1920 Unknown Bicycle
edited by David Barth, 6 June 2011.
Courtesy The Forney Museum of Transportation at 4303 Brighton Blvd., Denver,
Colorado 80216. Photos were taken in June 2011.
We have no information on this bicycle. We estimate the year of manufacture to be 1920. The only identifying part is the New Departure coaster brake. New
Departure Bell Company was formed in 1888 by brothers Albert and Edward Rockwell in Bristol, Connecticut as a manufacturer of doorbells. They began operations
at one end of a clock factory, manufacturing doorbells. Soon after, they branched out manufacturing various other products.
In 1898, New Departure introduced the bicycle coaster brake and in 1903 they also began making brakes for belt and chain-driven motorcycles. Large quantities
of bicycle front and rear wheel hubs were produced.
As of 2011, New Departure is a brand owned by General Bearing Company of New York.
