Early Motorcycle Press Documenting Civilian and Military Use During World War I 1914 to 1918

Motorcycles

Periodical

Editors unknown. The Motor Cycle & Cycle Trader (1914–1915); The Motor Cycle (1916–1918). These early motorcycle trade and enthusiast magazines document the rapid integration of motorized transport into both civilian life and military operations during the years surrounding World War I. Published at a moment when motorcycles shifted from leisure machines to tools of mechanized warfare, the issues contain contemporaneous reporting on dispatch riders, industrial production, and emerging uses in medical transport and communications. Articles and photographic spreads record the presence of motorcycle units such as machine gun batteries and Allied dispatch corps, alongside coverage of racing culture, touring, and consumer markets, providing direct evidence of how this technology operated simultaneously within recreational, commercial, and military spheres during the war years.

Five magazine issues published between 1914 and 1918, each approximately 8.5 x 11 inches. Three issues of The Motor Cycle & Cycle Trader (July 10, 1914; April 2, 1915; December 30, 1915) and two issues of The Motor Cycle (January 13, 1916; October 17, 1918). Content includes illustrated advertisements for motorcycles, clothing, and accessories; photographic documentation of factory assembly lines and repair shops; and editorial material addressing both sport and wartime application. A 1918 article discusses the standardized Liberty Harley-Davidson used in military service. A 1915 feature documents a Dutch Motor Club racing competition with panoramic photographs of riders and sidecars. A two-page spread presents the 24th M.M.G. Battery alongside images of French, Canadian, and Russian dispatch riders. Additional photographs depict an American-made motorcycle in use by a soldier in France, Red Cross motorcyclists, and a civilian family traveling by sidecar. Anecdotal writing includes a first-person account from a female motorist describing travel through the British countryside.

These publications emerge from the broader transformation of transportation in the early twentieth century, when the internal combustion engine enabled new forms of mobility that were quickly adapted for military logistics during World War I. Motorcycles replaced certain cavalry functions by providing faster communication and flexible movement across terrain, while manufacturers expanded production to meet wartime demand. At the same time, the magazines maintain a parallel record of enthusiast culture, documenting racing clubs, touring practices, and consumer identity tied to motor travel. Together, the issues provide primary-source documentation of how motorcycling moved between leisure, industry, and warfare within a compressed historical moment of technological change. Detached bindings, edge wear, and light age toning present; pages remain intact with legible text and images. Overall very good condition.

Item #19982

Price: $550.00