September 11, 1999 to January 30, 2000
Amazing Bikes:
Two Centuries on Two Wheels
Great Hall High Bay
Presented by the Art Department

Amazing Bikes: Two Centuries on Two Wheels, a colorful and comprehensive exhibition exploring the art and history of the bicycle, is on view at the Oakland Museum of California Sept. 11, 1999 through Jan. 30, 2000. The exhibition traces the development of this revolutionary invention from European machines of the mid-1860s through the bicycle's "golden age" in the 1890s to today's technically sophisticated models. Activities and programs for the whole family accompany the exhibition.

The invention of the bicycle had a revolutionary impact around the world. Considered the first democratic means of transportation, the bicycle eliminated dependence on the horse and carriage and allowed people to transport themselves faster and more efficiently. Women benefited from the enhanced mobility and independence and the "rational dress" movement spawned by women cyclists.

Cycles Gladiator, c. 1900. C.B., G. Massias, Paris, France. Lithograph.

Technological innovations developed for the bicycle were later used in production of automobiles and airplanes. The exhibition will stimulate thinking about the various social impacts of the bicycle since its appearance more than a century ago.

The exhibition includes graceful designs ranging from an early pedal-less "running machine" circa 1820 to French and English "velocipedes" and safety bicycles, from high-wheelers and balloon-tire bicycles to road racers and modern California mountain bikes. More than sixty bicycles, dating from the 1860s to the present, have been selected for the exhibition from the Pryor Dodge and Leon Dixon collections and from California builders and collectors. Also on exhibit are posters, prints, photographs and bicycle memorabilia. The art and striking beauty of these machines is a primary theme for the exhibition, which also explores the social and economic impact of the bicycle beginning with the Industrial Revolution..

Amazing Bikes: Two Centuries on Two Wheels draws from several sources including:

	The world-renowned traveling exhibition Bicycles: History, Beauty, Fantasy from the collection of American collector Pryor Dodge, including 34 significant bicycles from around the world dating from the 1860s to 1920, prints and photographs, and more than 400 artifacts such as bicycle lamps, badges, clothing, board games and trophies. The Pryor Dodge Collection has recently been seen in New York, London and Los Angeles.
	Fifteen bicycles from Los Angeles collector Leon Dixon's classic high-pressure, middleweight and balloon-tired bicycles, along with bicycle posters, artifacts and neon signs from the 1920s to 1960s. Dixon is curator of the National Bicycle History Archive located in southern California.
	Prototype mountain bikes developed by California innovators. (The mountain bikes that evolved into today's vehicles were developed by bike enthusiasts in the San Francisco Bay Area.)
	Recumbent bicycles including the Easy Rider Gold Rush Replica, winner of the DuPont Prize for being the first human-powered vehicle to surpass 65 miles per hour.
	Working bicycles, racing machines and memorabilia, tandems and folding bicycles.

The exhibition includes a resource area where visitors can find information about cycling in Oakland, a map of East Bay bicycle routes, brochures from local bicycle organizations, a display and video about Critical Mass, and a community bulletin board for bicycle announcements.

Philip Linhares, Chief Curator of Art at the Oakland Museum of California, is the curator of Amazing Bikes: Two Centuries on Two Wheels. Among the exhibitions he has curated at the OMCA are Hot Rods & Customs: The Men & Machines of California's Car Culture and Raymond Saunders: Recent Work. Inez Brooks-Myers, OMCA Curator of Costume and Textiles, is coordinating curator for the exhibition. A 217-page illustrated book, The Bicycle, by Pryor Dodge, published by Flammarion (1996), is available from the museum store.

Made possible with support from the Oakland Museum Women's Board

Sponsorship provided by:

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