Penny-Farthings, High Wheeler Bicycles, 1887

Penny-Farthings, High Wheeler Bicycles, 1887

Woman, on three wheel bicycle, followed by men on high-wheelers. The penny-farthing, also known as a high wheel, and high wheeler, was the first machine to be called a bicycle. It was popular in the 1870s and 1880s, with its large front wheel providing high speeds (large distance for every rotation of the legs) and comfort (shock absorption through the wheel). Although the trend was short-lived, the penny-farthing became a symbol of the late Victorian era. Its popularity also coincided with the birth of cycling as a sport. The penny-farthing became obsolete from the late 1880s with the development of the modern bicycle, which provided similar speed amplification via chain-driven gear trains and comfort through pneumatic tires. Aquarelle print by L. Prang & Company, 1887.

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3140 x 4350 px | 39.1 MB

26.6 x 36.8 cm | 10.5 x 14.5 in (300 dpi)