An early bike shop?

By adamg on Wed, 10/10/2018 - 10:58am

The folks at the Boston City Archives wonder if you can place this scene. See it larger.

Neighborhoods:

Boston

Topics:

History

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Comments

Safety BIcycle Era

By anon
Wed, 10/10/2018 - 11:13am

Likely around 1900, when these started to dominate the market.

And I thought the entitled

By Murkin
Wed, 10/10/2018 - 11:56am

And I thought the entitled jerk leaving their bike wherever they felt like it was a modern day phenomenon. I’m glad to see they were also doing it 100 years ago.

What?

By anon
Wed, 10/10/2018 - 2:08pm

That is most likely his own house or workshop.

How Do I Downvote This?

By BlackKat
Wed, 10/10/2018 - 2:32pm

uh

By anon
Wed, 10/10/2018 - 3:13pm

No.

BTW - do you store your car on public property?

No, but I do shovel the

By Murkin
Wed, 10/10/2018 - 9:24pm

No, but I do shovel the public sidewalk in front of my house when it snows out.

Well

By ElizaLeila
Thu, 10/11/2018 - 10:36am

I thought you were funny.

Love these photos but can we

By anon
Wed, 10/10/2018 - 1:27pm

Love these photos but can we get ones that look a little bit like we can make a good guess.

bike shop pick , where is it?

By JOANNE T
Wed, 10/10/2018 - 4:34pm

North End by Paul Revere House?

Transportation history

By anon
Wed, 10/10/2018 - 5:15pm

This was after people gave up riding horses, and right before they gave up bikes in favor of cars.

Umm

By Kristen Coughlin
Wed, 10/10/2018 - 6:16pm

I’ll guess East Boston, based on the proximity of surrounding buildings. It’s a shot in the dark, though.

I’m going to guess

By Waquiot
Wed, 10/10/2018 - 9:11pm

Roxbury.

The amazing thing is that mine is the first guess.

I was trying to look up bike shops

By SwirlyGrrl
Thu, 10/11/2018 - 8:27am

Around 1900, 1905 ...

Terrain and houses say it was probably JP or similar era of redevelopment of farmlands.

Ah yes

By anon
Wed, 10/10/2018 - 9:28pm

Silas R. Pennisham's Barbershop, Velocipede Repair, and Unguent Dispensary.

Sheldon Brown's first shop?

By merlinmurph
Thu, 10/11/2018 - 8:07am

RIP Sheldon

The Answer

By Boston City Archives
Thu, 10/11/2018 - 9:31am

Thanks for playing, folks!

This image shows a building (we believe a home) on Swett Street in South Boston in August, 1898. Its from one of our Public Works Department Scrapbooks.

You can see a high resolution scan of the images (and link up to more images like it) here: https://cityofboston.access.preservica.com/uncateg...

Centennial!

By anon
Thu, 10/11/2018 - 9:47am

A Centennial with a Tiny House and a bike!

Swett Street

By eeka
Thu, 10/11/2018 - 11:24am

Was the old name of Southampton St, and I believe continued to what is now Preble St and all the way to the water. So this was in Andrew Square somewhere.

There are some similar low-rise wood-frame houses from that era on Boston St and Dorchester Ave near there that are still there.