Charles G. Kilpatrick (1869-1927), was an American stunt performer and professional baseball umpire, who toured around the world in the late 19th and early 20th century as a trick cyclist. Kilpatrick lost his right leg in a rail accident while employed as a miner. He then began working as a printer and a baseball umpire in several professional leagues. Kilpatrick gained national and international attention for performing dangerous stunts for amusement. He was once wagered by a group of friends to ride down the west steps of the Capitol Building in Washington DC and then down the west steps of the White House. He did both on an ordinary bicycle and without any accidents. He then performed a feat in which he would ride a bicycle down a specially constructed flight of stairs that would often reach heights of over 100 feet. In one performance in particular, Kilpatrick rode down a platform of stairs from the roof of Madsion Square Garden to the arena floor. He later developed a similar stunt in which he would drive up a ramp in a steam-powered automobile and descend at a high speed. Kilpatrick toured throughout America, South Africa, Cuba, Britain and Australia and he unintentionally caused large traffic jams in cities as large groups of people followed him around the streets.
Kilpatrick was known as the most daring cyclist in the world! In 1899, a 12 second film was made called, Kilpatrick's Ride, though I've not been able to trace any footage of this.
You can read more about him here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Kilpatrick_(cyclist)
You can read a really interesting review that was printed in The Strand Magazine in 1901 by Winston Spencer called, “The Most Sensational Motor Ride: Kilpatrick's Rush Down a Chute.” (This is where I got lots of the photos):
https://strandselections.wordpress.com/2017/07/30/the-most-sensational-motor-ride-kilpatricks-rush-down-a-chute-winston-spencer-december-1901/
Here are the details of the lost film:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0252601/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt
Kilpatrick was known as the most daring cyclist in the world! In 1899, a 12 second film was made called, Kilpatrick's Ride, though I've not been able to trace any footage of this.
You can read more about him here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Kilpatrick_(cyclist)
You can read a really interesting review that was printed in The Strand Magazine in 1901 by Winston Spencer called, “The Most Sensational Motor Ride: Kilpatrick's Rush Down a Chute.” (This is where I got lots of the photos):
https://strandselections.wordpress.com/2017/07/30/the-most-sensational-motor-ride-kilpatricks-rush-down-a-chute-winston-spencer-december-1901/
Here are the details of the lost film:
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0252601/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt
