Bicycles

Focusing on the era of the safety bicycle, Bicycles explores its impact on freedom and social change through curated photographic postcards.

This collection showcases Tom Phillips' extensive assortment of over 50,000 photographic postcards, focusing on the theme of bicycles. Bicycles highlights the transformative era of the safety bicycle, which played a pivotal role in granting freedom to men and empowering women. The book captures various aspects of cycling culture, featuring competitive racers, casual riders, and even young children learning to pedal, all of which reflect the social changes of the time.

In celebration of the Tom Phillips archive's acquisition, the Bodleian Library commissioned the artist to curate a series of books that delve into his themed collection. These works cover the first half of the twentieth century, a time when photography became accessible to the masses, allowing everyday individuals to have their portraits taken. This democratization of photography is an essential backdrop for the images presented in Bicycles.

Each volume in this series presents 200 carefully selected images, chosen by Phillips himself, showcasing a rich tapestry of social history. The covers of these books feature unique paintings that are thematically linked to the content, created specifically for each title, drawn from Tom Phillips’ renowned work, A Humument. This combination of visual art and historical documentation makes Bicycles a compelling exploration of a significant cultural phenomenon.