Life, 1897-02-18 · page 20 of 20
Life — February 18, 1897 — page 20: what you’re looking at
What you’re looking at
This is not a cartoon or satire—it's a **straightforward advertisement** for the Victor Road Racer bicycle, manufactured by the Overman Wheel Company. **Context for modern readers:** In 1897, bicycles were cutting-edge consumer technology and a major status symbol. The "safety bicycle" (with two equal-sized wheels and a chain drive) was relatively new, having replaced the dangerous "penny-farthing" design. The ad emphasizes the bicycle's 1897 date to stress its modernity and latest features. It appeals to "expert road riders" and promises quality craftsmanship. The company claims leadership in safety bicycle manufacturing since 1887. The rhetorical strategy—inviting customers to examine the bike "bit by bit" with "both eyes, both hands, both feet"—reflects how consumers shopped for expensive, technical goods before mass production standardization. The ad ran in *Life* magazine, which mixed satire with advertisements.
📄 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. It 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 Bicyeles.