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Most of the photos on this site were extracted from reference images (high-resolution tiffs, 20 to 200 megabytes in size) from the Library of Congress research archive. (To query the database click here.) Many were digitized by LOC contractors using a Sinar studio back. They are adjusted by your webmaster for contrast and color in Photoshop before being downsized and turned into the jpegs you see here.
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- Bike Shop: 1919
- ... tells me they went broke.
Ceiling spokes The bike wheel light fixture -- cute.
Bike shop clerks these days Can you imagine walking into your local bicycle ... Posted by Dave - 04/06/2013 - 2:02pm -
- I'm De Whole Show: 1913
- ... About $8500 per year. Not bad for a 12-year-old.
Bike Light Probably not many bicycles today have kerosene lanterns on the handlebars. Fascinating.
Re: Bike Light Are you sure of it being a kerosene lamp? Looks like a carbide ... Posted by Dave - 08/15/2012 - 11:02am -
- Bike Shop: 1912
- ... and probably the US. Below, the Huber & Metzger bike shop at 13 Grand River Avenue.
A hipster's dream What ... Posted by Dave - 04/06/2013 - 2:01pm -
- Bud and Dick: 1915
- ... Harris & Ewing Collection. View full size.
The Bike Looks like the 1915 V-Twin Indian. And after 10000 miles she'd have ... didn't.
ow ow OWWW Ten thousand miles?! On that bike? My butt goes numb after a couple hundred miles on a comfortable, modern ... Posted by Dave - 04/06/2013 - 1:56pm -
- The Busy Corner: 1906
- ... [That's a fire hydrant, not rumply pants. - Dave]
Bike riders It's interesting to see how casual bike owners were in this instance. Bikes are parked all over the place with no ... Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 6:50pm -
- Cool bike
- My brother's cool bike with banana seat, sissy bar, hand brakes and either a 3 or 5 speed ...
Boy, does this photo bring back memories I had a bike exactly like that (in the late 60s as well) except it was blue. Pretty ... of the neighborhood boy "Clifton" who had a similar bike. Until this post, I had completely forgotten the term "sissy bar."
On ... Posted by Gman77 - 05/05/2009 - 8:07pm -
- Sidesaddle: 1929
- ... Sidesaddle will be face-down in the dirt.
My favorite bike! They used this inline four engine for aeroplanes also. I first ... Posted by Dave - 04/06/2013 - 2:44pm -
- Motorcycle Cop: 1924
- ... movie.
How about a bit of degreaser? What a filthy bike. Must not have been a requirement to keep it looking presentable. His ... is mechanically actuated by the right foot lever. Nice bike!
This bike is a gas! I'm marveling at the Presto-Lite tank ... Posted by Dave - 04/06/2013 - 1:52pm -
- Vital Foods: 1937
- ... Makes Mr. Kellogg's health regime seem mild.
The bike Can someone identify that great bicycle parked out front? What is that ... soup lines.
Tire pump The cylindrical object on the bike is a tire pump. I carry one on my bike in exactly the same place.
... Posted by Dave - 08/22/2012 - 11:18pm -
- The King and His Castle: 1956
- ... there are still cars sitting in your front yard.
The Bike It's a 56 KH actually, more on it here .
Nothing ostentatious ... Posted by Dave - 03/12/2013 - 10:22pm -
- Future Biker: 1935
- ... 35mm nitrate negative by Ben Shahn for the FSA.
Sweet bike West Virginia is great place to ride.
What a ride Hmmm ... 1930 ... Posted by Dave - 04/06/2013 - 1:49pm -
- The Summer of '42
- ... his overseas service.
Sturmey Archer Hub The girl's bike has a Sturmey-Archer 3-speed hub, and is probably a Raleigh. The guy's bike is more used, probably a Schwinn one speed. The live in different towns, ... Posted by Dave - 02/15/2013 - 12:13pm -
- Our Lady of Lourdes School
- ... of 1940 and 1941. I had a weekend job in 1941 with Ike's Bike Rental on 141st. He needed someone to identify the kids who rented there ... Posted by Dave - 09/08/2011 - 9:17pm -
- Stadium Parking: 1942
- ... This picture seems to pack a hole lot of punch.
Bike Support I love the old-fashioned kickstands on the bikes. Lifts the ... the two types of stands common then. One could even use a bike so equipped as a kind of exercycle, since the rear wheel was held entirely ... Posted by Dave - 02/21/2013 - 2:14pm -
- Omar: 1935
- ... your eye on the sparrow Methinks Robert Blake.
The bike! I thought there was a better picture. Where is it?
[Two posts ... Posted by Dave - 09/09/2011 - 1:03pm -
- Boody House: 1900
- ... at the top of the tower. Date 1870, simply beautiful.
Bike World Before cars took over, bicycles were considered to be a ... Posted by Dave - 08/13/2012 - 10:18pm -
- Law and Order: 1918
- ... most useful motorcycle accessory I've ever seen. Every bike should have one.
Manhole cover For some reason, I continue to be ... Hollywood image of a cop, riding at breakneck speed on his bike, guns ablazin', is silly.
Red Scare Actually there was an earlier ... Posted by Dave - 04/06/2013 - 1:58pm -
- The End of the Innocence: 1941
- ... Is that a spring for suspension on the front? Cool looking bike.
Spring or light? Isn't that the headlight?
[It's a spring-thing. - Dave]
Bike In fact I'm pretty sure it's a spring, making for a pretty interesting ... Posted by Dave - 01/08/2008 - 3:10am -
- Harley-Davidson: 1925
- ... to work. I want me a Harley-Davidson fifteen speed road bike!
[Actually they would pedal to work and peddle at work. - Dave]
... Posted by Dave - 04/06/2013 - 1:56pm -
- Breaking Away: 1908
- ... Americans have been able to learn a lot about (and enjoy) bike endurance racing. But Armstrong's 17,370 career points in 17 years and ... very nice eHistory site, here’s a look at six-day bike racing by Ari de Wilde. Note that although he wrote “Strapped into ... Posted by Dave - 04/06/2013 - 1:55pm -
- Motorcycle Mama: 1937
- ... stupid when I rode my Harley... I'd love to have her bike now.
Crash Guards By the looks of the crash guard, it had been laid ... her Indian in 1932. Same style duds, but when not on the bike add a gunbelt. Instead of a helmet, add a rakish cap (think Brando).
... Posted by Dave - 04/06/2013 - 1:51pm -
- Three Indians: 1915
- ... fantastic The one smart enough to put the light on his bike will win it for them.
Gold mine The guys from "Pickers" must be ... fender, hand-grip clutch, an electric headlamp on the rear bike (as opposed to Prest-o-Lite [acetylene]), and "soft-tail" rear suspension. ... Posted by Dave - 04/06/2013 - 1:57pm -
- Parting Glances: 1920
- ... into a past long gone.
Ahead of the times Like the bike propped against the building. Owner has his bars flipped and his seat laid ... housepainter that I did.
Bicycle Brakes The bike leaning against the Murray/McGregor office shows no evidence of brakes, ... Posted by Dave - 04/06/2013 - 1:54pm -
- All Nite: 1941
- ... is an Elgin bicycle. I learned to ride on an identical bike, circa 1965. It was a hand-me-down. The sea shell ornaments were not ... for Sears, but it had some resemblence to an Iver Johnson bike I once saw.
The two curved bars going from the base of the steering ... Posted by Dave - 05/17/2013 - 2:59pm -
- Pittsburgh: 1940
- ... well as unusual challenges for pedestrians, joggers, the bike police, and especially pizza delivery.
. . ... Posted by Dave - 08/03/2012 - 3:42pm -
- Our New Ride: 1921
- ... 1921. "Times bicycle contest." Winners of a Mead Ranger bike for selling 30 newspaper subscriptions. National Photo Co. View full ... From a few period ads, it appears that a Mead Ranger bike might fetch about $20. In today's money, that's about $240. Pretty nice ... Posted by Dave - 07/26/2012 - 9:49pm -
- Birmingham Messenger: 1914
- ...
Birmingham Messenger Just curious how he stopped the bike since there appears to be neither a "coaster" brake nor hand brakes?
... messenger This would most likely be a fixed gear bike, which is stopped by applying stopping force to the pedals while moving. ... Posted by Dave - 07/27/2012 - 11:45am -
- My Home Town: 1957
- ... Also, I believe Larkspur is credited as where the mountain bike was invented by Gary Fisher who rode from Madrone Canyon up to the Mt Tam ... Posted by tterrace - 09/16/2012 - 5:58pm -
- Old Hat: 1920
- ... to a guy who had never ridden one. I had to drive the bike into his pickup truck and he said he was going to unload it in a 40 acre ... Posted by Dave - 04/06/2013 - 2:01pm -
- Motorcycle Cop: 1922
- ... would guess the rocker-clutch is on the right side of the bike.
Location Is that Griffith Stadium in the background?
Re: Sound ... Posted by Dave - 04/06/2013 - 1:54pm -
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