Progress is fine, but it's gone on for too long.

Sunday, September 23, 2012

Sidecar Sunday

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Answer to a question no one really asked. An electric Porsche

A 1983 Porsche converted to electric....

Lone Star Roadmasters Cadillac 62 Sedan

Lone Star was the trademark of Die Cast Machine Tools Ltd., founded in England in 1939 to produce die casting machines. One of their machines help launch Lesney (Matchbox) toys. After World War II, they began to produce their own line of die cast toys. The Roadmasters series was introduced in 1960.

The company's Wikipedia entry explains:

"In 1983, the DCMT Group went into Receivership, with new owners, Wicke & Co. GmbH (a German Company) taking over. The Green Lanes factory was sold off, and in 1984, the Holloways Lane buildings were demolished. Toys continued to be made through this period, but in 1988, the Great North Road factory closed. Employees were made redundant as production of many items moved to Hong Kong. In 1989, the Great North Road buildings were demolished."

Another job you wouldn't want to do: Hand-graining leather

Chris H. Groneman, John L. Feirer & John C. Spry. General Shop. Mc-Graw-Hill Co. of Canada Ltd., 1956.

Friday, September 21, 2012

Humber bicycle crankwheel

http://www.flickriver.com/photos/abaraphobia/6914639744/

When I was eight or nine years of age, I inherited as a first bicycle, an old, large and solid 3 speed Humber- which was much too big for me- and was significant only because of the crankwheel, which struck me as being a beautiful thing. I saw it as a version of men supporting the earth (much like multiple Atlases... Atlii?). I found it described online as the Humber dancing men, and Liz immediately likened to the painting The Dance by Matisse.

I have no idea what happened to the bike and since then I've hoped I would find either a bicycle or crank to use as a decorative object. No such luck- but as always, the internet comes through with images (and actual cranks if I had the money.) see http://jollyrogersmotors.com/node/588

Of course I'm not the only one attracted to these things, and the Humber crank is only one of many interesting crankwheel designs. http://www.flickriver.com/groups/1297157@N24/pool/interesting/

Vitalizer

From Marvin's Marvelous Mechanical Museum in Farmington Hills, Michigan (which is a hoot to visit!):

Patented in 1939 as a vibrator to relieve sore feet:

The Exhibit Supply Company of Chicago made at least 360 different machines starting in the 1920's, including The Six Shooter, The Love Tester, Nudist Colony and Atomic Laugh Bombs. The company was started by J. Frank Meyer in 1900 making printed material used by the carnival trade, and later specialized in exhibit cards which buyers could acquire from a coin dispenser. For more information, visit the International Arcade Museum and Interesting Exhibit Cards.

Exhibit Supply Company_postcard_tattererdandlost

http://tatteredandlostephemera.blogspot.ca/2010/01/risque-exhibit-supply-company.html

Remembering the DEW Line

Britannica Junior Encyclopedia for Boys and Girls. Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 1976

Edgar McInnis. The North American Nations. Toronto: J.M. Dent & Sons (Canada) Ltd., 1963.

1957 Encyclopedia Year Book. The Story of Our Time. The Grolier Society, Inc.

For a very comprehensive history, see The Dew Line.

According to the Wikipedia entry,

"A controversy also developed between the United States and Canada over the cleanup of deactivated Canadian DEW Line sites. The stations had produced large amounts of hazardous waste that had been abandoned in the high Arctic. Especially damaging were the large quantities of PCBs. While the United States insisted that it was Canada's responsibility to clean up the sites they had managed, the Canadian government disagreed. In 1996, an agreement was reached that saw the United States contribute $100 million to the estimated $600 million cleanup effort. The cleanup is now underway, site by site."