I see this photo (or it’s similar counterpart) at least weekly while I’m looking through my favorite blogs, checking instagram feeds, etc… and the first time I posted this to the motolady site, I didn’t have a backstory. So here we are, with some history.
The photograph of three women riders at the helm of a group of solo riders dates back to 1949 according to the LIFE photo archives.
Riders enjoying a Sunday afternoon jaunt in Griffith Park: (1st row left-right): Lucille Meeker (on a Triumph), Betty Drafton (on a Velocette) and Cecilia Adams (on a custom-made bike); (2nd row l-r): Frank Cooper, Chuck Parkyns, Dr. William Eschrich and Frank Erling (unsure of spelling of last name).
I’m so excited to announce the project that I’ve been working on for two years… a book all about badass motorcycling women! In the MotoLady’s Book of Women Who Ride you’ll meet 74 of the most influencial motorcyclists of the last century. Motorcycle heroes, trailblazers, and record-breakers like Jessi Combs, Shayna Texter, Laia Sanz, Gloria Tramontin-Struck, the Van Buren sisters, and more can be found inside the 184 pages of this hard cover book celebrating motorcycling women!
Posted on May 15, 2014 in Blog, History, MotoLadies by Alicia Mariah Elfving