From Romance & Sisterhood to War & Rebellion– An somewhat History of the Bike

 

On Tuesday May 14th, I will give what I hope is an interesting and somewhat eclectic overview of the history of a mode of transport invented in the latter half of the 19th century.

So why not come along to find out about the role the bicycle played in female emancipation, in providing the first cheap form of transport for the masses, in how its health benefits were recognised from its earliest days by allowing people to escape overcrowded grimy industrialised cities to enjoy leisure time in clean nature-rich countryside, its use by guerrilla combatants in warfare and its associations with romance and youth.

There are also details to on the darker side of its history, in how the production of the bicycle began the large scale destruction of tropical forests.

 

To book a place go to https://ti.to/.../historyofthebicycle/with/general-admission

For the promotional poster I used a photo (below) of my mom when she was 21 years old and living above the family shop in Drumcondra Dublin city. The bike she is holding in the photo was given as a 21st birthday by her parents which she celebrated by bringing it with her on a bus to Carrickmacross where she spent two happy weeks cycling around the farms of her uncles. I will mention more of my mom Brigid Agnew and her bike in my presentation