Cycling in the City:
A 200-Year History
Museum of the City of New York
2019
Co-curated with Evan Friss
Cycling in the City traced the bicycle’s transformation of urban transportation and explored the extraordinary diversity of cycling cultures in the city, past and present. Featuring more than 150 artifacts, including 14 bicycles and cycling apparel, films, and graphic displays, the exhibition revealed the complex, creative, and often contentious relationship between New York and the bicycle ever since the first “velocipede” appeared on the city’s streets in 1819, exactly two centuries ago. Today, the bicycle continues to play an increasingly important role in New York City life, shaping what it means to live in a modern metropolis. Bicycles affect how we work, how we spend our leisure time, even how we define ourselves. The complex dance of cars, pedestrians, and bicycles continues to evolve, as the city promotes ambitious visions for a sustainable city and New Yorkers continue to seek simple, speedy, healthy, and environmentally-friendly ways to move about.
Working with co-curator Evan Friss, Mr. Albrecht developed the show’s themes, selected artifacts, wrote exhibition text, identified and worked with the design team.
Press
Coverage in the New York Times, Metropolis, Curbed, and featured as a segment of WNET/Channel 13’s “Sunday Arts” television program
“…an impressively comprehensive and exceptionally timely exploration of the bicycle’s impact on Gotham…” Dante A. Ciampaglia, Metropolis, March 21, 2019
Credits
Exhibition and graphic designer: Pure+Applied
Photographer: Rob Stephenson
