Clement - Cycles & Automobiles

Clément Cycles was a French bicycle manufacturer that was founded by the industrial entrepreneur Adolphe Clément-Bayard (née Clément) in 1878. From it beginnings as a bicycle repair shop in Bordeaux, through its establishment as a bicycle shop and workshop in Paris, to its mass manufacture of a wide range of bicycles from the purpose built, state of the art factory at Levallois-Perret, Paris, the brand always combined advertising and marketing flair with quality products. As automobiles started to be mass produced the company added a line of cars to appeal to its client base and help to combat the loss of bicycle sales. In this image, we see both Clement automobiles and bicycles on display. A local French regiment is using the brand to perform a military exercise. A lower ranking service member reports to his car-bound superiors by bike. In many ways, this poster illustrates the social shift in popularity from the bicycle to the automobile at this time. Louis Charles Bombled (1862-