On a bike with a whistle
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What it is:
Photo measuring approx. 4.75 x 7 inches, affixed to a cardboard frame/backing measuring 8.5 x 9.75 inches.
What I know about it:
Undated and unidentified. It was purchased at an estate sale in Idaho, but was sold because the family knew nothing of the subject’s identity or the photo’s origin.
Comments:
This is the second of two photos my friend Keri sent me. This young man isn’t just posing with a random prop bicycle, he’s showing us what a committed rider he is, with clips securing his trouser legs, and a two-pipe whistle at the ready in his mouth. When not in his mouth, does the whistle simply dangle from his lapel, or does it go into what appears to be a pocket near his left elbow? Is he simply a cycling enthusiast, or is he maybe commemorating some sort of excursion? I even wondered if this represented some sort of job, like a paperboy or courier, though his outfit doesn’t suggest work to me. In any case, he seems pleased to have the bicycle, and I’m pleased to have the picture.
Pics of Then 
Wow, I never saw a picture like this, from this period.
Yes, it’s unusual. I have another picture from the era of a child on a bicycle, but it’s an outdoor show, not a studio portrait.
Most interesting picture. I find his decision to be photographed with a whistle in his mouth most unusual.
Glad you like it. I agree, it’s a curious choice. It might seem so obvious if we knew the reason, but we don’t.