grandstands

Note how forward curving and backward curving front forks must have been style choice that was 50/50 around this period! Weird.

2nd, 3rd, and 5th bike from the bottom appear to have a rear-curving aspect to their forks.

the so-called backwards curved forks are commonly found on stayers' bikes on the velodrome, that is, bikes designed to be motorpaced, (ridden behind a motorbike). In this massed start race (a Madison?) the forks would've allowed for really tight drafting off the other riders, but at the expense of handling. I'd imagine those rigs would've been bears to ride. But then look at the riders on the machines in question, not exactly skinny lightweights. American track cycling - the jazz age sport - was a game for tough professionals who could right tight and play hard.

wow .. !

Hi, I'm an admin for a group called Test Cricket Photographs, and we'd love to have this added to the group!

what a great shot...

FAntastic photo...weird to look at that and think every single person in it is now dead....

Thats a bit morbid SandyEm lol. This was when there was a concrete 'velodrome' around the edge of the oval. In the early 1900s they actually ran professional motorcycle races on the track under lights in front of upwards of 40,000 people.

The 1930 title for this picture is probably misleading. Here is the argument: 1) The LoC text shown above also mentions the date of Aug 13, 1912. 2) Here is Washington team's schedule for 1912, from : www.baseball-reference.com/teams/WSH/1912_sched.shtml In 1912 WSH played played CHW 11 times at home and 11 times in Chicago, here are the dates: 1912 WSH Home games vs CHW (11 games): May 7,8,9, 10 July 13, 15, 16 Aug 13,14, 15, 16 1912 WSH Away games vs CHW (11 games) June 5,6,7,8 Aug 4, 5, 6, 7 Sept 20, 22nd (dbl header) So there was a WSH-CHW home game on the Aug 13, 1912 date, lending support to that date. 3) Taft died March 8, 1930 at age 72. He was ill and in and out of hospitals from January, 1930. On the other hand, he looks relatively hale and hearty in this photo. 4) Do the uniforms of the players and clothes of the fans look more like 1930 or 1912? 5) An article from NYTimes published August 13, 1912 (but dated Aug 12) reads: Taft will see Nationals Play To-day." President Taft, Major D. L. Rhoads, his personal aid; Gen. Clarence R. Edwards, and W.C. Herron, the President's brother in law, will occupy a box at American leage Park tomorrow, when the Washington team plays its first home game in several weeks and meets Chicago. The President believes Washington has a chance to win the pennant this year." query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9E04E4DB1630E233A... It would seem likely that the date is actually 1912 and not Feb, 1930. The 1912 date is interesting as this date is right in the midst of the political turmoil about the 3-way, or 4-way election of 1912, between Taft, T.R. Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson.

Attn. LOC: You need to correct the date in the title of this photo.