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1880s boneshaker at my local historical society

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I spoke with a person at the Jacobsburg Historical Society yesterday. They said the society was gifted around 1989 the circa 1832 Henry Estate with multiple buildings and all contents from a fifth generation Henry. He said the Henry family kept everything and the velocipede was on the property when they inherited it. The family ran a gun making business in the 19th century and being 75 miles from both New York City and Philadelphia would most likely had a front row seat to the short lived velocipede craze (1868-70). Being gun makers they would have had all the resources and facilities to make their own homemade version.
 
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Bikebozo - is this a replica too? Belongs to one of the Wheelman so you can tell him what he has! ( I can give you his name )

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This is a definite re-pop . Most have that seat stay detail as well as the square pedals.

Bill - this IS the most common example of a re-pop shaker that I have seen on Ebay and elsewhere. The seat stay details and pedals are all the same. When viewing these in person details are easy to spot.
Yes these are very common.
 
Hello All - I'm no expert here but this is some of what I've discovered:

The Hanlons were acrobats and not manufacturers . In France, while touring Europe in 1867, they saw the new velocipede in use. They helped to introduce the velocipede to the American public by adding them to their stage act in the Spring/Summer of 1868. Calvin Witty, a NYC carriage maker, built velocipedes for the Hanlons. He went on to build his own velos and then capitalized on the Lallement patent which he purchased . Many people - carriage makers like Brownell & Sargent as well as local blacksmiths - copied the Hanlon design which is why so many have survived. Very simple, easily made, and cost effective to build. I believe that all of the Hanlon velos pictured here in this thread (with the exception of that which Bill noted as a re-pop), including the initial museum bike, are genuine. I have never seen a machine stamped with the Hanlon name. I have seen examples stamped by Brownell and Sargent. Several Hanlon type machines have sold at the Copake auction.

I have included an image of a Hanlon type machine that is on display in a museum in Colorado. Rather than having a curly cue or mustache leg rest detail on the frame above the front wheel, it has a flat paddle. Could this be for balancing upon ? A place to place ones' foot ? Is this an example of a true surviving machine used by the Hanlon-Lee Troupe ? https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hanlon-Brothers It seems functional and more than a design detail .

The other image is of a velocipede built by Calvin Witty. This was constructed in the serpentine style of the Lallement patent of 1866. It too is pretty crude and
probably dates from the Summer of 1868. This was at the beginning of the velocipede craze that swept America and was over by the Autumn of 1869.

Carey Williams is quite knowledgeable and could add a lot here.

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Thank you Glenn - I was hoping that Bikebozo was going to give us a writeup and this is why I haven't done it yet. I have the Hanlon book as well and it explains all the brothers and so on. It's a good read if someone wants to learn about them and their circus tricks.

Here is another photo of the bike in the museum. I too always felt the front brace might have been a step for performing. Many of the bikes were crude looking. It wasn't an expensive machine so they weren't fancy like a Michaux but most people have only heard of this Boneshaker. I have lots and lots of photos of this style bike that I haven't posted yet.

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