This is another of those lovely thin paper cards, and it introduces the bicycle itself.
Now this shows two bicycles, the one on the left which is titled "Bicyclette 1890" and the one on the right, "Bicycle Araignee 1875". Starting with this one, on the right, which we call the penny farthing, simply because of our coinage, where the penny was the largest copper coin (representing the largest wheel) and the farthing was a quarter of a penny (so stood for the smallest wheel). This machine revolutionised bicycle riding, though it looked odd - the front wheel provided the power, hence the speed, and the simple fact is that a larger wheel covered more ground with each turn of the pedal.
However you may not realise that this machine originated in France, and was actually invented in 1869 by a Parisian resident called Eugène Meyer. He is said to have called it the high level bicycle - also known as the "Grand" (which in French means large) - though on our card, remember, it is called the "Bicycle Araignee", which means the spider. This could refer to the fact that the rider perches on top, like a spider in a tree waiting for his prey, or it could be more technical, because in bike parlance a spider is part of the drivetrain, and it is quite easy to spot because it is a circle with "arms" extending out. Sometimes they are called spider rings too. The truth seems to be neither of these; they seem to have called it the spider because the wheel hub was in the middle of all those lines, and it looked like a black spider in the middle of a web.
In fact, the "boneshaker" was French too, and you can tell that from its proper name, of the Velocipede. And the Velocipede does not have a spider as part of its drivetrain, which seems to support theory number two.
Something else is intriguing about this card, because both riders seem to be in uniform, the man in the front in khaki appears to be sporting a pith helmet for use in tropical climes, and the man in blue behind sees to have the kind of cap a postman would wear, though in military parlance it was known as a "kepi" and is thought to be where the word "cap" comes from, in fact it was the main military headwear throughout the French Army for many years.
And, bringing us back to our theme of the week, the Army, worldwide, was also one of the first "employers" to issue their "staff" with bicycles, for taking messages, and then for all manner of military purposes where noisy and heavy vehicles would not do. In fact you can see a "Cyclist Scout Section" on card 15 of John Player`s "Army Life", where the text tells us that "Cyclists are a very great advantage for scouting and the carrying of despatches, and a good deal of encouragement is given to the exercise of this sport in the Army. There are certain recognised cycling sections in which men receive an allowance for machines. Commanding officers now permit of regimental funds being used to purchase in large quantities, and they are supplied to serving soldiers at a low figure on the hire-purchase system."
You can also find this set as "Serie 10" rather than "Serie X", and in a later printing again, which is easily distinguished by the fact that it has a capital letter in the middle of the bottom white border. The cards included are :
- Draisienne 1818
- Bicyclette 1890, Bicycle Araignee 1875
- Automobile de Stafford 1859
- Limousine 1915
- Locomotive Compound 1830
- Type P.L.M. a Grande Vitesse 1912
- Chariot Helvete
- Char Egyptienne (Egyptian Chariot)
- Char Roman
- Carosse Henri IV 1600
- Palanquin XVe siècle, litter
- Coucou XIXe Siecle