Photographic Print of Joseph Tangye (1826-1902) on a velocipede, probably Wolverhampton, West Midlands. Around 1870

Photographic Print of Joseph Tangye (1826-1902) on a velocipede, probably Wolverhampton, West Midlands. Around 1870

The velocipede in the photograph is very similar to the one in the collection of the Royal Cornwall Museum (TRURI : 1937.34). 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. Photographer: Edward Hill, 39, Darlington Street, Wolverhampton

© From the collection of the RIC

Media ID 18391513

Character Cornishman Cycle Personality Transport

10"x8" (25x20cm) Print

Our Photo Prints are printed on sturdy Archival Quality Paper for vivid reproduction and are perfect for framing

30 Day Money Back Guarantee
Made with high-grade materials
Uncropped Image 14.6 x 25.4cm (est)
Professional quality finish
Product Size 20.3 x 25.4cm (est)

Our watermarking does not appear on finished products

Printed on archival quality paper for unrivalled stable artwork permanence and brilliant colour reproduction with accurate colour rendition and smooth tones. Printed on professional 234gsm Fujifilm Crystal Archive DP II paper. 10x8 for landscape images, 8x10 for portrait images. Size refers to size of paper used.

Product Code dmcs_18391513_676_0

TRURI : TTbcc.2