Category Archives: Photography

Photography themed content

Auction News: H and H Classic Car Auctions Duxford Sales – 24 April 2014

21 Monday Apr 2014

Posted by in England, Manufacturers, Media, Motorcycling, Motorsport, Photography, restoration, Trials

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Image - Catalog cover H and H Classic Car Auction, Imperial War Museum 24 April 2014

Image – Catalog cover H and H Classic Car Auction, Imperial War Museum 24 April 2014

H and H Classic Car Auctions Duxford Sales – April 2014 – Digital Edition.

Limited ISDT interest again however of interest to many may be this Ex Works BSA XB31 Trials bike of 1947 ridden by Irishman Terry Hill to victory in the 1949 British Experts Trial.

Photo - Ex Works BSA XB31 Trials Bike 1947

Photo – Ex Works BSA XB31 Trials Bike 1947

further details here

My personal favourite from the auction, but judging by the guide price I am not alone in considering the bike is from possibly the greatest motorbike builders in the interwar years who were able to use great engineering tools and design to focus on the future rather than concentrating on building ontop of existing traditions and reputation. Although they may no longer be making Motorcycles the parent company remains at the forefront of the Motor Industry.

Photo - DKW SS250 Split Single 1938

Photo – DKW SS250 Split Single 1938

ISDT 1939: the event report ‘Motor Cycling’ 30 Aug 1939

05 Saturday Apr 2014

Posted by in Austria, Enduro, Europe, Gelände Sport, Germany, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Magazine, Media, Motorcycling, Motorsport, Photography, Regolarità, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux

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Prior to the handing–in we gained a very definite impression that the organizers themselves were surprised that the event was actually to take place

Many readers of this blog contact me with their thanks for providing what is the non existent ISDT reading room in the National Motorcycle Museum or even the Auto Cycle Union Six Days Archives. Such praise is often only due to the work and help of many readers who are ex riders or the family of ex riders who are willing to share, at no charge, their family material so as to help others who may not be so lucky to be able to recall past exploits of favourite relatives so easily to supplement my otherwise meagre budget to purchase important relics which may appear on eBay from time to time..

No more so are these gifts welcome than a recent contact from Susan Coates now based in the USA but from a British Motorcycling family who she found a collection of old magazines on a recent visit. Amongst this collection was an original copy of the 30th August 1939 edition of ‘Motor Cycling‘ with a full report of the ISDT 1939 which she rapidly sent me a scanned copy to be able to share with others through the site.

Let us hope that peace will prevail and that the 1940 event will take place under happier auspices.

Here is the Editorial article which started each issue of ‘Motor Cycling‘ and provided a useful summary and opinion on the events of 1939. In a forthcoming blog I will be reproducing the latter part of the report ‘The Great Retreat’ which is the story of the riders evacuation from the festering world war about to commence in mainland Europe. I have included in the article the images from the actual report and you can read a copy of the original report at our issuu.com library here

Editorial

An Unhappy Coming-of-Age

WHATEVER the future may hold in store for the International Six Days’ Trial, the 21st event of the series will go down in history – so far as Great Britain is concerned – as the trial which never finished. In the early hours of Friday morning it was decided to withdraw the entire British entry, and it is fitting, therefore, that the facts underlying that decision should be recorded before they become distorted with the passage of time.

 

image - main report illustration 'Motor Cycling' 30th August 1939 ISDT 1939 (Speedtracktales Collection)

image – main report illustration ‘Motor Cycling‘ 30th August 1939 ISDT 1939 (Speedtracktales Collection)

Image left – A wonderful view of the Grossglockner Pass .The leading rider is L/Cpl A.C. Doyle BSA of the War Office ‘A’ Team, centre – This picture gives a good idea of the interest villagers took in the trial, the rider is again L/Cpl A.C. Doyle (348cc BSA), right – A group of NSKK officials operating a time check at the top of the Grossglockner Pass during Wednesday’s run . The riders are  #165 E Eisenmann (346 NSU) and #166 Colin Edge (347 Matchless) who, despite carrying on against doctors orders, did not lose a single point up to the time he withdrew with the other British Riders.

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ISDT 1964: Happy Birthday Steve McQueen 24 March 1930

24 Monday Mar 2014

Posted by in Enduro, Gelände Sport, Germany, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Motorcycling, Photography, Regolarità, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux

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The pages connected to the ISDT 1964 produce heavy traffic for the site.

Photo of Steve McQueen ISDT 1964(Courtesy FIM / Paris Match)

Photo of Steve McQueen ISDT 1964(Courtesy FIM / Paris Match)

Never more so in Hollywood did an actor maintain a loyal fanatical following as Steve. Not because he was particularly cookie or that his Shakespearean appearances were milestones. Its because for all the hype most stars get nobody knows who the heck they are off set. They lock themselves away at night in Beverley Hills and do what? we don’t know but Steve… he was a racer he raced anything if it had a motor, he collected it if it had a motor, he hung out with guys who dug motors. Steve was a Petrolhead and so much so he allowed his passion for motors flow into his work. The passion he had for his stuff makes his films stand out. It’s a bizzare coincidence that his birthday falls within a day of the anniversary of the break out in the real great escape, the film he piloted one of his beloved Triumphs to do many of his own stunts in the film not just relying on the great Bud Ekins to do his stunts and one of his hallmark pieces.

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Heritage Routes revisited: Allt y Bady

20 Thursday Mar 2014

Posted by in Europe, Photography, Wales

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I was clearly slacking last year when  I missed this image turn up on eBay in the USA featuring an army vehicle test taking place on the Allt y Bady. It comes from contemporary press archives and if anyone knows how to locate a decent copy please feel free to spill the beans. We know from other material that the British Army quite extensively used the Llangollen area to evaluate vehicles for procurement in a series of tests using the sever terrain of the Horseshoe Pass, Ruabon Mountain and the Area between Llangollen and Glyn Ceiriog. This picture was taken in 1932 on the Allt y Bady complete with parked half track truck.

Photo - Armored Car during Trials on Allt-Y-Bady 1932

Photo – Armored Car during Trials on Allt-Y-Bady 1932

ISDT 1960: British Entrants Photographed by Erwin Jelinek

08 Saturday Mar 2014

Posted by in Austria, Europe, Gelände Sport, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Media, Motorcycling, Motorsport, Photography, Regolarità, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux

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In a recent blog here, I re-introduced visitors of Speedtracktales to one of the professional photographers without whom much of this archive of the event would be a very inadequate experience. Erwin Jelinek like many attended most events taking hundreds if not thousands of images. Whilst many end up acquired by image libraries where they more or less go to be forgotten and never seen again, Erwin left his collection to his national archive for public access in 1989 and ultimately recently technology and funding have been bought together by the Technical Museum of Vienna for whom I am very much endebted for the wealth of material they have made available for everyone across Europe.

This post features many of the images taken by Erwin of the British riders in the ISDT 1960:

#58 Don Noys Heinkel 175cc Scooter (Retired Day 2)

Photo - #58 Don Noys ISDT 1960 © Erwin Jelinek/Technisches Museum Wien

Photo – #58 Don Noys ISDT 1960 © Erwin Jelinek/Technisches Museum Wien

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ISDT Photography: Erwin Jelinek – Austrian Press Photographer

08 Saturday Mar 2014

Posted by in Austria, Enduro, Europe, Gelände Sport, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Media, Motorcycling, Motorsport, Photography, Regolarità, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux

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Erwin Jelinek was a very active photographer throughout the heyday of the ISDT both well respected and taking a prominant roll in the press corp at any event. With a copious quantity of material when he passed away he bequethed his collection to Public Archive. Subsequently the images found their way into an online archive dedicated to Motorsport

Photo - Erwin Jelinek (© Technisches Museum Wien)

Photo – Erwin Jelinek (© Technisches Museum Wien)

Erwin Josef Jelinek
( 12.02.1907 Braunsdorf in the municipality of Sitzendorf an der Schmida , NE – 15.10.1989 Hofkirchen an der Trattnach , Upper Austria)

Erwin Jelinek’s interest in photography was sparked by his physics teacher in the College of Education in Vienna. During his training as a primary school teacher, he began photographing as an amateur. Already in the 1920s , he joined a photo club. 1928 self-taught he entered an Agfa European photo competition Agfa winning first prize.
1929 bought a Puch 250 TF Jelinek with a sleek Felber sidecar, where later his wife Gertrude accompanied him to the racing events .
After the Second World War, he was a professional press photographer and focused, as well as his colleague Artur Fenzlau, on the booming reconstruction in motorsport. He was a staff photographer of the magazine “Motorrad“. His studio was located on the 2nd Czerninplatz District of Vienna. Erwin Jelinek moved in 1972 from Vienna to Hofkirchen at the Trattnach in Upper Austria , where he died on October 15, 1989.

In contrast to the photographic Estate Artur Fenzlaus the work of Erwin Jelinek includes only photographs from 1949 until 1977. From Jelinek’s written documents it is known that his early photographs were destroyed during the occupation.

The above text was translated from material at www.technischesmuseum.at

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Speedtracktales Collection: Bob Ray treasure trove arrives

07 Friday Mar 2014

Posted by in Enduro, Europe, Gelände Sport, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Motorcycling, Motorsport, Photography, Regolarità, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux, UK, Wales

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I was recently contacted via email by Baz Staple, Chairman and Archivist of the ‘Sunbeam Motorcycle Club‘, one of the longest established Club teams entering the ISDT. Baz asked if we would be willing to look after a few items that originated from C M ‘Bob’ Ray, to which I was more than willing to agree, subsequently in the post came a small bundle of treasure we are going to share here and ensure it is added to our growing collection of British ISDT artefacts, saving them from anonymity and oblivion.

The following images were taken by Professional Photographers

Photo - C.M. 'Bob' Ray - Photo taken by Ray Biddle at 'Devil's Highway' Abergwesyn Pass ISDT 1954 (Speedtracktales Collection)

Photo – #298 C.M. ‘Bob’ Ray (497cc Ariel) [POF 299] – Photo taken by Ray Biddle at ‘Devil’s Highway’ Abergwesyn Pass ISDT 1954 (Speedtracktales Collection)

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ISDT 1951: “Britain wins the International again”

02 Sunday Mar 2014

Posted by in Enduro, Europe, Gelände Sport, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Italy, Magazine, Manufacturers, Media, Motorcycling, Motorsport, Photography, Regolarità, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux

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Thus read the article headline for the report on the ISDT 1951 that appeared in the 27th September edition of ‘the Motor Cycle‘ for 1951.

The article can be read in full via our online library of vintage magazine articles held at issuu.com here

Fifteenth Success for British Teams in the Trophy Contest: Netherlands Team Wins Silver Vase on Speed Test: An event of Varying Severity in Northern Italy

The issue’s Editorial read

BRITAIN WINS AGAIN
The International Six Days’ Trial in Italy

Photo - Effective shot of #182 F.M Rist (646 BSA) British Trophy Team captain near Levo ISDT 1951 (speedtracktales archive)

Photo – Effective shot of #182 F.M Rist (646 BSA) British Trophy Team captain near Levo ISDT 1951 (speedtracktales archive)

ONCE more a British team has won the International Six Days’ Trial. This success brings the number of British wins to 15 of the total of 26 Trials that have been held. The British quintet completed the six-day course of some 1,200 road miles and the final hour’s speedtest without loss of marks to beat the Austrian team by one mark. Although there were only three teams competing for the International Trophy – the third was Italy – the lustre of the success is not diminished, since no team could have done better.

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ISDT 1961: Event report Das Motorrad – 21 October 1961

03 Monday Feb 2014

Posted by in Enduro, Europe, Gelände Sport, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Magazine, Motorcycling, Photography, Regolarità, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux, Wales

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I was pleased to discover a copy of Das Motorrad covering the ISDT of 1961 in Wales. As much as I am a fan of the quality British Bike Magazines of the period ‘the Motor Cycle‘ and ‘Motor Cycling‘ both of which provided quality detailed reporting and opinion on the events with good journalists. I have also found ‘Das Motorrad‘, even despite my non existent German language skills, provides a superior standard of Quality in a magazine whilst is surprisingly devoid of much of the advertising and classified that fills so much of the English magazines.

image - cover of Das Motorrad #22 25 Oct 1961

image – cover of ‘Das Motorrad‘ #22 25 Oct 1961

I’m going to try to get the article translated and made available via our Issuu library but for now here are the images of the article with their German captions, and my comments in English as appropriate.. many of these images will not have been seen in Britain before.

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ISDT 1914: Maurice Greenwood and the ‘Great Escape’ Prequel…

25 Saturday Jan 2014

Posted by in Enduro, Europe, France, Gelände Sport, Germany, International Six Day Trial, Internationale Sechs Tagefahrt, ISDT, Motorcycling, Motorsport, Photography, Regolarità, Sei Giorni Motociclistica Internazionale, Six Jours Internationaux

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One of the great joys of helping rebuild this site has been the quest for making new material and the recovering of lost treasures as this event’s story is one of a history drawing to an end when the name was changed in 1980 all the sport has continued in a modified form. Of the two most popular topics visitors appear to come to Speedtracktales for are the stories of the ISDT 1964 in East Germany undoubtedly because of its connection with Steve McQueen and the ISDT 1939 in Austria & Germany owing to its rapid termination for the British team which abandoned to evacuate Germany and Europe days before the outbreak of the Second World War. It is however often said that the abandonment was as much a reaction, or over-reaction, to the events that overtook riders following the abandonment of the ISDT 1914 which took place at the time of the declaration of the First World War.

With the anniversary of the declaration of the war looming I was determined to write a feature on the event of 1914 and any ISDT riders connected with the first world war but information on an event, that was never held, is very scarce as there were no reports. Then last week out of nowhere, as ever is the case, came an email from the grandson and great-grandson of Maurice Greenwood who was an active ISDT rider and follower from 1913 and through most of his life. The family were keen to learn about the ISDT and in return offered me access to their family collection of materials connected to the ISDT. As the first of these rolled in it includes a preview of the 1914 event and an article from a paper about the incidents related to Maurice’s passport-less dash to get back to ‘Blighty’ before the war commenced. There is considerable material available in this collection and this is just the first of a number of features that I will be making to hi-light what we are able to rediscover of the event from Maurice’s diligent collecting and retention of material and the family who clearly cherish his memory.

Photo - Maurice Greenwood 1916 working as a dispatch rider in the Somme area of Flanders (Courtesy of the Greenwood Family Collection)

Photo – Maurice Greenwood 1916 working as a dispatch rider in the Somme area of Flanders (Courtesy of the Greenwood Family Collection)

•the Article below first appeared in ‘the Motor Cycle’ Aug 1914

LOCAL MOTORIST’S EXPERIENCES.

Mr.W. Maurice Greenwood (son of Mr. Titus Greenwood, Lydgate) who as stated in our last issue experienced great difficulty in returning home from France, contributes the following interesting article to “the Motor Cycle”

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