William H. Lowden
https://fastestslowguy.blogspot.com/search?q=Lowden
Clubs
Accident to a Bicyclist.
Last Saturday, between Alvarado and Washington Corners, the front cycle of the bicycle upon which W. H. Lowden of this city was bicycling with ten other bicyclists, the others being of Oakland, collided with a piece of rock on the smooth road over which Mr. Lowden was going at the rate of fifteen miles an hour. The bicycle stopped. Mr. Lowdon didn't, till his head came against the road at which time a jagged piece of rock cut in the left side of his neck a long fissure half an inch deep and out of which so much of his blood ran that he was reduced for at an hour to unconsciousness.
Accident to a Bicyclist. - The San Francisco Examiner, 25 Apr 1881
The annual election and banquet of the Oakland Club was held a week ago yesterday. The following officers were reelected: President and Captain, George H. Strong; Vice-President, W. H. Bunker; First Lieutenant, W. H. Lowden ; Second Lieutenant, W. H. Taylor ; Third Lieutenant, George L. King; Secretary and Treasurer, the indefatigable W. C. Gibbs. After all business had been dispatched the club adjourned to a restaurant, where an elegant repast was spread. Speeches were made by Messrs. Yale, Booth, Burkhalter, Bunker and Taylor. Messrs. Collingham and Gibbs took charge of the musical portion of the programme.
The Wheelmen. - The San Francisco Examiner, 04 Feb 1884
At Jackson and Fifth streets the procession halted while Messrs. Louden and Gibbs, two well-known amateur photographers, trained their camera on the party. An hour was then spent in parading through the streets of Oakland, and everywhere along the line of ride the inhabitants paid homage to the wheelmen and their distinguished guest. The road to Haywards was then taken, and after a smart run San Leandro was reached. At this place the resident ladies were watching for the coming of the bicyclists, and Stevens was the recipient of a pretty tribute in the shape of a bouquet of violets adorned with knots of blue and white ribbon.
STEVENS IN THE SADDLE. - San Francisco Chronicle, Jan 17, 1887
The photographs below are from a search for "Thomas Stevens" in "Finding Aid to the Oliver Family Photograph Collections circa 1880-circa 1920s", at the Online Archives of California.
Elsewhere in the collection is this quote:
Photographs are attributed to William Letts Oliver, his son Roland Letts Oliver, and occasionally other members of the Oliver family. Other notable photographers represented in the collection include W. H. Lowden next hit and Gabriel Moulin.
They are likely the photos taking by William H. Lowden and W. C. Gibbs.
"Cyclist Thomas Stevens and Oakland cyclists. [1887?]
Marks and Inscriptions:: Written on back of mount: Run given to Thos Stevens / at Oakland / on his return from a / tour around the / world on a bicycle."
Stevens is in foreground, right.
Inscription on photo: CALIFORNIA BICYCLISTS GIVING THOS. STEVENS A RUN AFTER HIS WORLD TOUR
Many members names are common between the Oakland Bicycle Club and the Pacific Coast Amateur Photographic Association.
