The Velocipede: Its Past, Its Present, And Its Future. How To Ride A Velocipede- "Straddle A Saddle, Then Paddle & Skedaddle". Bottomley, Joseph Firth. Transportation

Blue cloth with gilt lettering. Small octavo. 105pp. Illustrated. Scarce early work on the history of this forerunner of the bicycle. The author discusses its history, variations, construction, how to manage its use, its social and cultural impact, the need for new rules for its use in cities, and much more. The book is illustrated with 24 engravings on 14 plates. These show such models as the French Celeripede, English Dandy Horse, the Rantoone, the Phantom, the tricycle, the monocycle, the marine velocipede and much more. A worn copy with some chipping to the spine tips and heavy spotting to the rear cover. The inside hinges are cracked but still secure. The text is good with some scattered foxing and spotting and a few chipped page edges. Several of the page gutters have some splitting but the pages are still attached. This copy has been collated and is complete.