ART & ARTISTS: Bicycle Posters

Monday 28 June 2021

Bicycle Posters - part 8

Bicycles were introduced in the 19th century in Europe, and by the early 21st century, more than 1 billion were in existence at a given time. These numbers far exceed the number of cars, both in total and ranked by the number of individual models produced. They are the principal means of transportation in many regions.

The safety bicycle was developed in 1894, and this allowed women the momentous occasion to finally cycle on their own. Advertisers were quick to realise that if women began riding bicycles, then their marketing tactics would have to adapt to increase sales. This proved to be a key moment of transformation: female consumers needed to see themselves in advertising, and the poster art obliged them. For the first time ever, women were given a key element to attaining independence—the bicycle, and all the roving possibilities that entailed—and posters emboldened this new assertion of power. Female cyclists were depicted as goddesses, warriors, angels, enchantresses, and arbiters of their own desires. In posters, the women were in charge.

Posters continued their work of appealing to both female and male consumers. Their depictions of powerful goddesses could inspire female audiences, but they could also be made attractive to men. In this way, advertisers could sell the idea of machines to women and also sell the idea of women using machines to male audiences—a double marketing whammy.

For more information on bicycle posters see part 1, and for earlier examples see parts 1 - 7 also.

This is part 8 of an 11-part series on bicycle posters:

1914 Dunlop Cycle Tyres "Only me and Dunlops left"
WWI poster (UK)

1914-18 The London Cyclists WWI recruitment poster by Ernest Iggerson (UK)

The 25th (County of London) Cyclist Battalion was a bicycle battalion of the London Regiment of the British Army. The battalion was converted to a unit of the Royal Corps of Signals in 1922.

The unit was originally formed on 26 February 1888 as the 26th Middlesex (Cyclist) Volunteer Corps, as part of a growing interest in the use of bicycles for military uses. It originally comprised three troops lettered 'A' to 'C' and was originally linked to the King's Royal Rifle Corps. In 1908 on the formation of the Territorial Force as part of the Haldane Reforms the unit became part of the newly created London Regiment. Men from the unit took part in the campaign in Waziristan (1919), 3rd Afghan War and some were present at the Amritsar Massacre in 1919.

1915 Cleveland (France)

c1915 Cycles Warranted (France)
116.6 x 79 cm

c1915 Dürkopp, Graz (Austria)

1916 Cycles Louis Clément by Lochard (France)

1916-20s Michelin Tyres/ Tires:

Michelin’s involvement in cycling happened quite by accident though, when one day a local cyclist heard about the Michelin factory. He visited searching for materials to repair his tyre, and Edouard Michelin was astounded at the length of time it took to make the repair, with the necessary overnight drying of the tyre to the rim.

Rewind a year and John Boyd Dunlop had invented the pneumatic tyre, revolutionising cycling. These were unsurprisingly popular amongst cyclists of the day as they were far superior to solid tyres then prevalent – downsides though were the cost and difficulty in making repairs. The Michelin brothers quickly set about working on a solution to the long repair times, and introduced the world to the first detachable pneumatic tyre. Repair times were now a much more reasonable 15 minutes – a special rim and tyre combination worked with small bolt and clamps holding the two bits together – the clincher was born.

1916 Michelin Enveloppe Vélo by Fabien Fabiano (France)

Fabien Fabiano (1882 – 1962) was the pseudonym of Jules Coup de Fréjac, a French illustrator, portrait painter, and designer. He studied in Saint-Servan and then did his military service in Saint-Malo before moving to Paris in 1900. He attended the preparatory workshop of the École des Beaux-Arts, and the Académie Colarossi and took lessons with Alphonse Mucha. His early illustrations were published in major magazines such as the New York Tribune, La Vie Parisienne, and Fantasio. He travelled frequently and painted the portraits of society members, famous artists of the Golden Age of Hollywood, and political figures.

1916 Michelin Cycle Cover by Fabien Fabiano (France)

1920 Michelin Cable (Italy)
99 x 70 cm

1920s Pneu Vélo Michelin (France)

Michelin Pneu Vélo (France)

Michelin Pneumatic Velo (Italy)

Pneu Vélo Michelin by O'Galop (France)

O'Galop, pseudonym of Marius Rossillon (1867 – 1946) was a French artist and cartoonist, best known for creating Bibendum, the Michelin Man. O'Galop began his career around 1893, drawing cartoons for magazines. He created his first advertisement for Michelin in 1898 and would continue creating posters for the company featuring the character until 1911. He was also a pioneer in animation and created about 40 animated films between 1910 and 1927.

Pneu Vélo Michelin Deshaies by H.L. Roowy (France)

Pneu Vélo Michelin Moïse Gazel Fils (France)

c1918 Bicyclettes Dainty by Raoul Vion (France)

c1920 La Française Diamant by Raoul Vion (France)
153.7 x 116 cm

1920 Cycles Liberator (signed "after Gypé") (France)
52.2 x 53.2 cm

c1920 Cycles Rochet by Alph Noël (France)

c1920 Cycles-Tnomed The "Cow-boy" (France)

c1920 Cycles Guyot (Switzerland)

c1920 Cycles Météore by Edouard Courchinoux (France)
154.3 x 114.3 cm

1920s Cycles Guiller Frères by Edouard Courchinoux (France)

c1920 Hercules Räder Nürnberger (Germany)
65 x 43 cm

c1920 Le Velo Dixi Une Riche Trouvaille (France)

c1920 Pneu Wolber (France)
79 x 60 cm

c1920 Thomann Cycles, Motos (France)
78 x 117.5 cm

c 1920s Canna Gomme Pirelli by Luciano Mauzan

Luciano Achille Mauzan (1881-1952) French commercial artist, graphic designer, illustrator, engraver, painter and sculptor. Mauzan began working in Italy in 1909 and remained there until 1927 when he was invited to work in Buenos Aires, and returned to France in 1933. He produced over 2000 posters during his long career.

1920s Cycles Austral by Albert Edouard Puyplat (France)
118.7 x 78.1 cm

1920s Cycles Automoto (France)
59 x 39.4 cm

1920s Cycles Automoto (France)
59 x 40.5 cm

1920s Cycles De Dion-Bouton by Felix Fournery (France)

1920s Cycles et Motos De Dion-Bouton by Felix Fournery (France)
120 x 79 cm

Félix Fournery (1865 - 1938) was a Frech painter, fashion illustrator, printmaker, and watercolourist. He studied in the École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts. From 1877 to 1920, his career as an artist was launched through several exhibitions. Around the time of WWI he became a fashion illustrator, marking with his brush and his pen the collections of the Belle Epoque.

1920s Triumph Cycles (UK)

1921 Victoria-Räder by Julius U. Engelhard (Germany)

Julius U. Engelhard (1883 - 1964 ) studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, among others, at Franz von Stuck . He was a member of the New Association of Munich Poster Artists as well as employees of Simplicissimus , Die Jugend and numerous other magazines. He was the house graphic artist of the fashion magazine Elegante Welt , for which he drew elegant cover sheets in the Art-déco style in the 1920s. Engelhard also drew titles for the magazine Echo.

1922 Peugeot Bicycles by Jean Carlu (France)

Jean Carlu (1900 Bonnières, France - 1997) came from a family of architects and began studies to continue that tradition. However, a tragic accident at 18 resulted in the loss of his right arm. As a result, Carlu turned to the graphic and commercial arts. Working for an advertising agency from 1919 to 1921, he developed an affinity for the angular forms and spatial nuances associated with Cubism. Throughout the 1920s and 30s, he became a leading figure in French poster design, working within the French Art Deco style.

c1922 Cycles Albatros by Charles Hirlemann (France)

1923 Bicyclettes Dainty by Paul Mohr (France)

1923 Les Cycles Wonder by Paul Gustave Mohr (France)

Paul Gustave Mohr, a French Avant-garde poster designer from the Art Deco period was born in Ham, France and died in 1959 in Paris. As an artist, he designed advertising posters from 1920 to 1940.

His posters advertised Wonder cycles, Dainty cycles, Lustucru pasta, Banania sugar, Bremsit brakes, Champigneulles beer, L'Union beer, Dubonnet wine, as well as shoes and ham.

1924 Les Cycles Olympique (France)

c1924 Kynoch Cycles (UK)
157 x 105 cm

1925 Automoto Tours de France 1923-1924-1925 by H. Cassard (France)

1925 Cycles Omega (France)

1925 Thomann Exigez La !… (France)

1925 Vèlodrome de Lausanne by Jacques Favarger

Jacques Philippe Favarger (1889-1967) was a Swiss architect. He didn’t go through an architecture school; he learned his trade in the field. He began his career in the services of the city of Lausanne and remained there until 1925. He then joined forces for some time with Charles Dubois. After the war he was associated for a few years with Bernard Murisier. In 1931-1932, he took part in the town planning competition launched by the city of Lausanne for a prefiguration of the extension of the city. It is ranked second out of forty-nine projects.