The Bicycle Museum is a virtual museum that showcases bicycling history in tandem with pop-up exhibits at different venues (such as libraries and bicycle shops) around Ontario. Find out more on our About page and see our projects and the stories behind them on our Portfolio page. The machine above is a bicycle used by Canadian troops in WW1 and the photo is from Ted Glenn’s Riding into Battle. Read more about the important role bicycles played in the Great War here.
TheBicycleMuseum.ca is planning an exhibit for November 2020 at the Toronto Reference Library. Please contact us if you have a WW1 or WW2 artifact you would like to contribute.
The Bicycle Museum pop-up project for Peterborough launched on Friday, November 2, 2018, at B!KE at 293 George Street in Peterborough. Thank you to Mayor Diane Therrien for popping by!
Mayor Diane Therrien, curator Tammy Thorne and Tegan Moss of B!KE.
Starting on December 3, 2018, The Peterborough Public Library hosted the pop-up for one month. Thank you to the Peterborough Examiner and other local media for the coverage.
The Peterborough pop-up exhibit will be shown one more time at Lang Pioneer Village on transportation day July 14, 2019.
Peterborough has a rich tradition of cycling excellence and that tradition needs to be acknowledged – and importantly, needs to continue.
The Peterborough Bicycle Club is one of the longest standing bicycle clubs in Canada and is currently the largest club per capita in the country. Peterborough also hosted the first ever provincial meet (race and parade) of the Canadian Wheelmen’s Association here on July 1, 1898. Almost 7,000 people came to see the high wheel bicycles racing around Morrow Park. Read all about it here.
We would like to thank Tegan Moss, Jennifer Jones, Tim Merrett, Ken Thorne, Peggy Brownscombe, David Banks, Ken Brown, Steve Brearton, Lorne Shields, Rob Howard, Jon Oldham and the Peterborough Museum and Archives for their support and for helping to source the images for the Peterborough pop-up and our portfolio pages.
Email thebicyclemuseumptbo@gmail.com if you have more information on Peterborough’s bicycle history, or if you have an idea or artifacts for a new pop-up!
Image list below.
1- The Cricket Grounds in Ashburnham. No date listed, circa 1890. Peterborough Museum & Archives. Balsillie Collection of Roy Studio Images. 2000-012-000212-3
2- Examiner newspaper clipping 1898
3- Trophy: Peterborough Museum & Archives, 2000-012-003952-1, Unidentified.
4- Peterborough Museum & Archives. Balsillie Collection of Roy Studio Images. 2000-012-000138-13 (Possibly Morrow Park circa 1900s.)
5- Alex Gibson, bicycle club member (possibly treasurer) and competitor, “Peterborough Museum & Archives. Denne Collection. PG DC 44 (1885)
6- Percy Jamieson poses with a wee penny farthing at Roy Studios, Peterborough Museum & Archives. 1990-003″ (ca 1905)
7- White’s Cycle and Sporting Goods storefront photo/postcard courtesy of Peggy Brownscombe of Peterborough, Ollie White’s daughter.
8- Banks Bicycles storefront 005: Peterborough Museum & Archives, 1990-079, Marlow Banks fonds. Banks Bicycle shop on Charlotte Street.
9- White’s Cycle quad bicycle float in a parade downtown Peterborough. (Date unknown.)
10-White’s “Bicycle Ambulance” images courtesy of Peggy Brownscombe
11- Jackson Park safety cyclists circa 1905-06, Peterborough Museum & Archives. Balsillie Collection of Roy Studio Images. 2000-012-004797-1
12-Dr. Willoughby Belch and his replica big wheel bicycle, purchased from Banks Bicycles 1967.
13 (blank) – Newspaper article from May 13, 1869, advertising the “Velocipedequerade” a Grand Velocipede Masquerade Carnival being held on May 21 at the Drill Shed for “lovers of fun.”
Opposite side: The blue heron on a big wheel by Ian Sullivan Cant.
Wall (not seen): Victorian trading card advertisements for J&P Oats courtesy of Lorne Shields.
All images are for sale. Email bicyclemuseumptbo@gmail.com for more information.
The Bicycle Museum 