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Description: | The Penny Farthing (so called because the huge differences in size betwen the front and rear wheels repsesented the relative sizes of the old penny and the old farthing), was first invented in 1871 by British engineer James Starley and was made in different sizes for adults and children alike.Also called the 'High' or 'Ordinary' bicycle, it followed earlier bicycle inventions called the 'Hobbyhorse' and the French 'Velocipede' or 'Boneshaker'. Riding the Penny Farthing required a certain amount of skill, particularly in mounting the bicycle. This was usually accomplished by using a mounting step attached to the main tube or "backbone". The bicycle was driven by the pedals on the front wheel, and because the wheel was so big it covered a much greater distance with one revolution - it was because of the speeds they could reach in this way that they became very popular in competitive speed races between the many clubs that were set up at the time.At the height of their popularity in the 1870s and 80s, there were over 500 companies producing them. However, they enjoyed only a short period of productivity. From 1892, they were slowly replaced by the 'safety bicycle' - the shape of the modern bicycle we know today.
Penny farthing bicycle, (1870s/90s). Adult model. Crude breaking system. Enamelled/painted at some point. | License: | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/uk/ | Publisher: | Wolverhampton Arts and Museums Service | Rights holder: | Wolverhampton Arts and Museums Service | Subjects: | Cycling Bicycles Miscellaneous Historical Objects Victorian period Industry | Temporal: | 1875 - 1885
Victorian (1837-1901) | Source: | Black Country History | Identifier: | http://www.blackcountryhistory.org/colle... | Go to resource |
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