1890 ‘Surrey’ Cycle Lamp (Cycledom Ltd)

c1890 ‘Surrey’ Cycle Lamp (Cycledom Ltd)

LENGTH: 7″

WIDTH: 4″

HEIGHT: 6.5″

(Now sold)

Cycledom Ltd was a retailer of new and used bicycles with a shop in Blackfriars St and factories in London and Romford. The name of their top-of-the-line safety bicycle was ‘Surrey’ so they used the same name for their cycle lamps.

This rare surviving example is in excellent original condition, missing only its internal burner. I’ve illustrated it mounted on the 1887 Humber crossframe safety bicycle. As you can see, it is a large lamp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

CYCLEDOM Ltd

54-55 Blackfriars Rd, London

“The firm mainly dealt in new and second hand machines, cycle fittings and sundries. However, it made the ‘Surrey’ safety in 1889 from 54 and 55 Blackfriars Road, London, where it was still listed in 1903.
It seems a new factory was added in 1890 at Collingwood Street, Blackfriars, and it advertised 25 patterns of machine. Prices ranged from £6 10s. to £14 14s in 1890. Also the ‘Fairy’ and ‘Velox’.

Joss Harwood was the manager for over two years up to 1891, then E. Lovell. In 1898 it also had premises at 124 King’s Road, London and the Blackfriars Road address was given as 52-55.” [extract from Ray Miller’s Encyclopedia]

Blackfriars Rd was originally known as Surrey St, built in the 1760s as the south approach to Blackfriars Bridge, so this may have inspired the name that Cycledom used for their safety bicycle and lamps.