'It means freedom' - Glasgow museum sketch helps tell story of women and cycling

“Some wise people say that corsets should be discarded for cycling,” it reads. “This is not correct […] a pair of woollen-cased corsets afford great support; they keep the figure from going all abroad, and protect the vital parts from chills.”

Joanna laughs: “I love that. The book also suggests women shouldn’t race on bikes – ‘the racing woman will only hurt herself by her action’ . And I like the following advice too: ‘Putting aside the question as to whether it is quite nice for ladies to run alone the gauntlet of the vulgar chaff sometimes hurled at them – from whichever point it is looked at, lady riders are best out of traffic.’"

She grins: “We have all had ‘vulgar chaff’ thrown at us, haven’t we?”

Cycling is a big passion for Joanna, which is why she is particularly drawn to a quirky sketch called Girl on Bicycle, by Joseph Crawhall, the latest item to feature in our Secret Life of… series.

Sir William Burrell devoted more than 75 years of his life to amassing one of the world’s greatest personal collections of art, which he donated to Glasgow in 1944. The Burrell Collection in Pollok Park will re-open later this month, following a multi-million-pound refurbishment.

For our occasional series, Times Past has asked Glasgow Museums curators to reveal the stories behind a selection of objects in the vast collection.

The Burrell Collection has the largest body of Joseph Crawhall material in the world. There are around 150 of his works in the collection, but because many are on paper and particularly vulnerable to light damage, they will be displayed on rotation.

The artist’s drawings are known for their humour and many are based on comic pairings of humans and animals.

Girl on Bicycle, which Burrell bought in 1924 for £90, depicts Crawhall’s sister Beatrice on her new bike, with the family dachshund Fritz in hot pursuit.

“It’s fun and light-hearted, and Burrell liked it because it chimed with his sense of humour but it also tells as a lot about the time,” says Joanna.

“The new craze for bicycles in the 1890s was tied into the suffrage movement – modern women were demanding the right to vote and speaking up on a range of issues, and they wanted to do the same things men were doing.

READ MORE: The surprising link between Harry Potter and the Burrell Collection

“This new fascination with cycling coincided with changes in fashion, as skirts got shorter and some women even wore culottes. Cycling meant freedom – and that is still the case today.”

Joanna says cycling helped her navigate one of the most difficult times of her life.

“Cycling got me back on my feet after a bereavement,” she says. “It restored my mental – and physical health – and I have loved it ever since. I still feel that sense of freedom, and of course, it’s great for the environment.

“Last September, I took part in the Glasgow Women on Wheels cycle festival, or G-WOW.

“It was amazing to be part of such a diverse group of women from across the city, celebrating together our love of cycling. The opening cycling parade from the west end to the south side was fabulous. We all wore yellow and rang our bells all the way.”

She smiles: “We have come a long way since the 1890s, but it still feels empowering to be on a bike.”