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The Military Accelerator - Particularly Recommended to Cavalry Officers, c1820
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The Military Accelerator - Particularly Recommended to Cavalry Officers, c1820
The Military Accelerator - Particularly Recommended to Cavalry Officers, c1820. Cartoon showing a suggested use for the Hobby-Horse or Dandy-Horse which was introduced into the British Isles in 1818. Invented by Baron von Drais in France in 1817, it was a forerunner of the bicycle. The Dandy Horse had no pedals or brakes, but was propelled by the rider pushing on the ground with his feet, and dragging the feet to slow the machine. It was introduced to England by Denis Johnson, a coachmaker of Long Acre, London, who described it as a pedestrian curricle. Johnson started a school where prospective purchasers could learn how to ride the machine, and in 1819 fashionable London society was briefly gripped by a craze for riding a Dandy Horse
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Media ID 14865080
© Oxford Science Archive / Heritage-Images
Baron Karl Von Drais Bicycle Bicycles Bike Cavalry Cavalry Officer Cavalryman Charge Charging Charging Into The Fray Cycling Denis Drais Hobby Horse Innovation Invention Johnson Oxford Science Archive Pedestrian Hobbyhorse Wheel Metaphor Military Personnel
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The Military Accelerator - Particularly Recommended to Cavalry Officers, c1820
EDITORS COMMENTS
. This print captures a fascinating moment in history when innovation and military strategy collided. Depicted here is the revolutionary Hobby-Horse or Dandy-Horse, introduced into the British Isles in 1818. Invented by Baron Karl von Drais of France in 1817, this remarkable contraption served as a precursor to the modern bicycle. The Dandy Horse was propelled not by pedals or brakes but rather by the rider pushing off from the ground with their feet. To slow down, one would simply drag their feet along the road surface. This peculiar mode of transportation gained popularity after Denis Johnson, a coachmaker from London's Long Acre district, brought it to England and established a school where prospective buyers could learn how to ride it. In this satirical engraving from around 1820, we witness an imaginative suggestion for utilizing these novel machines within military ranks. A cavalry officer charges fearlessly on his trusty steed while mounted on his Dandy-Horse. The image serves as both a metaphorical representation of charging into battle and an amusing commentary on the intersection between technology and warfare during this era. As we delve into this intriguing snapshot from history, we are reminded of how advancements in science and invention have always played pivotal roles in shaping our world – even within seemingly unconventional realms such as road transport and cycling!
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