{"id":12383,"date":"2022-01-30T20:19:24","date_gmt":"2022-01-30T07:19:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/?p=12383"},"modified":"2022-05-01T19:20:53","modified_gmt":"2022-05-01T07:20:53","slug":"some-real-bicycle-couriers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/photos\/some-real-bicycle-couriers\/","title":{"rendered":"SOME REAL BICYCLE COURIERS"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The first bike couriers – 1908-1917<\/span><\/strong><\/em><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n

Many years ago, but not quite this far back, I was a bicycle courier myself. As a student who was into bicycle racing it was pretty cool.<\/strong><\/h4>\n<\/div>\n

But it was also as dangerous as hell. One lunch time I clipped a bus in busy traffic, managed to bounce off it and bunny hop onto the footpath where I did a controlled slide into a shop window, and amazingly missed all the pedestrians and didn’t break the window.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was frigging unbelievable I got away with all that uninjured, and that was the day I quit and became a bicycle mechanic. And three years later I opened my own bike shop – pretty cool or what?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Being a bicycle courier was madcore – if you were a very good rider and a thrill seeker, it could be a buzz, but sooner or later you would most likely get splattered.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

These days bike couriers have been replaced by email and texting.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

Here is a very cool collection of vintage photos from the American Library of Congress, that were featured on this fascinating website – https:\/\/rarehistoricalphotos.com<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

https:\/\/rarehistoricalphotos.com\/early-teen-bicycle-messengers-1908-1917\/<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n

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George Christopher, Postal Tel. #7, 14 years old. Been at it over 3 years. Does not work nights. Location: Nashville, Tennessee\u201d. November, 1910.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

“In 1908, the National Child Labor Committee hired Lewis Hine, a New York sociologist and photographer, to document the exploitative working conditions of child laborers in dozens of occupations, from mining and manufacturing to farming and newspaper selling. Among the many workers he captured were bicycle messengers in several southern cities.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Almost immediately after the development of the pedal-driven velocipede in the 1860s, people began to use the bicycle for delivery purposes. David V. Herlihy\u2019s 2004 book on the early history of the bicycle contains several references to bicycle messengers working during the late 19th century, including a description of couriers employed by the Paris stock exchange in the 1870s. \u201cDuring the bicycle boom of the 1890s in the United States, Western Union employed a number of bicycle telegraph boys in New York City, San Francisco, and other large population centers.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Most of the messengers worked for telegraph companies or drug stores and spent exhaustively long hours making deliveries. In his interview notes, Hine expressed a particular concern about the children\u2019s exposure to danger and vice \u2014 many of the youngsters\u2019 assignments took them into red light districts rife with drug dealers and sex workers.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

The photos that Hine took became the face of the child labor reform movement and ultimately helped push through the 1916 passage of the Keatings-Owen Act, which set age and shift length restrictions for young workers. While the act was struck down by the Supreme Court, it set the stage for lasting reform to be created during the New Deal of the 1930s”<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

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\u201cRaymond Bykes, Western Union No. 23, Norfolk, Va. Said he was fourteen years old. Works until after one A.M. every night. He is precocious and not a little \u201ctough.\u201d He told me he often sleeps down at the Bay Line boat docks all night. Several times I saw his mother hanging around the office, but she seemed more concerned about getting his pay envelope than anything else\u201d. June, 1911.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cCurtin Hines. Western Union messenger #36. Fourteen years old. Goes to school. Works from four to eight P.M. Been with WU for six months, one month delivering for a drug store\u201d. October, 1913.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cPercy Neville, eleven year old messenger boy. Messenger boy #6 for Mackay Telegraph Company. Says he has been messenger for different companies for four years\u201d. November, 1913.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHappy but thoughtless. The messenger service is poor training for him. (Works for Dime Messenger Service). Location: Washington, D.C.\u201d. April, 1912.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cMessenger boy working for Mackay Telegraph Company. Said fifteen years old. Exposed to Red Light dangers. Location: Waco, Texas\u201d. September, 1913.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cFourteen year old messenger #2 Western Union, Shreveport. Says he goes to the Red Light district all the time\u201d. November, 1913.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cPercy Neville, eleven year old messenger boy. Messenger boy #6 for Mackay Telegraph Company. He has been messenger for different companies for four years\u201d. November, 1913.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cA typical messenger boy in New Orleans. The telegraph companies are trying to obey the law, and few violations occur\u201d. November, 1913.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHoward Williams, thirteen year old delivery boy for Shreveport, La. Drug Company. He works from 9:30 A.M. to 10:30 P.M.; has been here three months. Goes to the Red Light every day and night. Says that the company could not keep other messenger boys; they work them so hard\u201d. November, 1913.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cFifteen year old delivery boy for Linders Drug Store\u2026. He works from 8 A.M. to 8 P.M. Location: Dallas, Texas\u201d. October, 1913.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cPercy Neville in the heart of the Red Light district. Just come out of one of the houses with message\u2026. He said gleefully \u2018She gimme a quarter tip’\u201d. November, 1913.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cPostal Telegraph boy, Danville, Va. That night he refused to show me through the Red Light District, said the manager did not permit them to go on such errands\u201d. June, 1911.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cLuther Wharton, drug store delivery boy, twelve years old. Works from 4:00 P.M. to midnight in Sommers Drug Store. I saw him working at midnight. He goes to school in the daytime, then works from four to twelve. Sundays half a day. Gets $5.00 a week\u201d. October, 1913.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cPostal Telegraph messenger. Location: Birmingham, Alabama\u201d. November, 1910.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cA typical Birmingham messenger\u201d. October, 1914.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201c\u2018Red Line\u2019 messenger service\u2026. Location: Sacramento, California\u201d. May, 1915.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYoung messenger in New Bedford, Massachusetts\u201d. August, 1911.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cA.D.T. Messenger Boy, Indianapolis, 10 P.M.\u201d. August, 1908.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cYoung messenger making an office call. Location: Washington. D.C.\u201d. April, 1912.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cMarion Davis, Messenger #21 for Bellevue Messenger Service. Fourteen years old. \u2018Been messenger, off and on, for two years. Not supposed to go to the Reservation under sixteen years, but I do just the same. The boss don\u2019t care and the cops don\u2019t stop me.\u2019 Location: Houston, Texas\u201d. October, 1913.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cFourteen year old Western Union Messenger #43. Works until 10:30 P.M. Goes to Reservation some. Location: Houston, Texas\u201d. October, 1913.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cLeo Day, Postal Telegraph Messenger, 12 years old, and a very knowing lad. Location: Tampa, Florida\u201d. March, 1911.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHodges Gallop, Western Union Messenger No. 16, Norfolk, Va\u2026. Been working here one month. He, and several other young boys, work until 10:30 P.M.\u201d June, 1911.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHodges Gallop, Western Union Messenger No. 16, Norfolk, Va\u2026. Been working here one month. He, and several other very young boys, work until 10:30 P.M.\u201d June, 1911.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cWilbur H. Woodward, Washington, D.C., Western Union messenger 236, one of the youngsters on the border-line, (15 yrs. old) works until 8 P.M. only\u201d. April, 1912.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cEarle Griffith and Eddie Tahoory, working for the Dime Messenger Service. They said they never knew when they were going to get home at night. Usually work one or more nights a week, and have worked until after midnight. They said last Christmas their office had a 9 yr. old boy running errands for them, and that he made a great deal of money from tips. They make about $7 a week and more, sometimes. Said \u201c\u2018The office is not allowed to send us into the red light district but we go when a call sends us. Not very often.’\u201d April, 1912.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cPreston DeCosta [i.e., De Costa?], fifteen year old messenger #3 for Bellevue Messenger Service. I ran across him and took photos while he was carrying notes back and forth between a prostitute in jail and a pimp in the Red Light. He had read all the notes and knew all about the correspondence. He was a fine grained adolescent boy. Has been delivering message and drugs in the Red Light for 6 months and knows the ropes thoroughly. \u2018A lot of these girls are my regular customers. I carry \u2019em messages and get \u2019em drinks, drugs, etc. Also go to the bank with money for \u2019em. If a fellow treats \u2019em right, they\u2019ll call him by number and give him all their work. I got a box full of photos I took of these girls \u2013 some of \u2019em I took in their room.\u2019 Works until 11:00 P.M. Location: San Antonio, Texas.\u201d October, 1913.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cA typical group of Postal Messengers in Norfolk, Va. Smallest on left end, Wilmore Johnson, been there one year. Works days only. The Postal boys are not nearly so young, in Norfolk and also in other Virginia cities, as are the Western Union boys\u201d. June, 1911.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cBen Collins. Been working steady for Mackay Telegraph Co. for 1 month. 13 years old. Says he makes $5 a week. Location: Oklahoma City\u201d. March, 1917.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cIsaac Boyett, \u2018I\u2019m de whole show.\u2019 The twelve year old proprietor, manager and messenger of the Club Messenger Service, Waco, Texas. The photo shows him in the heart of the Red Light District where he was delivering messages as he does several times a day. Said he knows the houses and some of the inmates. Has been doing this for one year, working until 9:30 P.M. on Saturdays. Not so late on other nights. Makes from six to ten dollars a week\u201d. November, 1913.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cManley Creasson. Messenger #6, Mackay Telegraph Co. Says he is 14; school records say 13. Says he has steady job \u2013 \u201cBeen a messenger for years. Get $15 for 2 weeks\u2019 pay.\u201d Location: Oklahoma City\u201d. March, 1917.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cEleven year old Western Union messenger #51. J.T. Marshall. Been day boy here for five months. Goes to Red Light district some and knows some of the girls. Location: Houston, Texas\u201d. October, 1913.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cPostal messenger #6. Said he was 14, but he does not seem to be. Frail, tiny and stunted. Works until 11 P.M. Says he goes to the Red Light some, and gets 25 cents extra then. Location: Montgomery, Alabama\u201d. October, 1913.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cHarvey Buchanan, Postal Telegraph Co. Messenger No. 1908. 14 years of age. 1 year in service. Works from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. $4 weekly. Visits houses of prostitution. Smokes\u201d. May, 1910.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

(Photo credits: Library of Congress).<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

\n<\/section>\n

And now here is a picture of me, about 80 years later – on my cycle courier bike, leading an inner city race in Wellington, New Zealand.<\/strong> <\/span><\/h3>\n

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 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The first bike couriers – 1908-1917 Many years ago, but not quite this far back, I was a bicycle courier myself. As a student who was into bicycle racing it was pretty cool. But it was also as dangerous as hell. One lunch time I clipped a bus in busy traffic, managed to bounce off […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":22056,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/11\/downlo00ad-3.jpg","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1573,"url":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/new-zealand\/bicycle-helmets\/","url_meta":{"origin":12383,"position":0},"title":"BICYCLE HELMETS","date":"July 8, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Make them wear helmets Now that riding electric scooters can save the planet from \"climate change\" and every libtard vegan numpty wants to save the planet by riding on a bicycle, strangely enough helmet laws are now forgotten, the roads are full of unco cyclists without helmets, and complete spastics\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "CYCLE SERVICES"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/chan-aero.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":13532,"url":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/photos\/back-in-the-90s-were-fully-hardcore\/","url_meta":{"origin":12383,"position":1},"title":"DO DRUGS GO WITH THAT BICYCLE?","date":"May 31, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"DO DRUGS GO WITH THAT BICYCLE? BACK IN THE 90'S WE WERE A BIT MORE HARDCORE When a friend said she remembered Cuba Street, Wellington as being \"bohemian\" in 97, and I laughed and said that by 97 it had already become a safe space for office dwellers to visit\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "CYCLE SERVICES"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/C3TZR1g81UNaPs7vzNXHueW5ZM76DSHWEY7onmfLxcK2iNpmAtWePfmhtDnQHMQttkD9u7jq576ZcKG714koWirJA6ZanV3rLvxDZGhFcezwfEW3t3WMm2E.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":16337,"url":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/new-zealand\/make-them-wear-helmets\/","url_meta":{"origin":12383,"position":2},"title":"MAKE THEM WEAR HELMETS","date":"January 10, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"New Zealand is the only country in the world to force cyclists to wear helmets Now that riding electric scooters can save the planet from \"climate change\" and every righteous eco-warrior wants to do their bit to \"save the planet\" by riding a bicycle, strangely enough helmet laws have now\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "NEW ZEALAND"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.roadbikereview.com\/reviews\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/12\/chan-aero.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":12371,"url":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/funny\/a-hot-new-arse\/","url_meta":{"origin":12383,"position":3},"title":"A HOT NEW ARSE","date":"November 8, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I ONCE DID A BLOG POST SAYING I WANTED A HOT NEW ARSE And that seems a perfect subject for my second test of SteemPress because everyone on Steemit is obsessed with arses and going on about them constantly. \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 A\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "FUNNY"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/1.bp.blogspot.com\/_XgsTodaivOI\/SbYBvTV3QoI\/AAAAAAAAAcA\/Gf460mPIk4E\/s400\/male-buttock-implant04.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":742,"url":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/like\/wallpaper\/","url_meta":{"origin":12383,"position":4},"title":"WALLPAPER","date":"February 19, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"WE ALL NEED A BIT OF GROOVY WALLPAPER THESE IMAGES ARE 16 x 9 RATIO AND 1920 x 1080 PX SIZE \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 THIS WALLPAPER IS ALL 16 x 9 RATIO AND 1920 x 1080 PX SIZE \u00a0","rel":"","context":"In "LIKE"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":24958,"url":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/globalist\/how-are-things-in-new-zealand\/","url_meta":{"origin":12383,"position":5},"title":"HOW ARE THINGS IN NEW ZEALAND?","date":"November 27, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"I never look at any New Zealand \"news\" (the government propaganda), so I have no idea what lies the sheeple are being told. People overseas often ask me how things are here, or post stories about the fascist NZ government. Starting with the bad stuff Things are certainly not great\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "CORONAVIRUS"","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/www.frot_.co_.nz_.P.1061-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12383"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12383"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12383\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/22056"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12383"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12383"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.frot.co.nz\/design\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12383"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}