Robert Štěrba: “The Early Days of Bicycle Production - History of Michaux and Compagnie Parisienne - New Questions and Answers”

The full text of my audience for: XXIII. Intenational Cycling History Conference

Roeselare, Belgium 24-26 May 2012

Michaux - New Questions 1

First machines in Kangaroo "style"

The Kangaroo bicycle with chain gears and chain drive was introduced by Hillman, Herbert & Cooper of Coventry (Premier Works ) displayed at the Stanley Show in the Floral Hall, Covent Garden, London in February 1884. This type soon became known as a Dwarf Safety, characterizing the style and advantages of the machine. The front wheel was only 36” (92.4 cm) dia. but the drive, consisting of two chains and four chain wheels, one set on each side of the front wheel, geared it up to the equivalent of a 56” high-wheel bicycle (142 cm). The small back wheel was 22” (55 cm), the overall weight of 40 pounds (21.5 kg), and was priced initially £17. William Hillman had patented the chain drive on March 6, 1884, No. 4487.  Many similar systems had been proposed in the previous decade and a half.

Kangaroo 1

Around about 1996, a small group of enthusiasts in the Czech Velocipedist Club 1880 (the re-established Czech Velocipedist Club 1880 after enforced interruption of its activities) decided to search for the history of the manufacture of Kohout bicycles.

They obtained their information from period Czech, Austrian and German material. For two years, they intensively visited all the museums and private collections in Bohemia and, with the help of a great many friends at home and abroad, finally managed to discover 47 Kohout bicycles. Through comparing them, they arrived at basic information, which was presented at the 10^th annual International Cycling History Conference in Nijmegen in Holland in August of 1999.

We continue to carefully maintain a register of bicycles of this brand name and, after another decade, are able to say that we are acquainted with 57 machines. These documented 57 bicycles correspond to approximately 5% of probable total production. About 900 Kohout bicycles were manufactured between 1880 to possibly 1891. The highest known production number is 872.

Jan Kohout and Registration of the brand

Jan Kohout (May 10, 1819 – December 30, 1884) played a key role in the history of producing high-wheel bicycles. He was borne into the family of a landless farmer. The town was Křečkov in Central Bohemia between Nymburk and Poděbrady.   He learned carpentry and then set out to see the world as was the fashion at the time. He passed through Liberec and Prague and finally ended up in Löbersdorf in lower Austria where he lived for six years. Here he exhibited unusual talent and diligence.  He learned how to make mill equipment and simultaneously became a machinist.  After gaining experience he became independent. The first work he accepted as a master worker consisted in the reconstruction of a steam-driven mill in Čejče, Moravia.  This was  followed by the construction of a steam-driven mill in Lovosice and then in Smíchov which was still a separate municipality next to Prague. He settled down here in Smíchov in 1849 and built his workshop in building No. 352.

Over the years , a large factory for mill and farm machinery was constructed on the property in Smíchov. Kohout built a two-floor town residence in one corner of his premises facing Svornosti street.  This building is still standing at the present time. It was apparently reconstructed and modernized in 1899.

Important people of cultural and social life met in the home of Jan Kohout – František Palacký, František Ladislav Rieger, Vítezslav Hálek and a number of others. Kohout’s oldest daughter Marie was the closest friend of Zdeňka Havlíčková the daughter of Karel Havlíček Borovský.

Jan Kohout and his family

November 16, 1880 was a date of fundamental importance; on that day, the factory of Jan Kohout was the scene of a gathering of a number of young men who became enthralled riding high-wheel bicycles and decided to establish the Velocipedists’ Club. Its founding is dated to that day, although it received official approval on January 2, 1881.  The founding meeting with 23 members present was held in February of 1881. Jindřich Cífka was elected as its first chairman. It was the first club in Bohemia and the second in Austro-Hungary. The other club was Villacher Velocipedisten-Club (1878-1880). Villacher cyclists rode for a short time twenty tricycles manufactured by the local constructor Josef Erlach.

         The Czech club began to hold joint outings. The first one was on April 24.  It was a whole-day trip to Loděnice which was the residence of the chairman of the club. This was followed by many more of which the most important was to Chrudim and its surroundings on July 23 to 26, 1881.   18 cyclists participated. A great many riders set out independently during the year. The longest trip was by made Jan Kohout to Upper Austria and Bavaria. The members of the Velocipedists’ Club rode a total of 45,000 km that year.

ČKV 1880 - Czech Velocipedists’ Club 1880

Original photographs with a beautiful Kohout bicycles and some members of Kohout`s family

Original photographs with a beautiful Kohout bicycles

(Published in The Boneshaker 172, Winter 2006)

Michaux is unquestionably one of the best-known names in the veteran cycle pantheon and yet paradoxically the least underwood. Even among serious collectors, confusion continues to reign. The complete article here.

Nick Clayton - Getting a handle on Michaux