Judge, 1897-03-13 · page 3 of 24
Judge — March 13, 1897 — page 3: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
# Analysis This page is primarily **advertising, not satire or political commentary**. It's a full-page advertisement from the Overman Wheel Company promoting their "Victor Road Racer" bicycle, dated January 20th, 1897. The ad targets serious cyclists ("Expert road riders") and emphasizes the bicycle's quality craftsmanship and modern features for that era. The company claims to be "the oldest American makers of Safety Bicycles" and notes they pioneered safety bicycle construction in 1887. There are no cartoons, caricatures, or satirical figures visible. The headline "Have you seen the Victor Road Racer?" is a straightforward marketing question. This represents typical late-1890s bicycle industry advertising during the peak of the American cycling boom.
📄 Transcribed text from this page (OCR, searchable)
Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.
Have you seen the Victor Road Racer? The date on it is January 20th, 1897. You will appreciate this date and its newness after you have seen the wheel. q Tt not only contains ‘Victor grade” material and ‘Victor grade” workmanship all the way through, but it has all the latest little touches which bring a bicycle up to date. It has the latest fad, —the new thing,—which not only gives all that the past has suggested but many points which, are found nowhere else. Expert road riders will fall in love with it. In looking at it remember that the Company invites you to examine it bit by bit. In fact, this is our favorite way of showing Victor bicycles. We believe in making riders intelligent concerning that which they are to buy. See the Victor Road Racer with both eyes, both hands, both feet, before you buy a bicycle for '97. If you do, you will be glad of it. Our catalog on application, OVERMAN WHEEL CO, NEW YORK. BOSTON. SAN FRANCISCO, DETROIT. DENVER. PORTLAND, ORE. P.S. Did you know that the Overman Wheel Co. built Safety Bicycles in ’87, which was one year sooner than any other American bicycle maker? The Victor Road. Racer is the concentrated experience of ten years in safety construction. We are the oldest American makers of Safety Bicydes. comicbooks.com