Poster Print of Bicycle (Velocipede or Boneshaker), Cornwall Works, Birmingham, England

Poster Print of Bicycle (Velocipede or Boneshaker), Cornwall Works, Birmingham, England

In September 1870, this velocipede was ridden by Sir Richard Tangye from Truro to Newquay, bringing the news of the Battle of Sedan to the town. Tangye's Cornwall Works in Birmingham built large numbers of velocipedes, paying a royalty to the French Velocipede Company in order to make the bicycles. The five sons of Joseph Tangye senior, an Illogan miner, commenced their engineering and manufacturing business together in Birmingham in 1856. James (1825-1912), the eldest, was very skilled with the lathe; Joseph (1826-1902) was the creative engineer; Richard (1833-1906) dealt with public relations and sales; George (1835-1920) was the businessman; while Edward (1832-1909), a Quaker, soon left to found his own business. Velocipedes, also known as Boneshakers, due to their iron tyres, were one of the many things that were manufactured at the Cornwall Works. The business also provided the hydraulic rams required to launch the Great Eastern, Brunel's ill-fated steel ship in 1857-1858, and to raise Cleopatra's Needle to its present position on the London Embankment in 1878. The first direct-acting steam pumps in Europe were made at the Cornwall Works in 1867 and the firm produced James Tangye's horizontal steam engines from 1869. By 1876 the firm employed 1300 workers. The Tangyes were also philanthropists and from 1880 were founders and major benefactors of the Birmingham Art Gallery and Museum and the Birmingham School of Art. TRURI : 1937.34

© RIC, photographer Mike Searle

Media ID 18833317

Bike , Cornishman , Cornishmen , Cycle , Engineer , Engineering , Industrial , Innovation , Manufacture , Manufacturing , Notable , Personalities , Ride , Spokes , Uncomfortable , Victorian , Wheels

A4 (30x21cm) Poster

Archival quality poster paper, ideal for printing larger pictures

A4 Poster (30 x 21cm, 8.3 x 11.7 inches) printed on 170gsm Satin Poster Paper. Securely packaged, rolled and inserted into a strong mailing tube and shipped tracked. Poster Prints are of comparable archival quality to our Photographic prints, they are simply printed on thinner Poster Paper. Whilst we only use Photographic Prints in our frames, you can frame Poster Prints if they are carefully supported to prevent sagging over time.

This picture is available as a Framed Print , Photographic Print , Jigsaw Puzzle , Canvas Print , Poster Print , Tote Bag , Photo Mug , Greeting Cards , Cushion , Metal Print , Fine Art Print , Mounted Photo , Glass Frame , Acrylic Blox , Framed Print , Mouse Mat , Glass Place Mats

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