In the carriage house adjacent to the Campbell House in Spokane was a most interesting display of a Woman’s Safety Bicycle in the 1890s. “Medium-sized wheels and a chain drive eased the physical strain of bike riding. A string skirt guard, hygienic breathable leather seat, and pierced metal chain guard made riding safer for women.” The image is of Helen Campbell riding on the handlebars of just such a bicycle. Below is that bicycle.
Bicycles revolutionized women’s lives. It necessitated changes in clothing (shorter skirts and (horrors) trousers); it offered independence from home or husband; it became a symbol of women’s liberation and a tool for the feminist movement.
These early bicycles were heavy (up to 50 pounds) compared to today’s bikes at 20-30 pounds. In 1890, a new safety bicycle cost between $100 and $150, roughly $3000 to $4500 in today’s money, making it a luxury item for the wealthy. Prices did drop to an average of $75 by the mid-1890s due to increased competition. They represented a significant investment, often costing one to two month’s wages for an average worker. So Google says.
What garb do you wear when riding your bike? And what is your bike like? Aren’t you once again you live today and not in the 1890s?
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As we celebrate the history of our great country and help raise critical funds for the library, come meet Vern Frykholm portraying George Washington who served as the Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), leading the colonies to independence from Great Britain. You don’t want to miss it! We look forward to seeing you there! 
Presenter: Suzanne Cope is a scholar and narrative journalist, and is the author of Women of War: The Italian Assassins, Spies, and Couriers Who Fought the Nazis and Power Hungry: Women of the Black Panther Party and Freedom Summer and Their Fight to Feed a Movement. Her work on themes of political and social change, feminism, food, and culture has appeared in The New York Times, The Atlantic, Los Angeles Review of Books, Food & Wine, BBC, Washington Post, Aeon, and others. She is a professor at New York University.
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