George Banker...World Champion?

[Race170]

The Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, PA is organizing
sports memorabila for their sports section. They intend to
include an area for cycling. George Banker who rode for the
Pittsburgh Athletic Club is identified as the "1st American
World Champion". This apparently occurred around the late
1800's, however, there is little info. found locally about
this rider. If you have info. on George Banker or know where
his palmares can be found, please email me at
[email protected] Thank you - Fred Baldassare

 

[FNauwelaerts]

Originally posted by Race170
The Heinz History Center in Pittsburgh, PA is organizing
sports memorabila for their sports section. They intend to
include an area for cycling. George Banker who rode for the
Pittsburgh Athletic Club is identified as the "1st American
World Champion". This apparently occurred around the late
1800's, however, there is little info. found locally about
this rider. If you have info. on George Banker or know where
his palmares can be found, please email me at
[email protected] Thank you - Fred Baldassare

 

[FNauwelaerts]

Originally posted by FNauwelaerts

RESULTS OF GEORGE BANKER IN EUROPA

1892 (grand BI) Brownsville 1 place
Springfield with C Hess (tandem) 1 place Worldrecord 1 mile

1894 G P Paris 1 place
GP UVF Paris 2 place
26 8 1894 - 500 m in 35" 2/5 (1 place)
1895 GP UVF (France) 1 place
GP Antwerp(en) (Belgium) 1 place
GP Roubaix (France) 1 place
Austrian Derby 1 place
Paris race 3 place
- W C Köln (Germany) sprint
1 manche: 1 Banker, 2 Huet, 3 Protin (protest Protin)
2 manche: 1 Protin, 2 Banker, 3 Huet (protest Banker)
no 3 manche

after this: patient of Typhoid

1898 come back
W C Vienna (Austria) 1 Banker, 2 Frans Verheyen (Bel), 3 Jacquelin (France)

winter 1898 GP Tunis 1 place

1899 Austrian Derby 1 place
GP Oostende (Belgium) 1 place


Greatings from Belgium

 

[luhl]

Originally posted by FNauwelaerts

Hi Fred: I just stumbled across your post. I'm the curator at the Heinz History Center working on the biking section. I've been looking for info on George Banker and coming up with frustratingly little on him. How did you learn about the exhibit? And do you know anything about George? I've been able to find some info on his family, particulalry on his brother Arthur, but George seems to disappear from Pittsburgh around 1905. I've never been able to find a photo of him. I'll have to write and thank the person in Belgium. That's the first real info I've seen on him. Lauren Uhl Heinz History Center [email protected]

 

[luhl]

Originally posted by FNauwelaerts
RESULTS OF GEORGE BANKER IN EUROPA

1892 (grand BI) Brownsville 1 place
Springfield with C Hess (tandem) 1 place Worldrecord 1 mile

1894 G P Paris 1 place
GP UVF Paris 2 place
26 8 1894 - 500 m in 35" 2/5 (1 place)
1895 GP UVF (France) 1 place
GP Antwerp(en) (Belgium) 1 place
GP Roubaix (France) 1 place
Austrian Derby 1 place
Paris race 3 place
- W C Köln (Germany) sprint
1 manche: 1 Banker, 2 Huet, 3 Protin (protest Protin)
2 manche: 1 Protin, 2 Banker, 3 Huet (protest Banker)
no 3 manche

after this: patient of Typhoid

1898 come back
W C Vienna (Austria) 1 Banker, 2 Frans Verheyen (Bel), 3 Jacquelin (France)

winter 1898 GP Tunis 1 place

1899 Austrian Derby 1 place
GP Oostende (Belgium) 1 place


Greatings from Belgium

Dear FN:
I was so surprised and happy to stumble across your response to Fred Baldassare. I'm the curator at the Heinz History Center working on the bike racing section of our new sports exhibit and I've looked everywhere for info about George Banker. How do you know about him? Where did you find the info on his race wins? Have you ever seen a picture of him? I'd love to include him in the exhibit but I just didn't have enought information to go on. Is there any chance you know the date he won the Grand Prix in Paris? If so I might be able to check newspapers in Pittsburgh to see if there's any mention of him. Thanks so much for your help and response. Lauren Uhl, Curator Heinz History Center