Tricycle Photos:  Pre-1900

The birth of the tricycle coincided almost simultaneously with the birth of photography in the mid-nineteenth century.  Therefore tricycles and bicycles and their owners were often popular subjects of photographers.  Due to the cost of early bicycles and tricycles, often only the well-off could afford them, and the same went for early photography.  Early photographs such as CDV's, ambrotypes, and daguerreotypes with images of tricycles are quite rare and somewhat valuable. 

      The evolution of society in America and around the world can be followed by photographs, and the evolution of the tricycle - both as a part of society and as a functional device - can be followed by photos as well.  It can be sort of hard to date tricycles, and using the different types of photography methods can help narrow it down.

      Below we try to show some of that evolution.  If you have any pictures that you would to add to our page, please let us know.

More Tricycle Photos:        Pre-1900      -           1900 - 1920's         -          1930 - 1950's           -          1960 - Current

Victorian tintype of boy on steel framed tricycle with wooden wheels circa 1870's.

Circa late 1870's super rare steel chain-driven hand-cranked tricycle with carved wooden horse frame..

Victorian 1880's all steel tricycle.

~1880's French wood and ornate cast iron horse velocipede tricycle.

Wooden body tricycle on tintype from circa 1860's or 1870's.

Boy on large wood & steel rimmed trike circa ~1880's on cabinet card

Young boy with wood & steel rimmed tricycle circa ~1880's on CDV.

All steel tricycle circa 1880's - 1900 on cabinet photo.

All wood velocipede circa 1870's.

Steel tubular framed tricycle, wood & steel wheels, probably European ~1880's.

Tintype of boy on steel tricycle with steel wheels ~1870's.

Girl on carved wooden horse tricycle on CDV circa early 1870's.

Steel wheel tricycle on cabinet card - late nineteenth century.

Steel wheel tricycle with carbide headlight on handlebars ~1890's.

Rare form all steel tricycle on cabinet photo taken in western Pennsylvania circa 1890

Victorian boy on all steel tricycle on CDV circa 1180's-1890's.

Large wheeled tricycle - all steel, late 1800's on cabinet card.

1880's all steel tricycle & boy on cabinet card taken in California.

Looks to be all steel w/ wood & steel rims, photo on CDV ~1870's.

All steel tricycle w/ steel wheels ~1880's on cabinet photo taken in Massachusetts.

All wood tricycle ~1860's - photo on tintype.

Very odd early CDV of boy on all steel trike on a farm circa ~1880.

Late Victorian carved wooden horse velocipede tricycle.

Late 1800's tricycle.

Boy on hobby horse velocipede w/ wood wheels circa 1870's on CDV photo.

All steel tricycle w/ steel wheels circa 1890's.

Steel wheel tricycle photo taken on road, probably around turn of century.

Family photo showing all steel tricycle on CDV circa early 1880's.

Young lady on velocipede tricycle, cabinet card looks to be dated 1898.

CDV of boy w/ steel tricycle with wood & steel rims ~1880's.

Boy on steel tricycle, photo on cabinet card circa 1890's, taken in Milwaukee.

Cabinet photo of boy on all steel tricycle late 1800's.

All wood trike, photo on cabinet card taken probably much later than tricycle was made.

Late 1800's all steel tricycle.

Late 1800's - turn of the century tricycle, steel frame & rims with tied rubber wheels.

Circa turn of the century to 19-teens era velocipede tricycle.

Late 1800's all steel tricycle.

Tiny all steel tricycle circa 1890's.

Carved wooden hobby horse tricycle with wood wheels ~1880's, photo on cabinet card.

Late Victorian tobacco card of tricycle racer W.E. Crist.

Turn of the century photo w/ boy on all steel tricycle.

Turn of the century photo with all steel tricycle.

All steel tricycle & boy on cabinet card circa 1880's - 1890's, taken in Hornellsville, NY.

Steel wheel velocipede with girls on tintype, circa 1870's.

Late 1800's two-person racing tricycle, looks to be European.

Late 1800's - early 1900's postcard with girl on steel wheeled velocipede.

Turn of the century era photo w/ all steel tricycle.

1880's or '90's cabinet card of children with all steel tricycle.

Late 1800's era all steel tricycle ridden by a child in a 19-teens era snapshot.

All steel tricycle, late Victorian.

Late 1800's cabinet card photo of boy on all steel tricycle, taken in Mississippi.

1870's boy on large velocipede tricycle on tintype photo.

1860's-70's all wooden tricycle - photo of boy looks to be a reprint on postcard.

1880-90's all steel tricycle & boy on cabinet card photo.

All metal tricycle, late 1800's.

High Victorian CDV image of girl on metal & wood tricycle circa 1870's.

Boy with steel wheeled velocipede, late 1800's.

Turn of the century era RPPC.

Late 1800's velocipede w/ woman on cabinet card, taken in Maryland.

Turn of the century hand-tinted stereoview of two girls on tricycle.

Late 1800's

1860's era CDV of boy on carved wood horse velocipede tricycle with wooden wheels.

1890's cabinet photo of boy and all steel tricycle taken in Michigan City, IN.

Late 1800's swooping frame steel tricycle photo from German cabinet photo.

Girl & father with all steel tricycle on tintype circa 1870's era.

Steel wheeled velocipede tricycle on cabinet card, taken in Shelby, OH.

1880's-90's steel wheeled velocipede on cabinet photo taken in Iowa.

Late Victorian cabinet photo of child on tricycle, taken in New Jersey.

Turn of the century postcard with girl on steel tricycle.

Velocipede tricycle with girl on cabinet card.

Girl & velocipede type tricycle, late 1800's, taken in Ionia, Michigan.

Late 1800's taken in Grand Rapids, Michigan on cabinet card.

Odd steel tricycle w/ steel wheels, appears to be late 1800's, photo from early RPPC.

~1890 studio cabinet photo of boy on steel wheel tricycle, taken in St. Paul.

Very early CDV studio image of boy on all wood tricycle ~1860's.

Late 1800's cabinet photo taken in Rhode Island.

Rare form, convex rear tricycle, ~1890's cabinet photo, taken in Milwaukee.

1890's cabinet photo taken in Indianapolis.

~1890 cabinet photo from Chicago.

Early image, 1870's CDV.

~1890 cabinet photo of velocipede tricycle taken in Russell, Kansas.

~1890 steel wheeled tricycle with wooden spool type pedals, taken in Philadelphia, PA.

Late 1800's cabinet photo.

~1880's steel wheeled tricycle, on cabinet card, taken in Hillsdale, Michigan.

1880's large 20+" steel wheel tricycle, photo on cabinet card, taken in Oneonta, NY.

~1870 all wood tricycle, photo on CDV.

Late 1800's steel wheel tricycle.

Turn of the century velocipede tricycle photo on cabinet card, taken in Erie, PA.

1890's steel tricycle, photo on cabinet card, taken in Sterling, IL.

~1890 tricycle studio photo on cabinet card, taken in Hudson, MA.

Late 1800's cabinet card photo taken in Chicago.

"The Cripple Boy" CDV photo on modified wooden tricycle ~1860's.

Photo on cabinet card.

Studio cabinet photo of super rare frame design, taken in Newton, KS ~1890.

~1860's tintype photograph of child on wooden tricycle.

Very early hand-tinted CDV image of boy on wooden tricycle ~1860,

Cabinet photo of boy with very large steel wheel tricycle. ~1890.

Girl on large velocipede ~1890, studio cabinet photo from Connecticut.

Early CDV studio photograph of girl on new wood tricycle ~1860.  Original pin-striping still visible.

Rare frame design late 1800's cabinet photo taken in Wisconsin.

Rare wood frame design on CDV, probably European ~1860's.

~1890 studio cabinet portrait.

~1890 studio cabinet portrait taken in Clinton, MA.

Cabinet photo of boy on tricycle that is obviously too big ~1890. Lima, NY