W/NW - Classic Cars

Taken at the Stanley Steamer museum in Kingfield Maine. I had ridden my Rapide there for the memorial service of Coburn Benson, who raced Vincents , owned a motorcycle shop selling vintage bikes, and later collected and restored several Stanleys. The Stanley Brothers, FE and FO, earned a fortune by patenting dry plates for photography, and later Eastman bought the rights. They devoted their earnings to several genius projects, including the Stanley cars. The whole story is interesting and not well known outside certain circles. their sister Chansonetta Stanley Emmons was more well known as a photographer at a time when women photographers were rare. If you are in the central Maine area, the museum is well worth a visit.

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Chansonetta Stanley Emmons: Staging the Past

Chansonetta Stanley Emmons (1858-1937) of Kingfield, Maine, experimented with the burgeoning artform of photography. Starting in 1897, Emmons documented the lives of people, many in rural and agricultural regions in Maine and around the world. Often described as recalling a bygone era, this...
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oldhaven said:
Taken at the Stanley Steamer museum in Kingfield Maine. I had ridden my Rapide there for the memorial service of Coburn Benson, who raced Vincents , owned a motorcycle shop selling vintage bikes, and later collected and restored several Stanleys. The Stanley Brothers, FE and FO, earned a fortune by patenting dry plates for photography, and later Eastman bought the rights. They devoted their earnings to several genius projects, including the Stanley cars. The whole story is interesting and not well known outside certain circles. their sister Chansonette Stanley Emmons was more well known as a photographer at a time when women photographers were rare. If you are in the central Maine area, the museum is well worth a visit.

www.bing.com

Chansonetta Stanley Emmons: Staging the Past

Chansonetta Stanley Emmons (1858-1937) of Kingfield, Maine, experimented with the burgeoning artform of photography. Starting in 1897, Emmons documented the lives of people, many in rural and agricultural regions in Maine and around the world. Often described as recalling a bygone era, this...
www.bing.com


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Righteous bike.
 
That particular Vincent was assembled and shipped in October 1948, the month I was born. I always called it my twin, with two meanings. It started as a box of parts and ended up pretty nice after 15 years of work and at times, obsession. As happens to all of us, I had to admit I could no longer do it justice and rather than see it sit in the garage, I passed it on. This was good lesson for me in my journey.
 
oldhaven said:
That particular Vincent was assembled and shipped in October 1948, the month I was born. I always called it my twin, with two meanings. It started as a box of parts and ended up pretty nice after 15 years of work and at times, obsession. As happens to all of us, I had to admit I could no longer do it justice and rather than see it sit in the garage, I passed it on. This was good lesson for me in my journey.
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That model, the HRD, scared the bejabbers out of a fellow I knew when I was a kid. He said that not knowing any better he really screwed it on from a dead stop. And wound up sitting on the rear fender. This was in the early 50's.

The closest I ever came in owning a classic was my '67 R69S, frame and engine 662191. Drove it from CT to CA. Having the HRD has to have been real fun. There is something special about owning some real classic old iron. And riding it.

Cheers
 
oldhaven said:
Your cross country journey was an unattained goal for me, treasure that.
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I still enjoy it and I drove it in summer of '82. Utah and Nevada were all at a ton. When you are riding at that speed for a few hours 60 seems like you can get off and walk. Five days coast to coast. Living in CA I drove all over the SW. I mistakenly traded the R69S for a new '82 R100RT. Nice bike but not half the bike the older one was and did not handle as well. Crashed on the RT at ~50. It happens really fast. Little harm to the bike even though it was fully faired and other than my dignity, none to me.

I'm 85 now so bikes are off the list of "To Do's." But I still think, maybe . . . ;o)

Life is good.
 
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