Sidecar Sunday

Schooners in Lunenburg harbour, 1920s

Sail was very much alive

 And the harbour is beautiful today.

Handley Page Heyford

 This ungainly thing was designed as an "express bomber" for the British Air Ministry, the idea being the aircraft could be serviced and reloaded quickly as the high mounted engines could be kept running and would present no danger to the ground crew. 
It could carry 1500 lbs of bombs at 110 mph. Entering service in 1933, it was already being replaced 3 years later, though some remained in service as trainers as late as 1941. 
It was the last biplane bomber in British service. None remain today.

We used to make things in this country #308??

Downtown Brantford, Ontario attractions

http://www.jjackowetz.com/blog/2017/3/8/brantford-1945-to-1950-post-18

Chip wagons, i.e. kiosk selling french fries bathed in apple cider vinegar and dressed with salt, first appeared in Brantford in 1948. The wagons were greeted heartily by the public but with disdain by the downtown merchants. The merchants felt the wagons had an unfair advantage because they paid no rent or taxes, only a $75 licence fee. 
Initially the wagons had to move around throughout the day but could occupy a parking space after 5PM by feeding the parking meter. The City passed a bylaw limiting the number of wagons to four and allowed them to set up on the Market Square.

Thompson Trophy 1946

We used to make things in this country #307 Whitman and Barnes

Whitman and Barnes was an American hardware and tool making company with main factories- in the early 20th century- in Akron, Chicago. and St Catherines, Ontario. The company had started in Massachusetts and grown over the years with the purchase and acquisition of many small hardware companies all over the US. With the the purchase in 1880 of the Collinson Burch Company in St Catherines- a maker of hay mower knives- the company acquired a Canadian branch. Along with knife edges for machinery, this factory soon added hand tools to the product line- including the pipe wrenches in the ad.
 The St Catherines factory lasted until declining sales closed the operation just after WW1. The American operation, mainly making drill bits by this point, settled into Detroit in the 1930s and was still going at least into the 1950s.
Full company history;
 The first 100 years of Whitman & Barnes.1848- 1949

History of the St. Catherines factory here.

Radiguet model steam engine

Model steam engine made by Radiguet of Paris, France. This machine dates from the late 1800’s and orignally was used by the Michelin Tire Co. for instruction purposes. 
For scale the flywheel is 27 cm. The taps on the boiler are a lovely touch.
 The owner of this incredible piece of 19th century technonolgy has decided its time to move it along to the next caretaker. It has been tested with air pressure and works perfectly. It's for sale in Holland.
 Please contact me for details.  

The Radiguet company opened in Paris in 1830 making optical goods. In 1872 the grandson of the founders, Arthur Radiguet- changed the company's focus, developing a wider range of products that used new technologies like steam and electricity while maintaining the main business of optical devices.

He partnered with Georges Massiot in 1899 to become Radiguet and Massiot. The company soon expanded again when they acquired the assets of the Molteni company who were a well established maker of photographic equipment.

Arthur Radiguet passed away in 1905 and is recorded as one of the first people to die from radiation poisoning- probably due to his fascination with using the X ray machinery that his company also produced. The company closed soon after his death.

Scott Motorcycle

Paris Vintage Meet 2019

We used to make things in this country # 306 Canuck Supply Co.

Interesting logo. The Canuck Supply company serviced the steam engine and railway industries. The ad is from 1926, they must have been important enough not to need to list any contact information, there is virtually nothing online today.

Mercury 1965

 Another big handsome American car from 1965 with understated sharp-edged styling. This time it's a Mercury, as the discreetly placed badge on the hood states, though I'm not sure which exact model. Someone knows...

Mystery Monday, Stamp hammer

This seems to be a hammer for embossing the Crown G symbols into some material, possibly wood- in log or board form? Seems a bit odd as the hammer swing would provide little accuracy, and there is also no provision to locate the stamp and then strike with a separate hammer. Ideas?

Know your Bosch generators (Lichtmaschinen)

Sidecar Sunday

Another job you probably wouldn't want to do. Carving spars by hand.

A main spar for the Bluenose II is shaped with spokeshaves, drawknives and planes, starting with a 90 foot long piece of Douglas Fir.

BSA Single Cutaway

thanks, Rolf!

Count De Seversky

After emigrating from Russia to the US after the Russian Revolution, Count Alexander De Seversky formed an aircraft company on Long Island NY. 
After he was ousted from the company in 1939 because the company wasn't profitable, he wrote the book Victory Through Air Power, a book on strategic use of aircraft in warfare which occupied the New York Times Bestseller list for 4 weeks in 1942. The book was controversial and influential at the time and is still an ok read.
 The Seversky Aircraft company was reorganized as the Republic Aviation Corporation, best known for the P-47 Thunderbolt.  

Oliver hay rake

Nice lines for lowly piece of farm equipment, probably a 1950s model, model and serial number long lost. Still working in the hayfield every year.

Minis for sale

Seen along the Danforth in Toronto...

The future of aviation (1919)

That was one hundred years ago. 

Aircraft Year Book 1919, Manufacturers Aviation Association

National Air Races, 1929, Cleveland

The National air races and Aviation Exposition came to Cleveland in 1928, the municipality had built a new state-of-the-art airport large enough to run the races at one end without disturbing the regular air traffic. The festival went on for 10 days, with parades and displays of aircraft located around the city. Race day was Sunday September 2nd, Doug Davis was the big winner in his Travel Air Mystery Ship.

MacEvoy Racing Motorcycles

McEvoy Motorcycles

Lockheed Lodestar model

Museum of Science and Technology, Ottawa

Couldn't have said it better myself...

This 1925 ad featuring a bad pun is for a company that was long known for building jacks and lifting devices, in business at Dayton since 1873. 
A Google search reveals the company is still around today- making jacks and linear actuators, history here without the puns.
 How the company answered the call in WW2 here.

Rambler for 1964

Just another not-very-exciting ad for Rambler... but the first paragraph mentions seven transmissions options along with the "sports-action Twin Stick", something we had not heard of before. In short, it was a stick shift 3 speed manual transmission with a second lever to operate the electric overdrive unit. As it was only available from 1963-65 it must not have been too popular. 
For a complete explanation see Mac's Motor City Garage.
BTW the small print at the bottom urges us to watch the Danny Kaye show on CBS...

Thanks, Drew!

Holding court

The county court house is moved by rail 20 miles from Hemingford to Alliance, Nebraska, July 1899.

Story here.

Toronto, 1928

Photo Toronto Public Library

Demolition for Eaton's College street store in 1928 looking east, I believe. None of the buildings in the image are standing today. 
Interesting to zoom in and look at the details. All the useable wood is stacked up neatly, plaster and lath is left piled up where the buildings used to be. Horses are patiently waiting for their wagons to be filled up while cars and trucks are parked along the streets.  Behind the building on the right- 406 Yonge street- are three motorcycles, two with sidecars, the third the rider is checking his engine, like ya do... 

More Giordani

This toy is similar to the children's pedal toy I posted a few days ago, but is made by Giordani. It's available for sale in Holland if anyone is interested, please send me an email. 

Monday Mystery- Pulse jet

thanks,Rolf you have interesting things!

Here's something that could be fun. It looks like a model for a rocket-powered railcar- and that's about all we know.
 Google-translate thinks the language is Polish but doesn't seem to be able to make anything out of it. Any ideas?

Trimo pipe wrench

The Trimont Tool company was located in Roxbury Massachusetts. Company history here.