A Tandem Bicycle Without A Chain?

A PLAYER'S CIGARETTES card. At one time such cards were collected like baseball cards. They produced series for sports, cars, and other topics. The cards are quite small by today's standards measuring 1 3/8 x 2 3/4 inches.

Watch some cyclists try to ride the beast.

https://www.unicycle.co.uk/blog/tandem_penny_farthing/

Compare the card to a US quarter.

This message is on the back of the card. Once you glue it into the album you have to read the text next to its place in the album.

THIS SURFACE IS ADHESIVE ASK YOUR TOBACCONIST. FOR THE ATTRACTIVE ALBUM (PRICE ONE PENNY) SPECIALLY PREPARED TO HOLD THE COMPLETE SERIES

O CYCLING O

A SERIES OF 50
BY THE EDITOR OF “CYCLING”

13

RUCKER TANDEM BICYCLE

The earliest effort at tandem bicycle construction was made by M. D. Rucker about 1884. It consisted of two Ordinary driving wheels with the back bone of the front wheel joined to the steering head of the rear wheel. As is apparent from the design, it was unsatisfactory and called for an acrobatic degree of skill to balance the machine. Only a few were made, but it lingereď longer as a type in America and Germany than in this country. M. D. Rucker is shown in the picture of the "Invincible" Ordinary (see Card No. 12) pushing off H. L. Cortis, the first cyclist to cover more than 20 miles in the hour.

(Photograph from Bartleet's
Bicycle Book).

JOHN PLAYER & SONS
BRANCH OF THE IMPERIAL TOBACCO CO.
OF GREAT BRITAIN & IRELAND, LTD.