Penny-Farthing Bicycles Ephemera Sheet
This printable ephemera sheet features Penny-Farthing bicycle ephemera from a cycling publication from the 1880s. These bikes were popular in the 1870s & 1880s. They got their name because the large wheel in the front followed by a much smaller wheel in the back resembled a large British penny coin followed by a smaller farthing coin. It’s been pointed out to me that they are also called high wheels or high wheelers.
Penny-farthing bicycles had several disadvantages compared to modern bicycles:
Unstable - The high center of gravity and small rear wheel made them less stable, making it difficult to balance and control the bicycle.
Dangerous - Falls from the bicycle could be serious, as the rider sat high above the ground and was not protected by any safety features.
Difficult to mount - Getting on and off the bicycle was challenging, as the rider had to lift their leg over the large front wheel.
Inefficient - The large front wheel only provided a limited gear ratio, making it difficult to pedal up hills or on rough terrain.
Uncomfortable - The ride was rough and jarring, as there was no suspension system to absorb shock.
Despite these problems, penny-farthing bicycles were popular in their time, and they were a major step forward in the development of the bicycle as a means of transportation. However, I think we can all be grateful that bicycle technology advanced to much safer designs.
I hope you are able to use this vintage ephemera as inspiration for junk journaling, art journaling, collage, and other mixed media artwork.
If you enjoy these free printables, be sure to follow me on Instagram and Pinterest, so you’ll see when I post new ones.
You may also enjoy these free collage sheet printables.
Terms of use:
Free to use for personal or commercial projects. You may print the collage sheets as many times as you wish for your personal crafts or in your projects to sell, including: art journals, scrapbooks, junk journals, collage art, etc. You may not redistribute or sell the collage sheets “as is" in either print or digital form.
If you wish to share the files on your own website, please do not make the files available for download directly from your site. Instead, include an image with a link back to this site.
To the best of my knowledge, these are all royalty free images that are in the Public Domain in the US. However, you should always do your own research if you plan to use them commercially.
