Autocoureur De Perigord, deelnemer aan de race Parijs-Amsterdam, op zijn motorfiets met een vrouw achterop, vermoedelijk te Nijmegen 1898

This photograph by Delizy captures a moment, likely in the Netherlands, during the Paris-Amsterdam motor race. Here we see a competitor from Périgord on his motorcycle, with a woman riding pillion, surrounded by onlookers. The image is revealing about early automobile culture. Note the sartorial choices of the crowd, their hats in particular, suggesting the novelty of this new technology was attracting onlookers from across the social spectrum. While the male dress code is formal, the woman's inclusion on the vehicle challenges the social norms of the time. It raises questions about the role of women in these nascent automotive sports, and in wider society. To fully understand this photograph, historians might consult newspaper archives from the period, sociological studies of technological adoption, and museum collections documenting early motor racing. By placing the image within its social and institutional context, we can better understand the complex interplay between technology, gender, and class at the turn of the century.