Le Vélocipède Illustré
Encyclopedia
Le Vélocipède Illustré (Bicycle Illustrated) was a fortnightly (twice monthly) illustrated French
newspaper
which covered cycling, water sports, mechanical arts and sciences, fine arts, and industry. First published in Paris on the 1st April 1869 by Richard Lesclide, it continued publication until 1872.
As part of its promotional marketing Le Vélocipède Illustré co-organised the world's first 'city to city' road-race for bicycles, from Paris to Rouen on November 7, 1869.
.
Lesclide was described by Edward Seidler in his book The Media and Sport (Presse et Sport) as:
, Ariège
, although the title was misleading as it was not related to velocipedes, but an excuse to obtain an Imperial
publication license. On March 1, 1869 another independent newspaper called Le Vélocipède was published in Voiron
, near Grenoble
. It promoted itself as the "Humorous journal and gazette of sportsmen and cyclists (vélocemen). The publisher was monsieur A Favre, a manufacturer of bicycles and tricycles. This version only survived for 3 months.
On 1 April 1869, the first edition of Le Vélocipède Illustré appeared at the peak of the bicycle boom. The masthead featured an image of the voluptuous Lady Progress astride a boneshaker
, and the main banner stated its coverage as :
Subsequent editions featured a range of images of Lady Progress surrounded by contemporary cycling fantasy scenes, such as the montage (illustrated) of ballooning, walking, travel, outdoor life and freedom.
In the manifesto of the first edition, Richard Lesclide, the editor, stated:
The novelty of the new publication about cycling attracted the attention of the New York Times, which carried a report from the 'Velocipede correspondent of the London Star
:
Le Vélocipède Illustré organised the world's first 'city to city' (road-race) bicycle race, from Paris to Rouen on November 7, 1869. The event was sponsored by the Olivier brothers
, owners of a bicycle manufacturer company called The Michaux Company
. They had been delighted with the success of the world's first bicycle race, a day of short races held in Parc de Saint-Cloud
, Paris and so promoted the 123 kilometre race between Paris and Rouen. The first prize was one thousand gold francs and a bicycle. and the rules said the riders were not 'to be pulled by a dog or use sails'.
The race started at the Arc de Triomphe
in Paris and finished in the centre of Rouen
. The course took them through St-Germain-en-Laye
(16 km), Mantes (39 km), Vernon
(63 km) and Louviers
(97 km). 325 riders started the race and the winner was an Englishman living in Paris, James Moore
, who took 10 hours and 40 minutes. He is presumed to have been riding a Suriray bicycle built by Tribout and possibly the first bike ever equipped with ball bearing
s, which were patented by Jules Suriray
, a Parisian bicycle mechanic, in 1869. The bicycle, draped with the Union Jack, disappeared from outside a cafe in the rue Notre Dame des Victoires during the post-race celebrations.
depressed sales at the end of the cycling boom.
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
which covered cycling, water sports, mechanical arts and sciences, fine arts, and industry. First published in Paris on the 1st April 1869 by Richard Lesclide, it continued publication until 1872.
As part of its promotional marketing Le Vélocipède Illustré co-organised the world's first 'city to city' road-race for bicycles, from Paris to Rouen on November 7, 1869.
The founder
Le Vélocipède Illustré was published on the 1st April 1869 by Richard Lesclide, alias Le Grand Jacques, a pioneer of sports journalism. Lesclide eventually became the secretary of Victor HugoVictor Hugo
Victor-Marie Hugo was a Frenchpoet, playwright, novelist, essayist, visual artist, statesman, human rights activist and exponent of the Romantic movement in France....
.
Lesclide was described by Edward Seidler in his book The Media and Sport (Presse et Sport) as:
The first edition
A bicycle boom occurred in France during the 1860s. In October 1868 Le Vélocipède was published in FoixFoix
Foix is a commune, the capital of the Ariège department in southwestern France. It is the least populous administrative centre of a department in all of France, although it is only very slightly smaller than Privas...
, Ariège
Ariège
Ariège is a department in southwestern France named after the Ariège River.- History :Ariège is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was created from the counties of Foix and Couserans....
, although the title was misleading as it was not related to velocipedes, but an excuse to obtain an Imperial
Second French Empire
The Second French Empire or French Empire was the Imperial Bonapartist regime of Napoleon III from 1852 to 1870, between the Second Republic and the Third Republic, in France.-Rule of Napoleon III:...
publication license. On March 1, 1869 another independent newspaper called Le Vélocipède was published in Voiron
Voiron
Voiron is a commune in the Isère department in south-eastern France.- History :Voiron long formed part of Savoy, but in 1355 was exchanged by the count with France for Faucigny and Gex.Historical population:* 1901: 12,625- Geography :Voiron stands at a height of 950 ft., on the Morge Voiron...
, near Grenoble
Grenoble
Grenoble is a city in southeastern France, at the foot of the French Alps where the river Drac joins the Isère. Located in the Rhône-Alpes region, Grenoble is the capital of the department of Isère...
. It promoted itself as the "Humorous journal and gazette of sportsmen and cyclists (vélocemen). The publisher was monsieur A Favre, a manufacturer of bicycles and tricycles. This version only survived for 3 months.
On 1 April 1869, the first edition of Le Vélocipède Illustré appeared at the peak of the bicycle boom. The masthead featured an image of the voluptuous Lady Progress astride a boneshaker
Boneshaker
Boneshaker can refer to:* Boneshaker * Boneshaker , by Cherie Priest...
, and the main banner stated its coverage as :
- Vélocipédie (cycling), Sport Nautique (Water sports), Arts and Sciences Mécaniques (Mechanical Arts and Sciences). Beaux-Arts (Fine Arts), Industrie (Industry).
Subsequent editions featured a range of images of Lady Progress surrounded by contemporary cycling fantasy scenes, such as the montage (illustrated) of ballooning, walking, travel, outdoor life and freedom.
In the manifesto of the first edition, Richard Lesclide, the editor, stated:
- "The velocipede is not a fad born yesterday, in vogue today, to be forgotten tomorrow. Along. with its seductive qualities, it has an undeniably practical character. It supplants the raw and unintelligent speed of the masses with the speed of the individual. This horse of wood and iron fills a void in modern life; it responds not only to our needs but also to our aspirations."
The novelty of the new publication about cycling attracted the attention of the New York Times, which carried a report from the 'Velocipede correspondent of the London Star
The Star (London)
The Star was a London evening newspaper founded in 1788.The first edition was printed on 3 May 1788 under the editorship of Peter Stuart. Founding sponsors of the new paper included publisher John Murray and William Lane of the Minerva Press...
:
Paris–Rouen
Olivier brothers
The Olivier brothers, Aimé, René, and Marius, were the first people responsible for recognizing the commercial potential of a new invention : the bicycle....
, owners of a bicycle manufacturer company called The Michaux Company
Pierre Michaux
Pierre Michaux was a blacksmith who furnished parts for the carriage trade in Paris during the 1850s and 1860s. He started building bicycles with pedals in the early 1860s. He, or his son Ernest, may have been the inventor of this machine, by adapting cranks and pedals on the front wheel of a...
. They had been delighted with the success of the world's first bicycle race, a day of short races held in Parc de Saint-Cloud
Saint-Cloud
Saint-Cloud is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris.Like other communes of the Hauts-de-Seine such as Marnes-la-Coquette, Neuilly-sur-Seine or Vaucresson, Saint-Cloud is one of the wealthiest cities in France, ranked 22nd out of the 36500 in...
, Paris and so promoted the 123 kilometre race between Paris and Rouen. The first prize was one thousand gold francs and a bicycle. and the rules said the riders were not 'to be pulled by a dog or use sails'.
The race started at the Arc de Triomphe
Arc de Triomphe
-The design:The astylar design is by Jean Chalgrin , in the Neoclassical version of ancient Roman architecture . Major academic sculptors of France are represented in the sculpture of the Arc de Triomphe: Jean-Pierre Cortot; François Rude; Antoine Étex; James Pradier and Philippe Joseph Henri Lemaire...
in Paris and finished in the centre of Rouen
Rouen
Rouen , in northern France on the River Seine, is the capital of the Haute-Normandie region and the historic capital city of Normandy. Once one of the largest and most prosperous cities of medieval Europe , it was the seat of the Exchequer of Normandy in the Middle Ages...
. The course took them through St-Germain-en-Laye
Saint-Germain-des-Prés
Saint-Germain-des-Prés is an area of the 6th arrondissement of Paris, France, located around the church of the former Abbey of Saint-Germain-des-Prés....
(16 km), Mantes (39 km), Vernon
Vernon, Eure
Vernon is a commune in the department of Eure in the Haute-Normandie region in northern France.It lies on the banks of the Seine River, about midway between Paris and Rouen...
(63 km) and Louviers
Louviers
Louviers is a commune in the Eure department in Haute-Normandie in northern France.Louviers is from Paris and from Rouen.-Population:-Sights:Its church, Notre Dame, has parts which date from the thirteenth century...
(97 km). 325 riders started the race and the winner was an Englishman living in Paris, James Moore
James Moore (cyclist)
James Moore was a bicycle racer. He is popularly regarded as the winner of the first official cycle race in the world in 1868 at St-Cloud, Paris, although there appears to be no verifiable contemporary evidence for this...
, who took 10 hours and 40 minutes. He is presumed to have been riding a Suriray bicycle built by Tribout and possibly the first bike ever equipped with ball bearing
Ball bearing
A ball bearing is a type of rolling-element bearing that uses balls to maintain the separation between the bearing races.The purpose of a ball bearing is to reduce rotational friction and support radial and axial loads. It achieves this by using at least two races to contain the balls and transmit...
s, which were patented by Jules Suriray
Jules Suriray
Jules Pierre Suriray was a Parisian bicycle mechanic, who patented ball bearings in 1869.Suriray was awarded the first patent on 3 August 1869. The bearings were then fitted to the winning bicycle ridden by James Moore in the world's first bicycle road race, Paris–Rouen, in November 1869. The...
, a Parisian bicycle mechanic, in 1869. The bicycle, draped with the Union Jack, disappeared from outside a cafe in the rue Notre Dame des Victoires during the post-race celebrations.
Demise
Le Vélocipède Illustré continued publication until 1872, when the impact of the Franco-Prussian WarFranco-Prussian War
The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the 1870 War was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the Kingdom of Prussia. Prussia was aided by the North German Confederation, of which it was a member, and the South German states of Baden, Württemberg and...
depressed sales at the end of the cycling boom.