Art
The bicycle craze of the 1890s transformed American life. What began as a toy for the wealthy became an affordable way for ordinary people—especially women—to move independently through their towns. This Currier & Ives print captured the excitement and anxiety Americans felt about this new freedom.
Art · Full story
You hear the whisper of pneumatic tires on packed dirt. A woman in bloomers leans forward, her face fierce with concentration as she pedals hard down a country lane, her companion struggling to keep pace. Behind them, a horse and buggy seems already old-fashioned, left in the dust.
Reflect
What invention in your lifetime has changed how freely you can move through your world?