GROUP OF THREE TINTYPE PHOTOGRAPHS OF WOMEN POSING ON OR BESIDE THEIR BICYCLES (1890s)
Author: Women with Their Bicycles
Title: GROUP OF THREE TINTYPE PHOTOGRAPHS OF WOMEN POSING ON OR BESIDE THEIR BICYCLES (1890s)
Publication: Unknown: Unknown, ca. 1890s
Description: Photograph(s). Three Tintype Photographs of women posing on or beside their safety bicycles. Tintypes were introduced in the mid 1850s, remaining popular until the turn of the century. The image is produced on a thin metal plate, the emulsion being directly exposed in the camera, eliminating the need for a negative. These tintypes are all approximately 3 1/2 in. x 2 1/2 in.
This group includes images of 1) a solo rather stocky woman, perhaps in uniform; 2)another solo image of a woman against a backdrop of some sort of exhibit, with a white vase with flowers upon a table; and 3) two women-- in similar light colored blouses, long skirts,with perhaps trees in the background. Very Good.
The British inventor John Kemp Starley designed the first successful 'safety' bicycle in 1885.... a device with both wheels the same size..." and much less dangerous than the "Ordinary" bicycles or "Penny Farthings" which had a huge wheel in front and a tiny one in back.
"Cyclists across the country proudly posed with their wheels, ... In doing so, they declared their embrace—and mastery—of the new technology. For many, a bicycle portrait was also a kind of declaration of independence" (National Museum of American History) 5----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Bicycles extended women's mobility outside the home. A woman didn't need a horse to come and go as she pleased, whether to work outside the home or participate in social causes. Those who had been confined by Victorian standards for behavior and attire could break conventions and get out of the house. ... The bicycle craze boosted the "rational clothing" movement, which encouraged women to do away with long, cumbersome skirts and bulky undergarments. Safety bicycle frames accommodated skirts, which got shorter, and the most daring women chose bloomers that resembled men's pants. A sport corset was designed with elastic for comfort during exercise. The safety bicycle gave women the personal mobility men enjoyed in the 1880s, offering independence from home or husband. It shaped women's identity and increased their visibility (literally) in society..." (Smithsonian).
Seller ID: 86965
