Snapshots of the Past

Reform by bicycle – Antique Print

Reform by bicycle, [1884?] — historic drawing
Reform by bicycle, [1884?]. Historic drawing from the Bicycles collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

Few images capture their era like this historic drawing of Reform by bicycle. An authentic image from the Library of Congress, it carries the weight of the real historical record.

The framed print arrives ready to hang; the unframed option suits custom framing. Perfect for a home, office, library or classroom wall, and a gift with a story behind it. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past, founded in 2001, has served tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

Reform by bicycle

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Reform by bicycle" is an American satirical drawing set apart by its title, which yoked a reform cause to the bicycle, then a new and fashionable machine. The catalog dates it tentatively to around 1884 and does not name its artist or publication, so the exact target of the joke is open to interpretation. The period supplies some context: in the early 1880s the high-wheel bicycle drew many riders and crowds of onlookers, and cartoonists often used such fads to comment on politics and social change. The drawing's figures and captions are the best guide to which reform it has in view.

Created / published[1884?]
Medium1 drawing.
GenreCartoons (Commentary) American.Drawings.
NotesNo accession number. This catalog record contains preliminary or unverified data from a project done in BRS software, ca. 1985. mm / 860224.
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan3,292 × 4,096 px · prints to 11 × 14 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-202374

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