Amazing vintage British Colonial Bicycle Company advertising mirror showing fabulous font in vivid colour on the side in a stunning picture or a policeman with him moustache on an antique bike with the background a far off backdrop, to make a romantic scene to entice people to purchase the bikes, a stand out design with a Victorian style finish.
It is in nice vintage condition with minimum signs of authentic patina.
Height: 35cm
Length: 53cm
Width: 2cm
The initial ‘cycle boom’ of the late 1880s and 1890s created a massive new market for manufacturers in Britain and America. As is usual in such circumstances, it was followed by overproduction and increased competition, leading to a slump in sales. This destroyed the US cycle industry. However, Britain retained its leading position worldwide because its cycle makers continued to export to the British colonies, creating new markets worldwide…
Vehicles with two wheels that require balancing by the rider date back to the early 19th century. The first means of transport using two wheels arranged consecutively, and thus the archetype of the bicycle, was the German draisine, which dates back to 1817. The term bicycle was coined in France in the 1860s, and the descriptive title "penny farthing," used to describe an "ordinary bicycle," is a 19th-century term.