Author Archives: Sheila Hanlon

About Sheila Hanlon

Dr Sheila Hanlon is a historian specialising in women's cycling history.

Daisy Bell

            The Wheelwomen pages have a new addition, Frances Evelyn ‘Daisy’ Greville, The Countess of Warwick. Daisy, as she was commonly known, was a society hostess, royal mistress, champion of women’s and worker’s rights, and … Continue reading

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Cycling…errr…Walking with Women, Cambridge

No history of Cambridge would be complete without a mention of cycling, and Shape East’s new Walking with Women is no exception. One stop on this self guided tour recalls a day in 1897 when the effigy of a lady cyclist … Continue reading

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Wheelwomen

Announcing The New Wheelwomen Page Wheelwomen is a new page featuring short profiles of women who made cycling history. While many of these individuals appear in the body of my work, they deserve attention in their own right. Not only … Continue reading

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Rally to Save The Women’s Library, Sept 22nd

The Cycling to Suffrage exhibit may have closed, but there is still time to get involved in the campaign to Save The Women’s Library. Join us this Saturday, Sept 22nd, in a rally to show how much this irreplaceable institution … Continue reading

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Last Chance to See Cycling to Suffrage at The Women’s Library

Cycling to Suffrage: The Bicycle and Women’s Rights, 1890-1914 Closes 8 Sept 2012–See the show while you still can! This special exhibit explores the history and politics of women’s bicycling In 1895, American activist Elizabeth Cady Stanton famously declared that … Continue reading

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Women’s Cycling Resource List for Londoners

Interested in learning to ride or getting involved with a local cycling group? Check out the resource list that accompanies the “Cycling to Suffrage” exhibit at The Women’s Library. Women’s Cycling Resource List, 2012 Follow the links in the pdf … Continue reading

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“Cycling to Suffrage” on The Bike Show, Resonance Radio

  Want to know what an 1885 photo of a wax mannequin on a tricycle tells us about the dress reform movement? Or hear how local residents in 1890s Malden reacted to the sight of a lady cyclist’s bloomers? Listen … Continue reading

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Cycling to Suffrage Exhibit Opening Announced

“Cycling to Suffrage: The Bicycle and Women’s Rights, 1890-1914″ opens at The Women’s Library 21 March 2012 Cycling has long been associated with the emancipation of women, from the fashionable lady cyclists of the 1890s to the more politically motivated … Continue reading

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A Spanner of One’s Own: Liberation and Mechanics in Maria Ward’s “Bicycling for Ladies,” 1896

  In 1896, Maria E Ward published a comprehensive instruction manual aimed at women interested in cycling. Her book, Bicycling for Ladies, shown above, was one of many similar titles published in the cycle craze era. Ward’s liberated approach, however, … Continue reading

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A Bicycle Built for Two

Kate and William’s Tandem The video above shows Boris Johnson’s very fitting wedding present to newlyweds Kate Middleton and Prince William: a tandem bicycle. Their marital bicycle is a Barcley hire bike built for two. The tandem has a long … Continue reading

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