Covent Garden in City of Westminster in Greater London, England, United Kingdom — Northwestern Europe (the British Isles)

Denis Johnson

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, March 26, 2026

1. Denis Johnson Marker

Inscription.
Denis Johnson
(c. 1760-1833)

From his workshop on this site in 1819 made and sold Britain's first bicycle in its hobby-horse form

Erected 1998 by City of Westminster, Covent Garden Area Trust and Veteran-Cycle Club 1998.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Roads & Vehicles • Sports. In addition, it is included in the City of Westminster Green Plaques series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1819.

Location. 51° 30.866′ N, 0° 7.327′ W. Marker is in City of Westminster, England, in Greater London. It is in Covent Garden. It is on Long Acre south of Drury Lane, on the left when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 76 Long Acre, City of Westminster, England WC2E, United Kingdom. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in the Greater South East.

Globally, it is on the Atlantic Ocean,

in the North Atlantic Region,

in Europe,

in Atlantic Europe,

on one of the British Isles,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Roman Empire.

Other nearby markers. At

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least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Bow Street (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); Picasso’s Le Tricorne (about 120 meters away); Nathaniel Westlake (1833-1921) (about 150 meters away); Baudry Greene (about 150 meters away); Lionel Lukin (1742-1834) (about 180 meters away); Queen’s Theatre (about 180 meters away); Zepherina Veitch and Dame Rosalind Paget (about 180 meters away); The Nags Head (about 210 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in City of Westminster.

Also see . . . Denis Johnson (inventor) (Wikipedia). Excerpt:

Denis Johnson (c. 1760 – 25 December 1833) was an English coachmaker who worked on Long Acre, London, England. He was a pioneer bicycle-maker.

Johnson created an improved version of the German Karl Drais's Draisine, the archetypal bicycle. Johnson's pedestrian curricle was patented in London in December 1818, becoming Britain's first bicycle. It featured an elegantly curved wooden frame, allowing the use of larger wooden wheels. Several parts were made of metal, which allowed the vehicle to be lighter than the continental version.

Although
Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein

2. Denis Johnson Marker - wide view
Johnson referred to his machine as a ‘pedestrian curricle’, it was formally referred to as a ‘velocipede’, and popularly as a ‘Hobby-horse’, ‘Dandy-horse’, ‘Pedestrian's accelerator’, ‘Swift walker’ and by a variety of other names.

For about six months the machine had a high profile in London and elsewhere, its principal riders being the Regency dandies. About eighty prints were produced in London, depicting the 'hobby-horse' and its users, not always in a flattering light. Johnson undertook a tour of England in the spring of 1819 to exhibit and publicise the item. Nevertheless, by the summer of the same year the craze was dying out, and a health warning against the continued use of the velocipede was issued by the London Surgeons.

In Johnson's machine, like that of von Drais, propulsion was simply by ‘swift walking’, with the rider striking his (or her) feet on the ground alternately. Later, in the 1860s, rotary cranks and pedals were added to the bicycle.

(Submitted on April 7, 2026.)

The Hobby-Horse, 1819 image. Click for full size.

Leadenhall Press (via Library of Congress), 1894

3. The Hobby-Horse, 1819

Credits. This page was last revised on April 7, 2026. It was originally submitted on April 7, 2026, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 15 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on April 7, 2026, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.