2-888-159 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Richard Manks, the Pedestrian, 1850. 'Pedestrian Feat of 1000 miles in 1000 Hours. This unparalleled feat has just been accomplished by Richard Manks, a native of Warwickshire...Manks's style of walking is to bend forward the body, whereby he throws its weight on the knees. His step is short, and his feet are raised only a few inches from the ground, which quickens his pace, and enables him to walk with more ease, and better able to endure the fatigue of his long journey than by walking perfectly erect, which would throw too much of the weight of the body on the ankle joints...He walks in light shoes and lamb's wool stockings, which preserve his feet from injury. He packs the inside of his shoe-heels with a portion of horse-hair sock...The crowds on the distant hills were unprecedented. Manks... had on preceding Sabbaths performed his task in his usual Sunday clothes'. From "Illustrated London News", 1850.