Abstract
As France evolved from being primarily a rural to an industrial nation, the bicycle served as a marker for modernization and a mechanism for social development. My essay discusses the conditions and contradiction under which men and women participated in this national sport and pastime. I examine the symbolic centrality and social importance of the bicycle in early twentieth-century France ranging from early discussions of the appropriateness of women riding bicycles and the origins of the all-male Tour de France, to the hey-day of tandem bicycles during the Popular Front and the emergence of all-women’s races. Recurring images of organized races - both amateur and professional - initially produced exhilarating and powerful images of men competing for their nation. While women took longer to participate in such competitions, they were just as quick to appreciate the opportunities for transport, independence and leisure that cycling provided. Women’s columns in cycling magazines reveal their interests in touring, vacationing, and sportive attire. Indeed, some of the most virile representations of French identity from the 1930s depict working-class couples energetically enjoying their first paid vacations astride tandem bicycles. Exploiting three remarkable first-person cycling accounts taken from regional cycling magazines, I discuss how men and women took advantage of new tourism opportunities on bicyclers to visit provincial France and emerge transformed by surprisingly divergent experiences while riding side by side.
Presenters
Philip WhalenProfessor, History Department/ Coordinator, Peace and Conflict Studies/ Women's and Gender Studies Affiliated Faculty, Coastal Carolina University, South Carolina, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Theme
Sporting Cultures and Identities
KEYWORDS
Cycling, Memory, Gender, France, Cultural-Politics, Health
