By the late 19th century recreational travel, in the form of outings or more extended vacations, had became feasible for a good portion of American society. Some vacationers recorded the particulars of their trips in journals dedicated to the purpose; a few enhanced their prose with pasted ("tipped-in") illustrations. South's three folio-size volumes—a fourth, originally volume 1, is lacking—provide an exhaustive textual and pictorial account of twenty bicycle trips or vacations undertaken over a period of ten years, from 1894 to 1904. South often travelled to his cycling destinations by rail or steamship, so his trips were quite wide-ranging, extending from New England to Virginia. The text, entered in a neat, clear hand, is equal parts athletic journal and travelogue. Integrated with this writing are many hundreds of illustrations with a bearing on South's travels. These are, in the main, halftone photographs clipped from collected publications, but there are also original photographic prints (including at least three of South), maps, brochures, and assorted ephemera. The books are crafted with such obvious care that South's statement of purpose (vol. 2, 2r) seems something less than candid: "This Book contains the simple narrative of a few Bicycle Tours, illustrated with such pictures and information as the author, had at his disposal. The object in view, is simply to keep a record, written in an interesting manner, so as to recall the pleasures experienced on each occasion, the places visited and the number of miles ridden."