*one more question, when was the giraffe first seen? *
That is an excellent question. I don't know the answer, but when I visited the 'Metz Bicycle Museum' (http://www.metzbicyclemuseum.com/), one of the two unicycles he had was a giraffe which I think was from the 1920s. You might call to verify this, though.
Have you checked the books The Unicycle Book by Jack Wiley and Unicycling from Beginner to Expert by Sebatian Hoher or Sebastian Hoher Both books are out of print but you might be able to find them at your library or through an interlibrary loan. Both books have some info on the history of unicycling.
For detaild on the build of an old-old unicycle, use designs of penny-farthing bicycles from around 1880 or so. Unicycles are believed to have started around 1870 but nobody seems to know for sure.
On the bike you choose to use as an example, just take off the frame from the steerer tube back. Keep the fork and handlebars. That's it! Seats came later.
Giraffes appeared no later than the 1890s. I'm pretty sure professional entertainers were using them by that time.
-- johnfoss - More Moab Fun
John Foss, the Uni-Cyclone "jfoss" at "unicycling.com" -- www.unicycling.com
