​"Two sorts of writers possess genius: those who think, and those who cause others to think."
—Joseph Roux, 1886.
Meditations of a Parish Priest, 1886, p. 12.

Crafted in Port Townsend, aired on HBO Historian, craftsman creates 1880s bike replica for TV series

By Lily Haight

The modern bicycle design—with its diamond frame, chain drive and wire-spoked wheels—has changed very little since its inception in the 1800s.

But there was a period in history when engineers were busily trying to outdo each other by inventing the best, the most comfortable, convenient, sophisticated, lightweight and affordable bicycle.

“I love the engineering of the 1880s because it was such out-of-the-box thinking,” said Gabriel Chrisman, a local bike mechanic and Victorian-era historian. “A lot of these engineers, you’d give them a white piece of paper and tell them to come up with a better bicycle, and they’d come up with something.”

Chrisman has spent his life studying the technology and innovation of the 19th-century, specializing in the creation of the bicycle, which is still a hugely important part of modern life, though relatively unchanged from its original design.

Now, he has been contracted by a TV company to create a handmade replica 1880s “safety bike,” which will be featured in a new period drama on HBO.

Chrisman and his wife Sarah are easily recognizable and well-known around Port Townsend. The couple specializes in late 19th-century history and culture and bring elements of Victorian life into their everyday lives. Their 19th-century home is appropriately decorated with Victorian furniture and art. Sarah Chrisman can often be seen riding around town on a Victorian bicycle in her Victorian-era clothing in between writing fiction and nonfiction books about the Victorian era. Gabriel, who is an archivist and librarian, operates his own hand-built bicycle business called Victorian Cycles. From time to time he rides his 19th-century “ordinary” bicycle—with one large wheel, and one small—on the ferry to his job at the Coupeville Library…

Read the rest of the article here:
https://www.ptleader.com/stories/crafted-in-port-townsend-aired-on-hbo,68652

Some of my favorite encouraging quotes: a few pages from my commonplace book Quotations of Quality.  Enjoy!

Get Quotations of Quality on Amazon:
www.amazon.com/Quotations-Quality-Commonplace-Victorian-Observations-ebook/dp/B079C6KC3H/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=Quotations+of+Quality&qid=1585498169&s=books&sr=1-1

A little while ago Gabriel had a nice chat with the "Victoria's World" podcast.  Noah Tetzner, who runs the podcast, just let us know it's gone up.  Enjoy! 
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/inventors-inventions-of-victorian-england/id1491810901?i=1000469254093

From the organizers of the PT Victorian Festival:
March 13, 2020 - Festival Update
It is with broken hearts that we announce the 2020 Port Townsend Heritage Festival as been cancelled due to current health concerns. Our website is updated with information on Festival ticket refunds. You may go to Eventbright for online refunds. You may also email us at PTVicFest@gmail.com We will not be holding the festival this year, this is not a postponement. We do plan on throwing a grandiose festival next year for our 25th Anniversary. The amount of effort, love, community support and your support that went into the planning of this year's festival was nothing short of incredible. When Scott and I took this on we were not sure if we could revitalize a festival that had seen better days. We were heartened by finding our people. Those who care about history and our beautiful town. Once we make it through the unwinding of a years worth of work and our planet find balance and calm again we will be asking for your support to ensure the 2021 festival will happen. We don't think people realize how close we were to losing this event forever. We stepped in to not only organize and revitalize, but fund this years festival. We are sure it is clear that without ticket sales, losses are inevitable. We will be looking for creative ways to recoup our seed money and build a fund for future Port Townsend Victorian events and festivals. We have received great ideas and suggestions already, including adding small Victorian events to our calendar. We hope you will continue to follow us here on Facebook and visit our website to see the fun opportunities we come up with for you to join us in celebrating the Victorian history of Port Townsend and the Olympic Peninsula! Like Port Townsend herself the Victorian Festival will emerge from this setback with grace and a welcoming heart! All our best to all of you during this difficult time,
Tracy and Scott

Now is a good time to catch up on your reading, and you can find all my books on Amazon! Sarah A. Chrisman's Books on Amazon

For those who were looking forward to my writer's workshop, I hope to see you next year and in the meantime please enjoy my video about historical research: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Jj4pj4enl8&t=19s