Century Road Club of America Photograph Album, 1899–1905; Compiled by Founder Charles P. Staubach; New York and Connecticut
Item #1524
Large photo album compiled by Charles P. Staubach (1870–1966), founder and first president of the Century Road Club Association (CRCA) — the oldest continuously active bicycle racing club in the United States. Staubach, a record-setting endurance rider and National Guard captain, was central to the growth of organized cycling in New York at the turn of the 20th century. This is Volume 3 of a series (extending to at least twenty), housed in a black-cloth three-ring binder, 10” x 11 ½”, portrait orientation. Contains 31 leaves/62 pages with approximately 200 photographs, many annotated in white-ink captions.
The album opens with a striking 1899 group portrait of the Century Road Club of America – New York State Division, showing over one hundred uniformed members in caps, sashes, and medals, with eight women prominently seated at the front. By 1900–01, the membership swelled to around 125, as seen in another panoramic club portrait. These rare images vividly document the exuberant culture of road racing clubs during cycling’s first great American boom.
Later photographs (1902) show smaller staff portraits, with the National President present, as well as uniformed members carrying bugle horns — ceremonial details that underscore the military pageantry often associated with cycling clubs of the era. Staubach himself appears in several images, not only as club leader but as a Captain in the 8th Regiment Infantry of the New York National Guard, photographed at Peekskill Camp in 1901.
Beyond cycling, the album captures Staubach’s personal and family life. Election Day in Central Park (1899), views from the Grand Central Palace, and dramatic scenes of a horse-drawn fire engine fighting a blaze on 59th Street enrich the urban record. At his homes in Pocantico Hills and Kingsbridge, his studies brim with sashes, medals, and commissions — testament to his dual passions for cycling achievement and civic service. His children appear often, playing in snow or gardens, softening the otherwise regimented tone of the club material.
Highlights include:
Staubach’s mimeographed index, listing images and noting which negatives were preserved (though not included) — evidence of his meticulous record-keeping.
White Squadron of U.S. Battleships saluting President Roosevelt (c. 1902), photographed from shore.
Circus parade with camel, elephants, and a dog-drawn wagon — whimsical vernacular touches amidst the more serious pursuits.
Military monuments in New York, Greenwich, and Port Chester.
Condition: Photos well mounted, captions clearly legible; pages sound though many are loose on rings. Overall in very good shape for a working family and club album of this period.
A rare and invaluable document of American cycling history, offering some of the earliest large-format group portraits of the CRCA — still active in New York today. Enhanced by Staubach’s role as both organizer and recorder, the album preserves a unique slice of Gilded Age/Progressive Era leisure culture, blending sport, civic pride, and domestic life.
Price: $2,500.00