The Penny-Farthing Era Captured in Timeless Vintage Cycling Photographs

The penny-farthing got its name from two British coins — the large penny and the tiny farthing — which mirrored the bicycle’s dramatically mismatched wheels. British engineer James Starley introduced the design in the 1870s, building on the earlier “boneshaker,” a crude wooden-and-iron machine with pedals fixed directly to the front wheel. Starley’s version replaced that clunky design with a massive front wheel, sometimes exceeding five feet in diameter, paired with a small trailing rear wheel.

The large front wheel was a matter of physics. Without gears, the only way to go faster was to make the wheel bigger — each full pedal stroke moved the bike one full wheel-circumference forward. Riders perched high above the ground, their seat directly over the giant front wheel. That height came with serious risk. A sudden stop or rough patch of road could send the rider straight over the handlebars in what cyclists called a “header.”

Despite the danger, the penny-farthing surged in popularity through the 1880s. It attracted young, affluent men who wore it as a badge of athleticism and nerve. Rubber tires and improved metalworking made frames lighter and stronger, but the core design stayed unchanged. Riding one well took real skill, and that difficulty was part of the appeal.

The bicycle’s decline came swiftly. In the 1890s, John Kemp Starley — a relative of James Starley — invented the safety bicycle, which featured two equal-sized wheels and a chain drive to the rear wheel. It was faster to learn, far less likely to send its rider head-first into the road, and accessible to a much broader audience, including women and older riders.

Even after the safety bicycle took over, the penny-farthing didn’t disappear entirely. It kept showing up in races, exhibitions, and novelty events well into the 20th century. The photographs collected here span decades, from early 1900s Germany to mid-century London, Sweden, Australia, and Ohio — each one a glimpse of how this towering machine refused to fade quietly.