Motorcyclepedia Museum V: Motorcycles as Art

I'm a big fan of machinery. It can be elegant and strangely beautiful. Here are some details from the museum.

I love the art deco Indian horn cover, above.

Motorcyclepedia Museum IV: A Brief History of Motorcycles: Part 2

This 1923 Henderson Looks Like a Motorcycle

By 1930 or so motorcycles looked like motorcycles. All the major components were there-- and motorcycles wouldn't look very much different until the 1960s.

Motorcyclepedia Museum III: A Brief History of Motorcycles: Part I

Exact Replica of 1885 Daimler, the World's First True Motorcycle

The first motorcycles appeared in the late 1880s. Here's an 1895 Pennington--unlike the Daimler above, not a replica:

The first production motorcycles were bicycles with attached motors-- motor bicycles. The earliest manufacturers offered kits to convert bikes to motor power as well as bicycles with motors already attached.

Here's an example-- a 1902 Columbia by Pope:

 Note the bicycle elements-- the suspensionless frame, the thin tires, the swept-back handlebars, the seat, and the pedals. Motorcycles wouldn't lose their pedals until about 1910.

Motorcyclepedia Museum II: The Collection, Bottom Floor

At least half of the bottom floor was dedicated to very early motorcycles--pre 1910, and some pre-1900! That's an Indian Standard above. Note the twin-cylinder engine and the bicycle-type handlebars. The           headlight is electric; some models had oil headlamps like the Pope pictured below.

Motorcyclepedia Museum I: The Collection, Top Floor

Last week my Sweetie and I drove 30 miles from her home to Newburgh, New York, where we visited the Motorcyclepedia Museum. It was not her idea, but she was kind enough to oblige me.

I'd never been to a vehicle museum before. I'm not sure just what I was expecting, but whatever I was expecting, I got more. It was amazing.

Fall in the Ramapo Mountains

Photos taken at the New Jersey Botanical Gardens

Whales!

The waters off Cape Cod are a great place to see whales-- humpbacks, gray whales, finbacks, sperm whales, minke whales, pilot whales, and right whales, which were spotted in considerable numbers this year. Recently an Arctic-dwelling bowhead whale was spotted in the Cape's waters.

It's always a thrill.

January, 1959

Pine Lake has always been a city of dogs.

Grand Canyon: Blink of Time

Grand Canyon : Blink of Time from GOTM Films on Vimeo.

While playing, click the symbol just to the left of vimeo to go to full screen.

Pine Lake Woman's Club Officers

Pine Lake Woman's Club Officers, ca 1940s

Left to Right:

Emmy McBrayer
Cleo Anderson
Lucille McCurdy
Tina Sanford (Corinne Sanford)
Unidentified
Rosetta Rainwater
Myrtice McCleary
Irma Sims

Could This Sign Station Go?

This structure sits at the entrance to the western wetlands. I've been watching it for a while, and it gets little use.

Since there's a sign station at the entrance to the beach, I'm wondering if this one could go-- or at least get prettied up.

Then and Now

Most of my readers will recognize this little white house. It's called Duck Inn. It sits close to the playground at the southwestern edge of the lake.

At left is a photo I took last year At right is a photo taken by Claude Suttle in the early 60s.

The car parked curbside appears to be a 1960 or 1961 Rambler, although it might be a Chevy II I can't quite pin it down.

If you study the photos (just click on the image to enlarge), you'll see how very little the house has changed in fortysomething years.

Unretouched photos are below the fold.