An illustrative melange

WHILE RESEARCHING MATERIAL for this timeline I’ve come across shedloads of pics which lack an exact date or background information. Rather than leaving them to moulder away unlooked at, here they are. The illustrations are in an approximation of chronological exactitude; I’ve grouped the Indian, Harley and ‘other US’ pics together, ditto the pacer and Great War images, but in general this is just a box of old pics to browse through for your pleasure. Motor cycles and motor cyclists from out past, they live on in our memories. A great many of these pics appear courtesy of my chum Francois, who has an astonishing archive of motor cycle photos and postcards including many from France, Germany and the USA. Many more of his illustrations may be found in the Leicester Phoenix MCC’s excellent site lpmcc.net which is required reading for any touring/rallying enthusiast. Francois’ contributions are to be found in the galleries of rally badges/reports and, primarily, in his commendable Memories of Yesteryear. I’m obliged to Francois and to Ben at lpmcc.net for allowing me to reproduce the Yesteryear series which you can reach via the main menu. I update this gallery regularly so you might care to take a regular look-see. If you happen to have information on any of these pics for use as captions, or indeed pics you’d like to see included get in touch via motorcycletimeline@gmail.com.

UNKNOWN FOUR — This tidy in-line four appears here, rather than in the timeline proper, because I knew nothing about it until Czech enthusiast (and fellow Ixion afficianado) Josef identifyied it as a Laurin & Klement. Josef reports that the firm had been making motor cycles since 1898 under the Slavia banner. He adds that this was the company’s second four so I did a little digging and t’other L&K four appears below. Mnohokrát děkuji, Josef, jezděte bezpečně.

1900S RACING TRIKES — Messrs Osmont and Fossier on the racing trikes that were, for a time, leaders of the racing pack.

1904 RIGAL — This worthy is named Rigal.

1900S FRENCH PACER — Cycle pacers used some monstrous engines to achieve the speeds they needed to fulfil their role, but judging by that lump of 2×2 this is a static posed pic. For your delectation, here’s a selection of pacers…

PACER JULES THE — The rider in this nicely posed shot of a pacer, Jules Thé, was equally at home on a racing motor cycle.

1900s CISSAC PACER — Another champion motor cyclist aboard a pacer: Henri Cissac set a number of world records (you’ll find details elsewhere in the timeline) and, judging by the postcard caption he and cyclist Tommy Hall had just set a cycling record too.

PACER LUCIFER — There’s something of the cyberpunk about this streamlined pacer which, according to the caption on the original postcard, was dubbed ‘Lucifer’. Messrs Luthier and Brunier set a world one-hour record at Montléry; presumably the device on Lauthier’s back was a receptacle for Brunier’s forehead.

1900s PACER Vélodrome de Tours — This one was taken at the Vélodrome de Tours.

Pacers were huge; racing motor cycles were lighter and more nimble…

1900s CHAMPOISEAU — French racer Champoiseau doing his thing on a wooden velodrome.

1900s PERNETTE — Another velodrome French daredevil; this is M Pernette.

1900s US GRAPPERON — Andre Grapperon was a French champion boardracer, pictured here during a visit to the US aboard his Anzani-powered Alcyon. Note that he won a race at Evreux, in Normandy, at 71.4mph.

1900s ALCYON RACER — Road racing flourished on the Continent during the first decade of the 20th century; here are two more Alcyons; the rider looks much like Grapperon.

1890ish SMUDGER JEAN GILLETA + DE DION — Photographer Jean Gilleta with his De Dion trike.

1912 CHAMPION MC + WIRELESS — An on-bike entertainment system, circa 1912.

1910s BRADBURY — This enthusiast looks proud of his Bradbury, and I don’t blame him one bit.

HULL ACU RALLY...? — This postcard was marked “Hull ACU Rally”. It’s clearly pre-WW1 which is decades before the first ACU National Rally; is this a Hull-based club? Let’s hope they enjoyed their run.

1900s ST PARDOUX LA RIVIERE — This bike is pictured next to a heavy haulage rig in the village of St Pardoux la Riviere in the Dordogne.

1900ish LAON AVENUE DE LA REPUBLIQUE — Laon, in north-west France, was the medieval capital of the Carolingian kings; it had clearly quietened down a bit by the time this rider appeared.

1910s FRENCH VILLAGE COLOUR — Carqueiranne is a seaside resort in Alpes-Côte d’Azur, in south-East France; note the hand tinted sky.

1900ish UNE ENTREE DE PARIS — “Une entree de Paris” was the caption on this postcard.

1903? POSTCARD BIKE — As the postmark shows this snap dates from 1903. Finistère is on France’s north-west Atlantic coast; Quimperlé is a flourishing city. The bike is a 1903 FN.

1910s 3 FNs — Best known of the FN family, the in-line four.

1910s FLAT TWIN BOATER BMW Helios or Victoria

1910s FLYING DUTCHMAN — This smartly turned out couple are clearly enjoying a jaunt on their combo, but what is it? The name on the tank is Flying Dutchman; is it a one-off? We may never know.

1910s CONTAL TRIPORTEUR — The Contal Triporteur was a familiar sight on Parisian streets with a tradesman’s box up front (the Brits generally opted for tradesman’s sidecars). Prinarily designed for stop-start deliveries, of course, but a couple of heroes took a beefed-up version on the 1907 Paris-Peking rally. The made it home by train (find out more in the 1907 page).

1910ish 'NANCY' POSTIES? — This snap was taken in Nancy and seems to show a group of posties.

1910s FRERA NIPPERS — These nautical nippers are mounted on an Italian Frera, which was in production for exactly half a century from 1906; when this snap was taken it was one of Italy’s leading marques.

1920 ALEXANDER (DOUGLAS) @ DE SARTHE TRACK

1910s AKIMBO — Next time you’re astride a moden motor cycle and wishing you could put both your feet flat on the ground, remember that seat heights used to be lower…sometimes much lower.

1910s BEEZA — Note the foot-guard (surely too small to be called a legshield) at the front of the footboard. A reminder that in those pre-tarmac days keeping road mud away from the rider was at least as important as the weather-protection gear we fit nowadays, which is why legshields were once more common than windscreens.

1910s CRASH — ‘Action’ shots were hard to get in the days of whole-plate glass negatives but a French snapper managed it during this long-distance trial.

1910s OHIO MCC — No details to hand of this group, except that the riders were members of an Ohio club.

1910s PEUGEOT — In the early years of the 20th century Peugeot twins were almost unassailable—one powered Rem Fowler’s Norton to victory in the first TT—but most, of course, were installed in roadsters.

1909 TWO CHAPS PATH — In 1909 two chaps went for a ride. I hope it was a good one.

1910s VERSCHAEVE — No date on this one, but the rider on that daunting velodrome is Verscaeve, ‘The demon of Liege’.

STARS&BARS — Our colonial cousins to the west of the pond have a rich motor cycling heritage…

1900S SPRINGFIELD INDIAN DEALER — “No sand too deep, no hill too steep”…the freedom of motor cycling…

…Here are some more members of the Indian tribe…

1920ish INDIAN FAMILY ONNA COMBO — A nice day to take mama and papa out for a sedate jaunt on the Indian combo

1920ish INDIAN LEANING COMBO — …but this is one combo with a dual personality: it leans on corners. The rider’s cap is back-to-front to handle some spirited roadburning and the passenger doesn’t look impressed.

1910's INDIAN Arthur Moorhouse — Not just an Indian, nor just any Indian rider. This is Arthur Moorhouse with the Indian he rode to 3rd place in the 1911 Senior TT.

1907 INDIANS IN A GROUP — These chaps were out on a spree in 1907.

1911 INDIAN TEAM DAYTONA — Also from 1911, this is the Indian team on their happy hunting ground, Daytona Beach.

1912 INDIAN GLENN — This is Harry Glenn, pictured in 1912 against the almost sheer surface of the Atlanta Motordrome.

MURDERDROME — Racing the boards on an autodrome—these board tracks were chillingly known as ‘murderdromes’ in response to their safety record.

1910s INDIANS WEDDING — When Indian riders married, the tribe went to church.

1914 INDIAN VETERAN — This veteran was pictured in 1914. It’s a sobering thought that he might have fought in the war between the States, when Springfield was know for firearms rather than Indians.

1915 INDIANS HEADLIGHT — This smartly dressed youngster was pictured in 1915, just a couple of years before the US doughboys headed for the Western Front.

1920ish US INDIAN MG COMBO — No, not a Great War outfit—this Indian machine-gun carriage is in the hands of police officers. The Brits had to make do with their truncheons.

1913 INDIAN 1000 FRENCH GP VANELLA — This 1,000cc Indian, ridden by a chap named Vanella, is pictured at the 1913 Grench Grand Prix.

INDIAN AMADEO RUGGERI — This pitstop, clearly in Europe rather than the Stetes, depicts an Indian rider named Amadeo Ruggeri.

1926 COUSINS HENRY & ERIC BECK & CRIBB — This photo, and the two that follow, were taken in 1926. Say hello to cousins Henry Beck and Eric Cribb.

1912 INDIAN RACE WINNER — Cool or what? There’s something of Marlon Brando in *The Wild One* about this pic; but unlike the fictional Johnny in the movie, this Indian rider won his trophy. I assume he’s the Butch Bittner who signed the photo. The caption tells us he won a 20-miler at Annaheim, California, in 1912.

INDIAN JAKE DE ROSIER — Another cool Indian rider, the great Jake de Rosier, pictured on the motordrome that finally claimed his life.

It would be rude to leave out the Harley boys (and girls)…

1919 HARLEY COMBO — This Harley combo with its delightful sunshade for the passenger (who is presumably wielding the camera) was pictured in the first year of peace.

Harley teamsters Jim Davis, Maldwyn Jones and Irving Janke.

1915 HARLEY BRIER — Bill Brier was another Harley ace; he’s pictured at the Sioux City track in 1915.

1922 HARLEY CUP — This Harley rider, with his cup on the front of his bike (just like Brando in The Wild Ones) was pictured in 1922.

1912 HARLEY AND CALF — Calf rides hog…in 1912.

And in those days Indian and Harley-Davidson didn’t have the Stateside market all to themselves…

1900s US THORS-HD — The Thor riders are clearly having a jolly time with the twin and the single; their Harley chum seems to be sulking.

THOR 1913 BONHAMS — This example is still on the road.

1910 MERKEL EAST COAST DIRT TRACKS RALPH DE PALMA — Ralph de Palma campaigned a Merkel on East Coast dirt tracks; this snapshot dates from 1910.

1900s MERKEL — Flying Merkels made their name on the motordromes but there were plenty of them on the road too…

POPE ALBERT — The Pope cycle (later motor cycle) company was established by Civil War veteran Colonel Pope; his son Albert was the main man behind the motor cycle business.

From the mid-1890s until 1993, Sears and Roebuck Co produced a mail order catalogue offering anything from clothes to fire arms to the plans and materials to build a house. And from 1910 until the US belatedly entered the Great War the range included rebadged Thiem and Thor motor cycles.

1909 YALE WINNERS — Even today, averaging 20mph over a 600-mile run demands a little effort; in 1909 on dirt roads this team of Yale riders from the Chicago MCC earned their trophy.

1900S US EXCELSIOR — This Excelsior shows how the pillion seats of the time were mounted over the carrier…

1900s US EXCELSIOR DUO — …and an Excelsior clearly had room for two strapping chums.

1920s US EXCELSIOR HILLCLIMBER — The hill’s certainly steep…

1914 EXCELSIOR MURDERDROME — …but not as steep as the rough wooden autodrome where this Excelsior earned its keep in 1914.

1918 EXCELSIOR WOMAN — “Miss Agnes Goudy of Los Angeles is another member of the fair sex to adopt the motorcycle as the ideal means of travel and recreation during the war.”

1915 EXCELSIOR — This Excelsior, carrying what is presumably a club pennant, dates from 1915.

1920s 2 EXCELSIOR RACERS — As well as making stylish roadsters, Excelsiors were competitive racers.

1920s EXCELSIOR-HENDERSON PLANT — This is the Excelsior-Henderson plant.

1900S US CURTIS BLACKHAWK — Here’s a rarity: a Curtiss, and the nipper who had it, and flogged it. Check out the original press agency caption, below.

1909 2 WAGNERS — Two Wagners, both built in 1909, one pictured in 1909, t’other as it looks after 113 years.

1912 WAGNER — This excellent studio portrait dates from 1912.

1915 WAGNER — This Wagner was around in 1915.

1915 READING STANDARD — This is the 1915 model Reading Standard.

And here’s an assortment of snaps of Americans and their motor cycles starting with, inevitably, Harleys vs Indians:

SAN DIEGO HUNTER COMBO — With a big twin, a canoe for a side hack (as our colonial cousins described their sidecars) and his trusty longarm, this hardy pioneer was clearly able to live off the land.

1910s HARLEY FISH COMBO — …and while these smartly dressed chaps look less like pioneers, their outfit is still just the job.

1910s LOBSTERS COMBO — “Scarcely tempting now—but when they are broiled there is nothing better than broiled lobsters. Mrs John E Hogg, wife of the well known writer, shows off a few of the day’s catches.” Fowl, fish, lobsters, outfits brought home the bacon.

1910s YALE MERKEL INDIAN — This indoor portrait features a Yale, a Merkel and an Indian, as well as a rather cute puppy.

1914 SEATTLE — Seattle, 1914 and what seems to be the start of a road trial.

1915 US SMILING GROUP — These cheerful chaps were pictured in 1915.

That was fun, but now, let’s get back to Europe.

1900s LE MANS — This tri-car was pictured at Le Mans; judging by the competition number this elegantly dressed chap was engaged in a rather gentil race.

1900s 'UNEXPECTED BREAKDOWN'; — “An unforeseen breakdown. To become engaged it’s good to hurry—parents must be asked for the one we wish to marry.” (Apologies to French speakers, not least Fanfan, for the clumsy translation.)

1900s BREAKDOWN FRANCE — The French seem to have been worried about the effect of breakdowns on engagements (and, yet again, sorry for the schoolboy translation): “Crack! No way to move forward—what will my fiancee say? Damn this breakdown, you will destroy my happiness!”

1900s FLIRTING — Another fine studio pose, but this enthusiast seems to be having more luck with his lady love.

TERROT FACTORY — This pic, and the next two, are of the Terrot factory which was at one point the biggest in France. The marque was established in 1901—these snaps date from 1902—and survived into the sixties.

1900s TERROT RACERS — Terrot fielded a formidable factory racing team.

1900s DION BOUTON FACTORY — This postcard depicts the start of a shift at the DeDion Bouton factory.

TRIUMPH COVENTRY — …and here’s an equally historic site: Triumph’s original home in Coventry (until 1940 when noisy neighbours from the Luftwaffe inspired to a move to Meriden).

1900s GLORIA AD JAPAN — Yes, there was a time when Japanese enthusiasts bought their motor cycles from Coventry.

SUNBEAM LADIES COMBO — Clearly a keen motor cyclist, Yvonne Degraine was an Olympic (100-metre) swimmer.

1910 DR — In the years before the Great War a number of enthusiasts volunteered to take their bikes to Army manoeuvres to demonstrate their practicality. This snap dates back to 1910.

Here’s a selection of images of motor cycles and the chaps who rode them in the Great War. Many of them are courtesy of my chum Francois; you’ll find many more WW1 pics in his Images of Yesteryear.

WW1 BELGIAN — The uniformed Belgian doesn’t look much older than the nippper on the bike.

WW1 DR AW — You couldn’t get more British than a Tommy on a ‘Trusty’ Triumph…

WW1 1916 GERMAN DR — …and here’s an equally stirring card of a Jerry. The poem translates, extremely loosely, as:
“Motorcyclist
Howling along the track—hot steed snorting! ha, four against one…move, bike, move!
They’re after me! Onward, trusty steed, get me out of this my faithful comrade.
Will we surrender? Not a chance. We both have German blood in our veins!
Four against one. That’s the way our enemies like it. That’s the way it goes nowadays for you too, my beloved fatherland.“

WW1 DR ACTION AW — Here’s a poillut in similar circumstances with three more to follow.

WW1 CYCLIST — This is rather poignant; a pedalling poillut pays his respect to the French equivalent of Chelsea pensioners; they’d have won their spurs in the Franco-Prussian war that had left a generation of young Frenchmen eager for a rematch.

WW1 MARLIN AA MG SCAR — By war’s end the US had developed specialised AA combos. This Indian is armed with a modified Colt-Browning marketed as a Marlin.

WW1 1914 RUSSIAN AA COMBO — A Russian combo in a nicely posed anti-aircraft propaganda pic, and here are some more Russian DRs…

WW1 39th TOMSK INFANTRY REGIMENT — These Russian machine gunners are from the 39th Tomsk regiment.

WW1 1915 BRIT MG SCAR — This combo, pictured in 1915, is crewed by Tommies.

WW1 ARMOURED SCAR 1914 — This armoured sidecar was pictured in 1914. Assault combos clearly had no future in the mud of the western front, which was good news for the unarmoured rider.

WW1 ARMOURED SCARS + RUPERT 1918 — This machine-gun unit, with its Triumph-mounted Rupert, was going into action in 1918.

WW1 JERRY DRs @ AVESNES STATION — These German DRs are pictured at Avesnes railway station.

WW1 DR LOOKS AT GRAVE VERDUN 1916 — This despatch rider pauses by a grave at Verdun in 1916. Note the German observation balloon in the background.

WW1 ROMANIAN DR — This Romanian DR seems to be need of air in his rear tyre.

WW1 1915 BERLAUXDIAUX — For once a name to go with the picture: this poilut is one Henri Berlaudiaux, photographed in 1915.

WW1 OZ OFFICER TRIUMPH — It’s 20 April 1918; this is Lieutenant Sidney Gullett of the Australian Army with his Triumph at Nord-Pas de Calais.

WW1 WANDERER DR — These immaculately turned out Germans and that pristine Wanderer indicate that this photographer was nowhere near the front line.

WW1 1915 RUINS @ THANN — This is Thann in north-east France, circa 1915.

WW1 3 DRs TRAINING 1917 US — The trainee DRs are pictured in the States in 1917, though those gasmasks look to be somewhat makeshift.

WW1 YANKS FRENCH VILLAGE — American DRs ride through a shell-torn French village.

WW1 1916 US DRs TRAIN — American DRs in training, 1916.

1917 CAMP DODGE IOWA — 1917: Doughboys under training at Camp Dodge, Iowa.

WW1 YANK ON A BEEZA — This doughboy had the good fortune to experience the delights of a Brummy Beeza…

WW1 POPSIE COMBO — …but he’d doubtless have agreed that his comrade was more fortunate.

WW1 1918 DRs FIRING PRONE — Nothing known about this striking pic, but it’s clearly posed; not least because the photographer would have been a sitting target. (And I bet the DRs hated being ordered to lay their bikes down.)

Here are three images of Candians who were in both world wars from start to finish, and whose role is sometimes overshadowed by their North American neighbours.

WW1 1918 CANADIANS BRITISH COLUMBIA — The bike’s obviously from Milwaukee but these lads are training in British Columbia.

WW1 CANADIANS CAPT HOPKINS NIAGARA CAMP ONTARIO — Nice to put a name to the face: this is Captain Hopkins, trying a Duggie for size at Niagara Camp, Ontario.

WW1 CANADIANS CROOKALL & SMITH MOHAWK ONTARIO — The combo’s from Springfield, Mass, but these lads are braving the winter in Mohawk, Ontario.

WW1 DUGGIE RIDER — This urbane Douglas rider sports non-WD leather gaiters; is he a civvy? An off-duty DR? No idea. In any case, that’s an impressive headlamp…

WW1 HOUGHTEN — …but not as impressive as the searchlight on the front of this Rudge Multi.

WW1 RFC RUDGE MULTI — Another Rudge Multi, in this case ridden by an RFC officer.

WW1 MEDIC TRIUMPH — This Army Medical Corps sergeant and his Trusty Triumph both display Red Cross badges.

WW1 COLOURISED DRs — The Triumph on the left bears a ‘Signals’ emlem, for the Royal Signales Regiment? Maybe, but that’s not the Signals regimental badge. Maybe the armbands indicate that this rider is involved in some sort of military exercise. Again, I really don’t know. The youingster on the right has fitted dropped bars to his Trusty, which indicates a sporting background.

WW1 SIGNALS DR — Another WD mount bearing the legend ‘Signals’. *Motor Cycle’s* Bob Currie, who was a DR with the Royal Signals in World War 2, was of the opinion that only Royal Signals riders were entitled to call themselves Despatch Riders. Lesser mortals, he averred, were properly described as ‘motor cycle orderlies’.

The Graphic was a British weekly illustrated newspaper published from 1869-1932; in 1915 it published a series of photos under the heading ‘Dare-Devil Riders in Training for the Front’.