If you’re anything like me, once the winter snow melts, you’re just itching to wheel the bicycle out of the garage and go for a ride. The sense of freedom that simply pedalling can provide is difficult to explain, but I do know that I am always just one bike ride away from a good mood. During the past fourteen-plus months of health protocols and uncertainty, the bicycle has found a renewed place in the lives of many. So before you jump on your bike to enjoy your next ride, why not scroll these historical photos of bicycles from all across Alberta? You’ll notice that the technology has come a long way since these early models, but the concept remains ever the same. There are plenty of smiling faces to be found in the following photographs, so remember this; you cannot buy happiness, but you can buy a bicycle and that’s pretty close!
Ireland home, Medicine Hat, Alberta, 1896-1899Woman on bicycle, Calgary, Alberta, 1913-1919Canon Harry Gibbon Stocken on bicycle, Blackfoot (Siksika) reserve, Alberta, 1900-1910Leo Lewis and Alex Spivak with bicycle, Medicine Hat, Alberta, 1910sJames Ivan Linton with bicycle beside Linton home, Calgary, Alberta, 1914James Ivan Linton and his bicycle in yard at Linton family home, Calgary, Alberta, 1913Grace L. Winter with bicycle, Calgary, Alberta, 1910-1929Man on a bicycle, Crowsnest Pass, Alberta, 1915Boy with bicycle on country road, Alberta, 1911-1916Railway messenger with bicycle next to fence, Calgary, Alberta, 1910-1929Eleanor Gabriel, wearing pants, with bicycle and fishing rod, Calgary, Alberta, 1950-1953Florence Curson, school teacher, beside her bicycle, Tilley, Alberta, 1928Tom Swanby on his bicycle with three friends, near Madden, Alberta, 1940Barney Wolthuis on four-seated bicycle, Calgary, Alberta, 1940-1943Maxine Fuller of the Canadian Women’s Army Corps, putting air in bicycle tire, Lougheed House, Calgary, Alberta, 1944-1946Lee Semotonk McIsaac with decorated bicycle, Irricana, Alberta, 1948Gerry Anderson on bicycle outside dorm at Olds College, Olds, Alberta, 1941Edmonton Journal bicycle race, Edmonton, Alberta, 1919Bicycle ride, Edmonton, Alberta, 1926Bicycle competition at Journal, Edmonton, Alberta, 1928Bicycles in Calgary Cycle Store window display, 1st St. E. between 7th and 8th Ave. E., Calgary, Alberta, n.d. Object #A14918View of a street in Standard, Alberta. Unidentified men on bicycles, 1926. Object #A2258Two women with bicycles standing by an AMA mileage sign in the Cypress Hills, Alberta, 1952. Object #A8471Two men seated on tandem bicycle, house in background (Bob Smith is in front), 1940s. Object #A14924Calgary Cycle Club member on bicycle, 1935. Object #A14920Tom Smith riding bicycle on street outside of Stampede Corral, Calgary, Alberta, 1952. Object #A14928Men with bicycles crossing the Elbow River at Elbow Drive and Sifton Boulevard, Calgary, in first post-war cross country bicycle race, 1947. Object #A14925Annie Popil on bicycle, Radway, 1919. Object #A13390Man on bicycle near the Cave and Basin, Banff, 1944. Object #A12132John Litwin and Eli Antosko riding bicycles, Eldoreno, 1916. Object #A13389
The photos above were collected from the Glenbow Archives and the Provincial Archives of Alberta. If you’re interested, additional information can be found for each photograph on the Glenbow website by searching the identification number that is printed on the photo. There is also the option to purchase a high resolution copy. If you search the object number that can be found in the photo captions, you will find additional information about the photographs on the Provincial Archives website. Stay tuned for additional posts featuring historical photos from across Alberta. We’d love to know what you think in the comment section below.
Tyler is originally from Saskatchewan, and yes he cheers for the Roughriders, but don’t hold that against him as Calgary has been his home for the past eight years. He is a teacher working at a wilderness-
based treatment program for youth working to overcome addiction. Tyler is also a volunteer with the GOT Parks initiative, which aims at reconnecting Canada’s youth with our national, provincial, and territorial parks. During his time away from work, Tyler enjoys outdoor activities, such as hiking, biking, and snowboarding, team sports, travelling, photography, spending time with good friends, and being at home with his wife and German Shepherd, Rome.
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