By SARAH GOODYEAR – Grist
How important was the bicycle in changing the role of women
in the world? Consider these words from Munsey’s
Magazine in 1896:
To men, the bicycle in the
beginning was merely a new toy, another machine added to the long list of
devices they knew in their work and play.To women, it was a steed upon which
they rode into a new world.
You’ll find that quotation, along with tons of fascinating
tidbits about the early history of women and bicycling, in Sue Macy’s new book Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle
to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way).
It’s a
freewheeling and fun tour of the surprisingly powerful effect bicycles had on a
women’s position in society in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Take a look at a few of the images from the book.