Category Archives: bicycle & motorcycle
Amazing Colorized Images of the Automobile and Motorcycle From the Early Years of Motoring History
Vivid colorized images have revealed the evolution of the automobile and motorcycle throughout history. The re-imagined pictures show the first woman to obtain a motorcycle license in Washington DC in 1937, a Maxwell car in 1916 and the first official Austrian Formula 1 mechanic in his custom-made motor. Other shots also show an Alfa RomeoContinue reading “Amazing Colorized Images of the Automobile and Motorcycle From the Early Years of Motoring History”
Vashon Island Bike Tree: The True Story Behind “a Boy Left His Bike Chained to a Tree When He Went Away to War in 1914”
The kids’ bicycle embedded into a tree is a bit of a tourist attraction on Vashon Island, Washington, just outside of Seattle. It’s also become a source of folklore and fake internet stories. The most famous of the fakes is that a young boy went off to fight in WWI and left his bike upContinue reading “Vashon Island Bike Tree: The True Story Behind “a Boy Left His Bike Chained to a Tree When He Went Away to War in 1914””
Vintage Photos of “Motorcycle Queen” Bessie Stringfield, Who Owned 27 Harleys and Rode Them All Over the United States
Despite pervasive racism and the weight of the Great Depression, Bessie Stringfield found freedom on the open road. In the 1930s and 1940s, Bessie took eight long-distance, solo rides across the United States. The fact that she was a woman of color did not stop Bessie from achieving her goals and setting herself apart. SheContinue reading “Vintage Photos of “Motorcycle Queen” Bessie Stringfield, Who Owned 27 Harleys and Rode Them All Over the United States”
Amazing Photos of Britain’s Female Dispatch Riders During World War II
During World War II, the British Royal Navy created an all female corps whose members were nicknamed the Wrens. One of their most notable duties was as dispatch riders for both the Admiralty and the Royal Navy. This turned out to be a tough assignment as German bombs made travel increasingly difficult as the warContinue reading “Amazing Photos of Britain’s Female Dispatch Riders During World War II”
Two Wheelin’ Fun: Pictures of Summertime Street Cruising in San Francisco in the 1970s
San Francisco in the 1970s was a global hub of culture. It was known worldwide for hippies and radicals. The Daily Mail described flamboyant 1970s San Francisco as being characterized by “hippy street life when buskers, bongo players and impressive bouffants thronged the city by the bay.” These fascinating photographs, taken by LIFE photographer BillContinue reading “Two Wheelin’ Fun: Pictures of Summertime Street Cruising in San Francisco in the 1970s”
Awesome Photographs of People Riding Around on Scooters From the Early 20th Century
The Autoped was an early motor scooter or motorized scooter manufactured by the Autoped Company of Long Island City, New York from 1915 to 1921. The driver stood on a platform with 10-inch tires and operated the machine using only the handlebars and steering column, pushing them forward to engage the clutch, using a leverContinue reading “Awesome Photographs of People Riding Around on Scooters From the Early 20th Century”
Armless and Legless Men Riding a Tandem in the 1890s
Charles B. Tripp, the armless man and Eli Bowen, the legless man, riding a tandem. ca. 1890s. While the pair posed for promotional photographs one of them spotted a tandem bicycle. In no time at all the two gents not only mounted the bicycle-built-for-two, but rode off together laughing as boys would. The photographer quicklyContinue reading “Armless and Legless Men Riding a Tandem in the 1890s”
The Story Behind the Filming of Steve McQueen’s Dramatic Fence-Jump Scene in “The Great Escape”
The Great Escape is a 1963 American World War II epic film that depicts an escape by British Commonwealth prisoners of war from a German POW camp. The film is based on Paul Brickhill’s 1950 book of the same name, a non-fiction first-hand account of the mass escape from Stalag Luft III in Sagan (nowContinue reading “The Story Behind the Filming of Steve McQueen’s Dramatic Fence-Jump Scene in “The Great Escape””
David Bowie With Goggles and Motorcycle in Los Angeles, 1974
Photographer Steve Schapiro was invited to photograph David Bowie in a photoshoot in 1974, he recalled: “It’s 4 a.m. in the morning and I am just finishing up this day’s shoot with Bowie on his bike lit by the headlights of a car. He seems to be creating another character for his repertoire.” David RobertContinue reading “David Bowie With Goggles and Motorcycle in Los Angeles, 1974”
