134

Excellent Archive of Harley Davidson and Other Motorcycle Ph

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Historical Memorabilia Start Price:1,800.00 USD Estimated At:2,500.00 - 3,500.00 USD
Excellent Archive of Harley Davidson and Other Motorcycle Ph

Bidding Over

The auction is over for this lot.
The auctioneer wasn't accepting online bids for this lot.

Contact the auctioneer for information on the auction results.

Search for other lots to bid on...
Auction Date:2009 Jun 24 @ 10:00 (UTC-04:00 : AST/EDT)
Location:6270 Este Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio, 45232, United States
a remarkable collection of 450+ photographs accompanied by a folio album containing 35+ pages of newspaper clippings, ticket stubs, and ribbons along with other documents related to early Harley Davidson riders and dealers as well as motorcycle clubs in central Ohio, ca 1920s through 1950s.

The archive features over 200 loose images, including 17 panoramic group photographs, mostly of members of the Central Ohio Gypsy Tour, taken between 1938-40, which took place at Gold Cliff Chateau, Circleville, Ohio, and others dated 1944 and 1945 at Tarbell Park, Mt. Sterling, Ohio, plus an image of the Dayton Gypsy Tour, dated 1942. The Gypsy Tours started in 1910, and grew to become one of the biggest road-riding events of the year in the 1920s under the supervision of the American Motorcycle Association (AMA). Gypsy Tours were held on a single weekend each year throughout the country. The events involved riders, dealers, and people interested in motorcycles traveling to a scenic location for a picnic as well as various motorcycle competition events such as hillclimbs and dirt-track racing. The lot includes several photos, ranging in size from 3" x 5" to 8" x 10", of men and women enjoying themselves and participating in events at the Gypsy Tours, as well as other organized motorcycle outings. The Buckeye Motorcycle Club, which was considered one of the oldest clubs in the U.S., was credited with holding the largest Gypsy Tour in 1938 by the AMA, and the lot includes a panoramic of the group in uniform displaying this award, along with other photos of the group members. The lot also features another panoramic group photo of an early motorcycle club in Newark, Ohio, dated 1920 in pencil as well as a photo of the AMA.

Another highlight of the archive is the group portraits of men who attended the Harley-Davidson Factory Service School, dated 1927, 1931, 1932, and 1938, with the class rosters on verso. In addition, the collection features several photographs of the storefront and interior of Cassady's Harley Davidson dealership in Columbus, Ohio. The owner, Orville Cassady, appears in many of the snapshots. Finally, there are many loose snapshots of riders participating in races and other social events. Many of the images include handwritten captions.

Approximately 200+ photographs are housed in a small 4to album that belonged to Mrs. Orville Wayne Cassady, the wife of the Harley Davidson dealer in Columbus. The album features images of the Cassady family as well as snapshots of Orville at his shop or with his motorcycle and his other riding buddies, which are accompanied by handwritten captions.

The archive also includes a folio album that contains several newspaper clippings and tickets to fairs and motorcycle events in Ohio, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin; two patches from the Buckeye Motorcycle Club; a Harley-Davidson Rider's Hand Book; a memorial program honoring Arthur Davidson; and two documents related to the Miami Valley Motorcycle Club of Ohio.

This incredible gathering was assembled by a Harley-Davidson dealer who started his business in the 1920s. According to the consignor, he was a close friend to Arthur Davidson. The many photographs and snapshots in this archive show evidence of a closeness and camaraderie that clearly existed among Harley-Davidson dealers, riders, and motorcycle enthusiasts during the early-to-mid twentieth century. 

Condition: Scattered toning to images; expected wear to photographs; some images have been removed from a scrapbook, so there is the presence of tape or adhesive on the backs; second album, covers no longer bound together.