wooden wheels. No location indicated. 

295-Circa 1910 image of a group of men drinking beer. Location identified as Lansing, Michigan.

295-1930s image of three cyclists at a Texaco station with glass-domed pumps. No other identifying info. 

296-Fun image of two entertaining young cyclists on their bicycles. Looks to be a French postcard. Circa 1910.

298-A British group of cyclists with their tandem bicycles. Circa 1910.

299-Circa 1910 postcard of a wagon from the Bartel's Brewing Company of Syracuse, New York. 

300-Circa 1910 Real Photo of Robinson's Barber Shop in Washington, DC.

301-Circa 1915 image of John C. Peeker. No other identifying info. Interesting border design on this RPPC.

302-Circa 1915 European postcard. Interesting design on the chain guard.

303-Circa 1910 RPPC from a New Jersey estate. No other identifying info.

304-Circa 1910 image of M.H. Gaskill's bicycle shop in Owego, New York. A detail image of the bicycle poster on the tree is in the next image.

304A- Detail of the Crown Cycles poster from the previous postcard.

305-Cricket Team postcard, somewhere in Great Britain, circa 1910.

306-Circa 1910 European postcard of a railroad worker with a rail velocipede. 

307-Circa 1910 RPPC of the boys hanging out by the backyard shed. Most appear to be wearing a flower in their lapel.

308-Group of carpenters from Texas. Mailed to a Miss Nellie Gillett in San Antonio. Message on the back reads: "Guess you know as much about this picture as I do, so there aren't anything telling about it. Your friend, Oscar Comfort." Postmarked Aug. 3, 1908.

309-1930s-40s real photo of a young boy scout named Maurice. No other identifying info.

310-Circa 1910 RPPC from Bill Brandt of Dysart, Iowa. Message reads: "Aren't we proud of our new car though?"

311-Real Photo postcard of a bicycle repair shop, postmarked Perry, Iowa, August 15, 1910. Mailed to a Mr. C.L. Grubb, in Sterling, Illinois, Message reads: "I thought perhaps you would like to see how we look out here. We are all well. Earl."

312-Circa 1915 European RPPC. No other identifying info.

313-Circa 1910 image of the inside of a paint and wallpaper store. No location indicated.

314-A wild image of an outdoor meat market in Paris, France. Circa 1910. The local flies must have loved this place.

315-Great circa 1910 postcard with a cat and birds in a cage. No location indicated.

316-Circa 1910 French postcard of an unnamed rider exercising on a home trainer. These were used to train during the winter months or on a ship when a cyclist travelled to compete in in another country.

317-An interesting multi-generational French Postcard from Paris. Dated March 24, 1912. 

318- RPPC of Ernest Albert Brain, with his cycling trophies. Message on the back reads: "The valuable Richmond Cycling Club Cup which he won outright in 1898, 1899 and 1900. He also won many club track championships and the 100 miles road time trial." The sign in the lower right of the image reads: Bristol Athletic Sports, June 17, 1916, The "Old Crocks" Race, was won by E. Brain on his Bleriot Cycle.

319-Interesting French postcard of a young cyclist and her wild cycling hat. Circa 1920.

320-Interesting family gathering. No location indicated. Dated August 26, 1911 on the back.

321-Circa 1915 RPPC of  Berks Rubber Company, somewhere in Great Britain. 

322-Circa 1910 RPPC of Fredrick Deibel's Boot and Shoe Maker's shop in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. Child on the tricycle is wearing a great early baseball outfit.

323-Postmarked August, 1907, from Sandusky, Ohio.  Two of the individuals in this image are wearing a patch on their shirts that reads: Camp Cycler. Not sure if that was a bicycle camp. The flags on the wall, which were likely different colors, were sometimes worn by bicycle racers so individual cyclists could be identified by spectators as they raced around a course. Note on the back of the card reads: John, I hope it is true what Ward wrote to me about you having a lot of work for me. Give my best to Addie and Joe. Law. Mailed to someone in Allegheny, PA.

324-Postmarked 1909, Lansing, Michigan. Henry E. Turney’s market with a note on the back by the writer apologizing for not writing to the recipient sooner.

325-Postmarked May, 1912. Interesting beach scene with a woman photographer capturing an image of a group of beach goers. Postmark is from Denmark and sent to someone in Racine, Wisconsin. The message on the card was likely from a relative vacationing in Denmark. Note reads: Dear Sister Theresa, I am now by aunt Maren in Brønderslev having a fine time. We spent yesterday in Vraa to see cousins Cathrine and Martin. They have each a little place with 8 & 10 cows. Martin has 10 children. He is a nice man. Next week I am going to Ryen. Best regards [name illegible].

326-Unposted, 1909 postcard of the Criterion Bicycle Club. Woodford is a town in East London, within the London Borough of Redbridge. Note on the back reads: Boston Bicycle Club “ride around hub.”

327-Unposted, circa 1910 rppc. A rustic log cabin with what appears to be a hand-made rail velocipede out front. The head tube on the velocipede has a Columbia Bicycle head badge. No other identifying info.

328-Unposted, early bicycle shop of E. H. Hammond, in Market Square, Arundel, in West Sussex, England. Looks to be from the early 1920s. Great signage and bicycle posters on the buildings’ wall. For deltiologist, there is also a postcard shop on the far left side of the image. 

329-Unposted, undivided back, circa 1903 French postcard of Marius Thé. He was a pacemaker for several bicycle racers during the heyday of board track racing. He began his career racing for Peugeot in 1896 and in 1904, he won the Grand Prix de la République, in Paris, at the time the official Motorcycling World Championship.

330-Unposted, circa 1910 streetcar in Kearney, Nebraska. Described as Motor Car No. 4 on the K & BH railroad. Sign on the building in the distance reads: Union Pacific Freight Depot. Photo by S.D. Butcher & Son.

331-Unposted, undivided back, circa 1906 postcard of a favorite swimming hole. No location indicated.

332-Unposted, circa 1910 postcard of the Devold family in Bunton, North Dakota. No other identifying info.

333-Unposted, circa 1910 postcard of what might have been a group of camp counselors. Numerous activities are represented from the items they hold such as croquet, shooting, fishing, baseball, etc. The individuals are all named on the back.

334-Posted June 20, 1908. From Marinette, Wisconsin. Mailed to someone in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Note on back reads: Dear Sir, I just received my postals [postcards] today so I am sending you the first one. Hope you rec’d my letter which I sent you a few days ago. We are having warm weather here. How is Mpls? We are feeling pretty good, all of us here in Marinette. J.S. Sounds like they were trading postcards.

335-Unposted postcard from the 1910 Oneonta, New York Fair. Young girl, likely a prize winner, with her decorated bicycle.

336-Posted in March 30, 1909 from Monmouth, Oregon. Interesting view of someone who appears to be living in a tent. Note on back reads: O.S.N.S. – The A.C. pennant & beautiful postal scene came ok. Many thanks. This card represents a scene of this city which was somewhat advertised in speech and publication recently (Telegram). Tho the story was intended pathetic and the picture looks somewhat lonely, I can testify that there are many pleasing and amusing features portrayed in it – and in reality. D.C. Henry.

337-Unposted, circa 1912 postcard of Wee Maggie the chimp cyclist. This is a British card and posters on the back wall indicate that the animal troupe was performing at the Empire Theatre, in Brighouse. Brighouse is a town within the metropolitan borough of Calderdale, in West Yorkshire, England.

338-A classic 1940s image of two attractive young women and their bicycle.

339-A circa 1910 unposted European post card of a motor pacer and his stayer. The cyclist is wearing a large wreath suggesting he was the race winner. No other identifying info.

340-Unposted card of a young man and his decorated bicycle in Sunapee, New Hampshire.  There are advertisements attached to his flag decorated bicycle for W.S.S. War Savings Stamps issued by the United States Government. Image likely dates from the time of World War One.  I’m not sure I get the relevance of the hokey Indian headdress. 

341-1920s-1930s image of children dressed perhaps for a Fourth of July celebration. No other identifying info.