The Badminton Library: CYCLING, by Bury and Hillier, 1st Ed, 1887, Illustrated

Description: 'The Badminton Library of Sports and Pastimes: Cycling. By Viscount Bury, K.C.M.G. and G. Lacy Hillier with Numerous Illustrations by Viscount Bury and Joseph Pennell.' pp. 458 plus 18 plates and numerous smaller engravings, advertisements at rear, cloth bound hardback with original pictorial board covers. 'The Badminton Library' series was published in the late 19th century with the aim to provide comprehensive coverage of various sports and outdoor pursuits. Named after Badminton House, the country estate of the editor and patron, the Duke of Beaufort, the series covered a wide range of topics including hunting, fishing, cricket, golf, and tennis and were written by experts in their respective fields. Each book featured illustrations and photographs that were state-of-the-art for their time and the series became notable for its emphasis on the practical aspects of each sport, as well as its attention to historical and cultural context. The series was immensely popular, and helped to establish many of the modern rules and conventions of the sports it covered. Today, the Badminton Library is considered an important historical document, as well as a valuable resource for sports enthusiasts and scholars alike. Cycling is a particularly interesting volume within this series. While its origins can be traced back to the early 19th century, cycling did not truly take off in Britain until a boom of popularity in the 1890s--this book, being published in 1887, records pleasant surprise at how 'rapidly' the practice of cycling had 'assumed a more assured position in popular favour', catching the early swell of that wave. Amongst the contents are notes on historical cycling, riding, racing, dress and clubs, but perhaps most interesting is the chapter 'Tricycling for Ladies'. Cycling has long been associated by scholars of British history as an early catalyst for female autonomy in the UK, and here a voice from the time remarks with interesting details in corroboration, noting the opposition women faced from various groups of men, the restrictions and change in dress involved with taking up cycling, and the specific construction of ladies' machines. With many other interesting topics beside, this book provides and intriguing look at how cycling altered the contemporary social landscape. For more curiosities, visit our website or our Bedford shop!

Price: 120 GBP

Location: Bedford

End Time: 2024-11-19T15:45:11.000Z

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