The remarkable book ‘The American Motorcycle Girls: 1900 to 1950’ is Cristine Sommer Simmons’ magnum opus. Published by Parker House in 2009, it’s a photographic history of early women motorcyclists, exploring the legacy of pioneering women riders, racers, overland travelers, and even stunters. One of her biographical articles particularly caught our eye, about Olive Hager, who was among the first women to ride a Wall of Death. Cris Simmons has Olive’s personal scrapbooks that include a full documentation of her life and riding career, which she hopes to develop in the future as its own story in another medium. Cris’ most recent work is a display of Early Women Motorcyclists at SFO International Airport, a series of photo placards and early motorcycles entertaining travelers at the International Terminal. While our publisher Paul d’Orléans has ridden four Motorcycle Cannonballs with Cris, we’re pleased to collaborate with her for the first time on The Vintagent: here’s her story on Olive Hager:
Olive Hager was born in Nashville, TN, in 1889. Olive and her older brother Oliver had an ordinary life on the family farm. But Olive’s life would be anything but ordinary. Olive’s fascination with wheels started started at an early age, and as a young girl she became the first female to drive an automobile in Nashville. She would become one of the first and most famous Wall of Death riders of all time. Others used the name after her, but Olive was truly the first ‘Mile a Minute’ girl.





Editor’s Note: The Vintagent has a few signed copies of Cris’ book ‘The American Motorcycle Girls’, from which this article is taken: if you want a copy, click here.
If you want to read more Wall of Death stories and films, click here.

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