1888 Hillman Herbert & Cooper ‘Premier’ Crossframe Safety

1888 Hillman Herbert & Cooper ‘Premier’ Crossframe Safety

21″ Frame

30″ Wheels

This early Premier safety is in very original unrestored condition. The marque specialist suggests that it may be a German or American model because of its tangent spoking, which would be unusual in 1888 on a Coventry machine.

With its wonderful saddle frame, open steering, left-hand chainwheel and bottom bracket chain adjustment, this is a fabulous example of the first generation of chain-driven safety bicycles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HARRINGTON SPRING SADDLE SUPPORT

John Harrington & Co started out as a manufacturer of ‘Arab’ ordinaries at Ryde, Isle of Wight, around 1878, with a shop in London, before moving to Coventry, where they introduced their ‘Arab’ tricycle in 1881. Among other cycle patents, their patent #3849 from 1879 for saddle springs and supports became their lasting legacy, as it led to the Arab cradle support, No 353 in the catalogue illustration. The Harrington saddle support shown here is No 356.

The firm merged with W. Middlemore, saddlers, in May 1889.