Alvey A. Adee in Washington D.C. 1914

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Assistant Secretary of State, age 72. Famously known for biking daily to his work in D.C. and his yearly biking tours to Europe.

This photograph was first published in July 10, 1914 in Dakota Farmer’s Leader newspaper and it reads:

"Alvey A. Adee, second assistant secretary of state, who has been connected with the diplomatic service since 1870, is now in France on his annual bicycle tour. For 20 years Mr. Adee has spent two months a year on his wheel in Europe, and though he is now seventy-two years old, he has not abandoned his custom. He is accompanied by the American consul general at Paris, A. M. Thakers, and Mrs. Thakers."

Centerlinerule blog quotes Alvey about one of his tours in France:

"Never have I enjoyed anything so much as the cycle tour which I have been having the past two months ... in France this time. I cycled for 56 days, carrying all the clothes I needed. It was the greatest sort of sport."

A real old school bike light is mounted on his front wheel - made out of brass, this carbide acetylene bicycle lamp would light up his way in the early mornings or late at night. Miners in the old days would wear something similar on their heads in the caves. In this video by Beals Science you can see a chemist restoring a 70 year old mining carbide lamp, explaining the chemistry behind it. Pretty interesting and the light is surprisingly bright!