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Original 19th-century novelty tintype photograph featuring an unidentified mustached man wearing a bowler-style hat, with his photographic portrait incorporated into a humorous illustrated cycling scene.The subject’s head is mounted above a drawn figure riding an early high-wheel bicycle / penny-farthing-style cycle, creating a whimsical composite portrait. Novelty and trick-photography tintypes such as this are much less common than standard studio portraits and are especially appealing to collectors of early photography, cycling history, and Victorian-era humor.A small printed caption appears near the lower portion of the image, though it is difficult to read clearly from the photograph.Plate size: Approximately 1/6 plate
Actual size: Approximately 2 1/2 x 3 1/2 inchesLikely dates to the late 1800s, probably 1880s-1890s.Condition is consistent with age. The image remains strong and clearly readable, with good facial detail and a very clear novelty illustration. There are numerous surface scratches and abrasions, edge wear, and some image loss/oxidation along the left and lower edges. The reverse shows oxidation, discoloration, surface wear, and an old handwritten collection/inventory marking. Please review all photos carefully for condition.Original antique tintype — not a reproduction.
