In 1890, two young American graduates of Washington University, William Sachtleben and Thomas Allen Jr., spent three years circling the world by bicycle. By train to New York, by ship to London, then on a tour they called “Bicycling Asia Minor, 1891” through Greece, Turkey, Iran, and Uzbekistan. They continued through Kazakhstan and China to Canada, then coast to coast across the US back to New York.
They shot about 1,200 photographs along the way; only about a third survive. Those images were recently shown at Washington University’s Olin Library.
Given rivers, mountains, and muddy roads, bringing the photos home was secondary to coming home alive.
Here are some frames from their Asia Minor tour:
1. Streets of Athens
2. Crowds parting for the pair in front of a Turkish mosque in Greece
3. Crossing the strait by boat
4. Sultanahmet Square
5. Thomas Allen with Hagia Sophia behind him
6. Galata Bridge
7. Beypazari
8. A stony road in Istanbul
9. Cemberlitas
10. A street near the Grand Bazaar
11. Doctor Garagossian and his family in Istanbul
12. William Sachtleben cycling beside the Kizilirmak
13. A hired porter carrying the bike, William Sachtleben behind / Anatolia
14. A mosque in Iraq
15. Entering Iran
16. An Iranian offering tea at Emir Nizam
17. Entering the city of Qazvin
18. The Blue Mosque at the entrance to Tabriz
