The Bicyclist

More glass plate negative prints from the unknown photographer collection now at the Washington State Historical Society.

A crafted photograph from almost exactly a century ago. The young man is obviously a bicycle enthusiast with quilted knickers that have no cuffs to tangle in the single gear sprocket and a bit of padding for the minimal leather seat and other rugged road hazards. His striped jersey has a sportsman’s style that fits perfectly with his jaunty cap. The bike is spotless and clearly understood by its rider and the photographer as the showpiece in the image. Its summer and that might be a lake reflected in the open windows but the photographer is unseen, a professional that knows better than to capture his own image on somebody else’s glass.

And here is our bicyclist again this time in professional work clothes with a colleague who rides an identical velocipede. The photo moves the story along in suppositions, the jackets and ties suggest they work in the city, commuters with day jobs where starched collars and cuffs are part of the uniform. Our anonymous bicyclist loves the checkered cap, the lower posture in his bike’s handlebars and probably the road itself. His coat is buttoned high and the jacket sweeps back to let his knees work the pedals. Still a speedster with his ride.

Here’s another plate that seems to go with the story even though its badly damaged by moisture. Its shows the inside of a bike shop continuing the sense that the unknown photographer shares the bicyclist’s passion for petals, wheels and speed. A century ago, all weather roads were a modern convenience and automobiles were a novelty compared to bicycles. Durable rubber tires were developed as much for bicycles as they were for automobiles and bike shops were common on even small town main streets. They were the halfway point between livery stables and parking lots. But cars were coming. In Washington State more miles of road were built during 1920s than any decade before or since thanks to the gas tax. And while paved roads made it faster and smoother for our bicyclist it also made it more dangerous competing with model T Fords and REO speedwagons.

There may be an editorial subtext to this last glass plate photograph taken by our bike loving photographer. You decide.

More from this collection to come. Virtually all of the glass plates you will see have water damage but the way the emulsion melts and sometimes separates from the glass has its own authenticity and beauty. In the auto wreck photo above the brittle, cracked emulsion in the upper corner almost seems like part of the upturned action. In many of the images to come, condition becomes part of the narrative. You will see.