“PEDESTRIAN”
A person travelling on foot; a walker.
The act, art, or practice of a pedestrian;
walking or running; travelling or racing on foot.
Pedestrianism Parlor Game, 1879
The hugely popular sport of Pedestrianism hit its zenith in 1879 when "the Pedestrian Mania" captured the sporting world's attention with "go-as-you-please" races in Britain
and the USA. The public just couldn't get enough of it and thousands turned up to watch these incredible races at venues like the "Aggie" in London, and Madison Square Garden,
New York. Left and right: two examples of how
New York's The Sun reported on the sport. These are its front pages for September 27 and 28 and 95% of the space is devoted to covering the 5th Astley Belt in the city.
Below: Frank Hart heads Norman Taylor in the 5th Astley Belt.
