1895 COLUMBIA BICYCLES CATALOG - POPE MANUFACTURING CO. HARTFORD, CT - VERY RARE

Description

We are offering a
VERY RARE
1895 Catalog for Columbia Bicycles - Pope Manufacturing Co., Hartford, CT.  7 1/4" x 8 1/2".  49 pages.  The catalog also has a paper insert of Instruction, with illustrations, for Repairing Single Tube Tires.
The front cover illustration is by William H. Bradley of Springfield, Massachusetts.
It is in the Art Nouveau style popular from about 1890 through the turn of the century, and is in the style of illustrators such as Alphonse Mucha and Eugene Grasset.
This style was often used by creators of advertisements in the bicycle industry in order to target the female market.  Coinciding with the growing women's rights movement, the bicycle was the ultimate symbol of freedom of movement for women!  After Bradley's design for the 1895 Columbia Bicycles catalog cover, he was in great demand from other bicycle manufacturers who hired him for their advertising.
The catalog is filled with many great illustrations, with every page having at least one, if not many illustrations on the page.  These illustrations are by Bartlett & Co. NY, Designers, Engravers & Printers.
The catalog has updates on every year since the company's humble beginnings in 1877 through 1895, with accompanying illustrations.  In 1878 the company installed large sales rooms and actually had a Bicycle Riding School in their headquarters in Boston.
CONDITION: Excellent