ca. 1898 Nichols Ladies Safety
William Nichols of Waltham, MA, built this safety bicycle just before the end of the 19th century. Its dropped top tube frame design was specifically for skirted female riders and its pneumatic tires gave a comfortable ride. By the time of its construction, safety bicycles of this type were relegating the once mighty highwheelers to scrap dealers around the world. The lever operated front brake, visable on the left side of the handlebars in the image above, was a later addition
Accession no. 1986G67
Return to Collections Home Page