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Goggles & Dust

Images from Cycling's Glory Days

Published by VeloPress
Distributed by Simon & Schuster

About The Book

Drawn from the one of the world's finest collections of cycling artifacts, Goggles & Dust collects over 100 stunning photographs from competitive cycling's heyday. Spanning the 1920s and '30s, Goggles & Dust: Images from Cycling's Glory Days celebrates the grit and determination of the bicycle racing pioneers who established the records, traditions, and distinct flavors of Europe's most hallowed races.

The spirit of these hardy competitors was perhaps matched only by the resolve of the remarkable photographers who prevailed in all imaginable conditions, situations, altitudes and latitudes to capture unforgettable prints of the racers at work and play. From Alpine panoramas to hair-raising crashes and idyllic roadside celebrations, the gorgeous restored photographs in Goggles & Dust--most unseen since their original publication in the newspapers and magazines of the day--provide an indelible and delightful record of a more carefree and adventurous time.

About The Author

The Horton Collection is one of the world’s finest collections of cycling memorabilia. Over the course of twenty-five years Shelly and Brett Horton have amassed an unprecedented 15,000 objects and 170,000 original vintage photographs. Their passion for the sport and its legacy have led them to the world’s greatest races, and many of the sport’s living legends have entrusted their own treasures to the care of The Horton Collection. The Hortons live in San Francisco, California.

Product Details

  • Publisher: VeloPress (November 15, 2014)
  • Length: 120 pages
  • ISBN13: 9781937716639

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Raves and Reviews

"For more than 25 years, Brett Horton has been putting together the world's most complete collection of cycling photographs and memorabilia. While many pieces in his collection are indeed for sale, a much more affordable way to enjoy them comes via the new book, Goggles & Dust. Collected from over 170,000 original vintage photographs, Goggles & Dust is a must-have for any cycling enthusiast. It's the perfect way to celebrate and honor the sport's earliest heroes."

– Bicycling

"Goggles & Dust is one of those wonderful coffee table photo albums, offering a glimpse into the photo archives of the Horton Collection. It allows the cycling fan the opportunity to read their own stories into the pictures presented."

– Podium Café 

"This book, with over 100 expertly restored photographs, brings to life the rigors, triumphs, and soul of competitive cycling in a way that words alone never could."

– ForeWord magazine

"The rickety-looking fixed geared bikes, the saggy woollen clothing, the goggles to protect the riders' eyes from the ever-present dust of unsurfaced roads. These are the well understood trials of the early coureurs. Choose a moment when it's quiet and Goggles & Dust will enrich your cycling life."

– The Jersey Pocket

"One is struck by the feverish activity displayed in the cycling photos, a dynamism that is not always there in the visual documentation of other sports in the early 20th Century. Goggles & Dust is a very fine collection of black and white photos covering the formative ‘brutally hard’ years of road racing."

– PezcyclingNews.com

"It's difficult not to use the word glorious to describe these pictures. Even if a reader isn't a fan of cycling, anyone with a nose for history could get lost looking at these detailed romantic candids of dudes riding hard, tires wrapped around themselves, and with dirty faces and clothes made out of wool."

– Library Journal

"A great way to delve into cycling's past."

– Canadian Cycling magazine

"As much a celebration of cycling as ‘of photography.’ There's something magical in the toothy smile and glossy eyes of Lucien Buysse, something moving about the defeated Gaston Degy. It's the ability of a photograph to tell a thousand words, and there are so many fascinating stories within the photos of this book."

– Mountain Flyer magazine

"Passion, pain, courage, defeat, joy and the daily life of the cyclists in the early part of the 20th century; all are put into the pages of Goggles & Dust. There is so much to be enjoyed in this book. I find it delightful."

– Roadcycling.co.nz

"The beauty of Goggles & Dust is it tells the story of the conditions and equipment that were used nearly a century ago…These images truly are historic and priceless."

– ActiveGearReview.com

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More books from this author: The Horton Collection