Tue 25 Jun 2019 10.38 BST
We rounded up half a century of protest posters and stickers from campaigns which helped Amsterdam become the ‘cycle capital of the world’
Bike City Amsterdam by Fred Feddes and Marjolein de Lange is published by Bas Lubberhuizen
Main image: A 1973 poster refers to the bicycle as ‘public food’ for cars.
1970
A poster calls for Leidsestraat, one of Amsterdam’s two main shopping streets, to be closed to cars and for free public transport
Photograph: International Institute of Social History (IISG)/MLAdvies
1973
A poster by Charles Boost. The text reads: ‘Hunting small game all year round. Stop killing children’
Photograph: IISG/MLAdvi
1973
‘The bike. Public food.’ In Dutch, the phrase for public transport is openbaar vervoer
Photograph: IISG/MLAdvies
1974
‘Kick that car out of the city!’
Photograph: IISG/MLAdvies
1976
This poster for a pro-cycle demonstration features one of the first images of the Amsterdam Fietst (Amsterdam Rides Bikes) symbol. It incorporates the three crosses that make up the symbol of Amsterdam
Photograph: Archive Fietsersbond Amsterdam/Amsterdam City Archives/MLAdvies
1976
The Amsterdam Fietst symbol soon evolved into a cycling girl, known as Liesje, seen here on stickers
Photograph: Archive Fietsersbond Amsterdam/Amsterdam City Archives/Courtesy: MLAdvies
1980
‘I think, therefore I cycle’
Photograph: Archive Fietsersbond Amsterdam/Amsterdam City Archives/MLAdvies
1980s
These stickers feature a play on words between a uw, an exclamation of pain in Dutch, and auto, the word for car
Photograph: Archive Fietsersbond Amsterdam/Amsterdam City Archives/MLAdvies
1980s
A poster against illegal parking in bike lanes, designed by Dienst Parkeer. The text reads: ‘Nice lane, dirty trick’
Photograph: Archive Fietsersbond Amsterdam/Amsterdam City Archives/MLAdvies
1985
A poster reading: ‘What about me? Stop murdering children’
Photograph: Stop de Kindermoord/MLAdvies
1993
‘Large clearance! 12 in the place of one.’ This poster, designed by Theo van den Boogaard, highlights the space efficiency of bicycles compared with cars
Photograph: Fietsersbond/MLAdvies
1998
‘Wanted: 4,000 bike parking places’. A demand for extra cycle parking at railway stations. Design by Len Munnik
Photograph: Len Munnik/Fietsersbond/MLAdvies
2005
‘Don’t give bike thieves a chance.’ A poster produced by the city of Amsterdam
Photograph: Archive Fietsersbond Amsterdam/Amsterdam City Archives/MLAdvies
2011
A poster by Jacob Ketting created as part of the long campaign to once again allow cycling through the Rijksmuseum passage. The lane re-opened for pedestrians and cyclists in 2013 and is one of the busiest (and prettiest) bike routes in the city
Photograph: Archive Fietsersbond Amsterdam/Amsterdam City Archives/MLAdvies
2012
‘The fair/honest moped’
Photograph: Archive Fietsersbond Amsterdam/Amsterdam City Archives/MLAdvies
