| 06/22/2001 | Bicycle Takes Off Traveling Show in Connecticut Through SeptemberAn traveling exhibition that explores the rapid evolution of the bicycle at the end of the 19th century is on view through September 16 at the Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum in Norwalk, Connecticut. The show is called: "The Bicycle Takes Off: From Boneshaker to Boom 1865-1900".
Most bicycle histories present strictly "linear" models of two-wheel development, starting with early kick-propelled bicycles. This show illustrates how the modern bicycle was really an outgrowth of a more ancient dream for a practical mechanical horse with a long history. With the invention of the boneshaker of the 1860s, the real history of the bicycle begins.
The show focuses on four different stages of bicycle development:
Pre-Pedal Propulsion (before 1865)
The Boneshaker Bicycle Breakthrough (1865-1873)
The Highwheel Era (1874-1890)
The Safety Bicycle Revolution (1890s and beyond)
The exhibition features 19 Victorian-era bicycles from the U.S. and abroad, as well as numerous early posters, trophies, medals and other objects that illustrate the transportation revolution sparked by the bicycle. The exhibit's highlights include an 1865 "boneshaker" bicycle thought to be the oldest bicycle in existence and Mark Twain's high-wheeler.
The Lockwood-Mathews Mansion Museum is a 62-room National Historic Landmark, is located at 295 West Ave. It's open noon-5 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday, and adult admission is $8.www.thebicycletakesoff.org
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