🔥 RARE Antique 19th c. Victorian GENDRON Velocipede Iron Tricycle Bike, 1880s For Sale

This is a completely original andRARE Antique 19th c. Victorian GENDRON Velocipede Iron Tricycle Bike, circa 1880\'s - 1890\'s, designed by Peter Gendron and manufactured by Gendron Wheel Co. of Toledo, Ohio. This tricycle is in untouched, completely original condition, and his not been messed with in any way. It\'s essentially a \"barn find\" quality item. The treadle mechanism works perfectly and smooth, and all wheels roll as they should. I would rate this item highly in regard to its condition, aside from some tears to the leather covered seat, revealing the inner horsehair cushioning. Additionally, while this tricycle retains its original rubber tires on the large back wheels, the front wheel does not have a tire. There is age-related light oxidation to some areas, and the screw-on extended handlebars are missing (please see photos.) Acquired from an old collection in Los Angeles, California. Due to the large size and weight of this piece, this item is Free Local Pickup only from Los Angeles County, California. However, if you are willing to pay the costs for UPS Freight, please contact me before making an Offer and we can work something out. Priced to Sell. Early Gendron iron tricycles very seldomly appear on the market. If you like what you see, I encourage you to make an Offer. Please check out my other listings for more wonderful and unique artworks!
About this Item:
The Gendron Wheel Company is not only credited with developing the wire wheel, but the company also manufactured children’s toys. Gendron toys included bicycles, tricycles, go-cars (pedal trucks and pedal cars), coaster wagons, toy wheelbarrows and more.

The mastermind behind the Gendron Wheel Company was Peter Gendron. At the age of 21, Peter Gendron moved to Toledo, Ohio, and found employment as a pattern maker at the Toledo Novelty Works, located in Toledo. He went on to work as a pattern maker for the Detroit Safe Company of Detroit, Mich., in 1871. These employment opportunities resulted from experience he gained while working in his father’s wagon shop as a boy. While working in Detroit, Peter conceived the idea of a wire wheel. In 1875, Peter returned to Toledo, where he perfected his invention. He then utilized the wire wheels in the building of children’s carriages.

The Gendron Wheel Company was incorporated in 1880 with production of the wire wheels in a small factory located in Toledo. Within three years, business was booming and larger facilities were required. By 1910, the company had grown, with manufacturing capabilities consuming the majority of a city block.

Many of the machines utilized in the manufacturing of Gendron products were invented by Peter Gendron or his mechanics. During this time period, the Gendron Wheel Company was recognized as the largest manufacturer of children’s vehicles in the world.\"Toledo, thanks to Peter Gendron, has become prominent throughout the world for its development of the manufacture of metal wheels and for the quantity and quality of its output of that class of products. Mr. Gendron came to the city at the age of twenty-one and found employment as a pattern maker in the Toledo Novelty Works, then conducted by Russell & Thayer. In 1871, he went to Detroit as a pattern maker for the Detroit Safe Company. As a boy, he had worked in his father\'s wagon shop and while in Detroit he conceived the idea of a wire wheel. In 1875, he returned to Toledo and perfected his invention, first using the wire wheel on children\'s carriages. Two years later, he (along with three associates) began the manufacture of wheels, but the company lacked sufficient capital to put the product on the market, and consequently failed. Mr. Gendron did not lose faith in his invention, however, and after three years of persistent effort established a market for his wheels. The Gendron Wheel Company was incorporated in 1880 and a small factory was established at 218 Summit Street. Within three years the business grew to such an extent that larger quarters became necessary. A site at the corner of Orange and Superior streets was purchased and a four-story building 100 feet square was erected. In 1890, the capital stock was increased to $300,000 and a few years later it was increased again, to $500,000. Gendron was not only the originator of the wire wheel, but it has always been the recognized leader in the manufacture of goods of that class. It makes bicycles, tricycles, invalid chairs, go-cars, baby carriages, doll carriages, coaster wagons, toy wheelbarrows, etc.\" (Toledo and Lucas County, Ohio, 1623-1923by John M. Killits, (Chicago, 1923), p. 425.)
\". . .By the year 1890, the company had added 120 feet to their plant on Superior street, employed some 300 men, and was capitalized at $300,000 - no small concern at that time in the rapidly growing Western town. Additional ground, adjoining the company\'s plant, was purchased from time to time and buildings were erected thereon until to-day (1910) it owns the greater portion of the block bounded by Orange, Jackson and St. Clair streets, having a floor space of over 250,000 square feet. The plant is modern in every respect, fully equipped with automatic sprinklers and the very latest fire-fighting apparatus. Power is supplied by thirty-five electric motors, having an aggregate of 500 horsepower. The company was styled the Gendron Iron Wheel Company for several years, but some years ago the name was changed to The Gendron Wheel Company. The company was not only the originator of the wire wheel, but it has been the recognized leader in goods of that class. Many of the machines used in the manufacture of the company\'s product are the direct invention of Mr. Gendron or his mechanics. As a result of this, the company is the possessor of some for the most perfect electric welding, rim-truing and wheel-making machinery in existence. The concern has a capacity of 2,500,000 steel wheels, annually, all of which are required to equip articles of their own manufacture. The company has long since been recognized as the largest manufacturers of children\'s vehicles in the world. . .The company is still a large factor in the manufacture of bicycles, having been one of the pioneers in that industry. Years ago, annual sales of the company passed the $1,000,000 mark, and are now considerably above that figure. The present capital stock of the company is $500,000, and the officers are: J.F. Vogel, president; Peter Gendron, vice-president; William L. Diemer, secretary, and Charles R. Wilhelm, treasurer.\" (Memoirs of Lucas County and the City of Toledo by Harvey Scribner, (Madison, Wisconsin, 1910), v. 1, 552.)
\". . .In 1925, The American-National Company was established. It became a holding company for Toledo Metal Wheel, National Wheel and American Wheel. Gendron Wheel became a subsidiary of American-National in 1927. For the next eleven years, American-National, Toledo, and Gendron products were manufactured in the Gendron plant which covered about one square block at St. Clair, Superior, Jackson and Adams streets in downtown Toledo, Ohio. At their peak, between 3000 and 4000 people were employed. American- National, Toledo and Gendron products were sold under the trade names of Pioneer, Skippy, Express, Reliance, Hi-Speed, Hi-Way, Speed King, Sky King, American, National, Streamline, etc. Each company had their own products and catalogs. In 1941, with the advent of World War II, children\'s vehicles were discontinued to concentrate on hospital equipment including wheelchairs and wheeled stretchers. All of the company\'s plants were closed except the Gendron Perrysburg operation. In 1959, Gendron Wheel moved most of its manufacturing to Archbold, Ohio. The Perrysburg plant was closed in 1963. In 1964, the company became a subsidiary of Howmedica, however the Gendron trademark continued. In 1971, Mr. Robert Diemer and Mr. Richard A. Bigelow purchased the company. It became Gendron-Diemer. In 1975, Richard A. Bigelow purchased Mr. Diemer\'s interest and the company became Gendron, Inc. Recently, Mr. Bigelow sold the company to Steven W. Cotter, Thomas A. Dewire, and Frederic W. Strobel.\" (from Excerpt from flyer,\"Gendron 1872-1997\" (Gendron Inc.: Archbold, Ohio, 1997).THE EVOLUTION OF CHILDREN’S TRICYCLES: 1800s-1920s

The Great Exhibition of 1851, had on show a cart wheel shod with rubber, and a contempory report states “it was allowed to roll over the hands and feet of the bystanders without causing the slightest sensation of pain”, adding optimistically “running over a living being would cause no injury to life or limb.”

The first velocipede tricycles with driving treadles and tiller steering appear to have been made around 1851. (See the example below at the Science Museum in London). Only one rear wheel was driven, with the other having a brass-bushed hub revolving freely on the driving axle. The wheels were wooden with iron tyres. The one illustratedbelowhas a 24″ front wheel and 35″ rear wheels.

After the invention of the front-wheel driven Velocipede captured the public imagination in 1869, the cycle industry was created. Design evolved and, by 1880, the Ordinary (‘penny farthing’) and the high wheel tricycle ruled the roads.

Treadle-controlled velocipede tricycles for children were made by a variety of manufacturers. They were expensive items in their day, purchased by rich families for their children. The earliestexamples used wooden hubs and parts but, by the 1880s,wheelswere made of steel, with cast iron fittings.

Although rubber tyres were already available, the earliest models had metal wheel rims that did not take a tyre; by the 1880s,steel wheels withsolid rubber tyres were offered as an option.

Smaller manufacturersofvelocipede tricycles were less likely to fit ahead badge. Some were made in the same style as those from better known manufacturers, so their maker’s name would have been a disadvantage; others were supplied wholesale. Department stores, catalogue companies and local shopsoftenfitted their own badges and sometimes gave the tricycles newmodelnames. This meant that the same tricycle could have a different name at various outlets.

Larger manufacturers also supplied these retail outlets, as well as usingtheir own distribution networks and agents.They were more likely to add their own company or model names, particularly to those sold they sold direct to the public. Popular larger American manufacturersincludedGendron, Fay, and Kirk.

1890s Gendron Girls’ Tiller & Treadle Tricycle

All Gendron products havean important pedigree, as founder Peter Gendron was instrumental in the development of the metal bicycle wheel, which he patented in 1874. The company’sbrand name ‘Pioneer’, used on its children’s tricycles and riding toys, was therefore apt.

Peter (Pierre) Gendron was French-Canadian, from Quebec. In 1895, after his American company, based in Toledo, Ohio, had become well-established and the ‘bicycle boom’ was at its peak,Gendron moved into the Canadian market, establishing the Gendron Mfg. Co of Toronto, Canada.His was one of the group of companies that merged to become Canada Cycle & Motor Co. Ltd, more commonly known as CCM. Withthe sale of its cycle works to CCM in 1899, Gendron turned his attention to themotor car and, by 1920, Gendron had become the world’s largest manufacturer of children’s pedal cars, built to imitate the full-size automobiles of the day. Using the ‘Pioneer’ name, the Gendron brand became synonymous with high quality pedal cars featuring cylindrical rear gas tanks, tool boxes, imitation cranks and nickel trim.

Within conservative society, appropriate dress for women was of utmost importance. This was reflected in the design of adult tricycles in the Victorian era, which had an open front so that women could ride them wearing a full dress. Children’s tricycles followed similar lines. As you can see in the Gendron trade card of the period, boys rode velocipede tricycles, with pedals in the front wheel. Girls used open front tricycles whose handlebar folded forward to make it easier to get on. This ’tiller’ type of handlebar could also be used to pull the tricycle, which was useful in the smaller versions for younger girls. Rather than pedals, these tricycles used treadles and an eccentric rear axle for motivation, a design that preceded the pedal bicycle.