Metal box with Bicycle Design

In the 1890s the popularity of safety bicycles, which had smaller wheels than high-wheelers and were easier to ride, led to a social revolution. Women rode bicycles for the first time, men and women socialized on wheels, and millions of Americans took to the road for pleasure trips and practical purposes. These developments created a market for biking accessories like this decorative metal box. The images embossed on the lid – two well-dressed women, one wearing a skirt and the other wearing bloomers, biking on a dirt road near a village and a lake –symbolized the appeal of the biking revolution. Pleasure, speed, fresh air, and adventure were available for the price of a bicycle, and a new adventure lay around every bend in the road.