1889 Overman Bicycle
date: label: Date made
content: 1889
name: label: manufacturer
content: Overman Wheel Company
notes: label: Description
content: The Overman Wheel Company of Boston, Massachusetts produced this Victoria Model bicycle during the 1890s. The bicycle bears a nameplate carrying patent dates ranging fThe Overman Wheel Company of Boston, Massachusetts produced this Victoria Model bicycle during the 1890s. The bicycle bears a nameplate carrying patent dates ranging from Nov. 20, 1877 to July 9, 1889. The safety bicycle with two wheels of equal size replaced the high wheeler (penny-farthing) when it was introduced to the US from England in 1887. Unlike the earlier high-wheeled bicycles, the drop frame style of the safety bicycle allowed women to ride by accommodating their skirts.
label: Description
content: The 1890s saw a great boom in bicycling. As the first personal mechanical mode of transportation, the bicycle gave both men and women a thrilling sense of freedom. Cycling was a popular way to get around the city, and on weekends many bike enthusiasts went for rides in the country. Bicyclists played a major role in lobbying for road improvements.
place: label: place made
content: United States: Massachusetts, Boston
topic: label: Subject
content: Arts, Leisure and Recreation
label: Subject
content: Environmental History
label: Subject
content: Daily Life
label: Subject
content: Economics
label: Subject
content: Gender
label: Subject
content: Industrialization
label: Subject
content: Regionalism
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Transportation, Road
label: See more items in
content: America on the Move
label: Exhibition
content: America On The Move
label: Exhibition Location
content: National Museum of American History
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of May H. Mead
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TR.214971
label: catalog number
content: 214971
label: accession number
content: 40667
objectType: label: Object Name
content: Bicycle
label: Object Name
content: Victoria Bicycle
label: Other Terms
content: Bicycle; Victoria Bicycle; Road
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 47 in x 23 in x 72 in; 119.38 cm x 58.42 cm x 182.88 cm