CC0 · no rights reserved
Roper Steam Velocipede, about 1869
From the collection of National Museum of American History. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Sylvester Roper, a machinist and inventor in Massachusetts, built this steam velocipede and demonstrated it at fairs and circuses. It is believed to be the oldest existing American motorcycle. With its forged iron frame and wooden wheels, it resembles a velocipede, a popular bicycle of the late 1860s. The saddle served as a water tank for the boiler, which was heated by a firebox that burned charcoal. Twisting the handlebar controlled the throttle and brakes. Roper built several other steam vehicles, including another motorcycle in 1895, but he died just before the motor vehicle manufacturing industry got underway.
National Museum of American History’s own descriptionSubjects
Credit lineRoper Steam Velocipede, about 1869. ca 1869. Roper, Sylvester H.. National Museum of American History, Gift of John H. Bacon. CC0.
