VINTAGE BICYCLE PHOTOS

[herr_rudolf]

:lol:

 

[canopusxs235]

sweet :lol:

 

[garagegoon]

Having gone through these pictures... noticed that these were taken in front of the same building... They were having some special contest/givaway....

 

[Anonymous]

Having gone through these pictures... noticed that these were taken in front of the same building... They were having some special contest/givaway....

sign on building says bicycle contest department??? i gotta say ummm yup you nailed it

can't really make it out but looks to be The Washington Times ???

 

[37fleetwood]

I would take it a step further and say it looks like the same or at least an identical bike. notice the crazy headlight poking out of the front edge of the front fender, and the battery can, looks like maybe the contest had photos of the contestants before the end of the contest or they gave away a few of the exact same bikes and took photos for the local paper or something.

 

[aka_locojoe]

http://vimeo.com/8583350
A video of old photos of the first riders up Pikes Peak.

 

[bikeriderx]

http://vimeo.com/8583350
A video of old photos of the first riders up Pikes Peak.

VERY cool, Randy!! Thanks!! :mrgreen:

 

[Strings_and_steam]

Having gone through these pictures... noticed that these were taken in front of the same building... They were having some special contest/givaway....

Okay, so, here's my 'bomb drop' for today... prepare to have your feathers ruffled :?

I've been thinkign that first pic of the boy in the cap looks fishy; it seems like he and his bike were 'shopped' into this pic, the shading around his head looks sketch, and the contrast in focus seems to be really strange, plus the general position of people behind him, reflection things in the glass seem wrong, etc.

and...

I found this pic yesterday:

Looks like pretty much the same bike, I know the tires are different, tank paint is different, different headlight mount (up on the handlebars, its there but hidden), some different acessories on this one. But it got me thinking....

Conspiracy Theory:
Is this a modern shopped photo using this backdrop, a kid in costume, and a super pretty bike? Does anyone know the origin of the 'old' photo? Please prove me wrong if you can!!

 

[garagegoon]

Well... They are standing by fully dressed Mead Rangers and what you have a picture of is a Schwinn built Excelsior badged B-10-E Motorbike...

 

[TheFlyingDingo]

Plus-Those are balloon tires on your picture-and skinnier ones on the "Old" photo

 

[herr_rudolf]

Plus - Fenderstrut
Minus - Chainguard

You can do a lot with Photoshop, but I have seen this somewhat eery vibe on old photographs many times before. The main subject (the boy) had to stand still for a serious period of time to get a sharp picture. That causes the expression to be unnatural and the moving surounding to be out of focus. It could very well be that it's not, but I believe this pic is genuine.

Edit: The reflection appears to be different because it's showing MORE details. Not nessecarily DIFFERENT details. Probably caused by the effect that the 'white' dress caused more over exposure than the darker mirror-image...

Nice bikes though. Both.

 

[Strings_and_steam]

Makes a lot of sense, I realize some of those older photos can have 'strange' effects because of exposure and such, but this one just seemed fishy to me. I'm no photography expert, just inquisitive :roll:

ALSO, I never meant to imply that I think this is the same bike as in the picture. I found this pic, and it made me think of that bike in the photo, one thing lead to another and...yeah.

Does anyone know where the black and white one came from?

 

[herr_rudolf]

I'm no photography expert, just inquisitive :roll:

Does anyone know where the black and white one came from?

Neither/So am I. :wink:

But I can see why you're thinking that way. After I posted my reply I noticed the gap between the concrete under the boy's feet suspiciously 'missing'. But if somebody has done such a great job retouching the rest, why didn't he or she recreate that small gap...?

And there is this thing that I LIKE to believe this foto is genuine. Just like the extreme racer-pic that someone posted again in this thread recently...

 

[37fleetwood]

well, let me start with I may be wrong but...
I have been a photographer for quite a long time and have had several early view cameras and have been into 1920's -30's photography for as long as I remember, and am pretty good with Photoshop as well and I don't see anything funny with these photos. by the '30's when these were presumably taken the film and cameras were pretty good. also to consider is that the photographer was likely from a newspaper and had a 4"x5" speedgraphic type camera which would allow a very wide apperture which gives the sharp focus at a very limited depth making the rest of the photo seem unusually out of focus and a big enough film area to give a nice crisp look to the subject.
here's a photo taken in the mid '30's which doesn't show film grain and has the driver looking like he has been shopped in a bit by the contrasty edge around him, but the photo is real and untouched. some of it may just be the proces of digitizing these old photos.

I can usually photoshop things so you wouldn't be able to tell at first glance, it's all a matter of the time you're willing to spend. there are usually things missed if you take the time to look, however I haven't found anything yet in these two photos.
here are a couple I shopped a bit for someone, while not perfect you can see that if you're patient the results can be very convincing, but notice at the corners of the windows I didn't take the time to fully clean up the green mask because the job was just to see his car in lime green.

 

[37fleetwood]

Now, you want controversial!
what's up with this photo???

 

[37fleetwood]

see now, you'e got me looking.

http://andrewritchie.files.wordpress.co ... dhiver.jpg

this one gives me ideas about next years build off!

and I may have to pay this guy something, lets hope the patents have run out!

 

[herr_rudolf]

^ 8) 8) 8)

Man those pics are great! Don't know on which to start commenting. They're all awesome...

 

[pvwacko]

fourth from the bottom!!!!! I want that chain ring!!!! I could go SO FAST

 

[garagegoon]

fourth from the bottom!!!!! I want that chain ring!!!! I could go SO FAST

But it would take two hours to get up to speed

 

[Ratfink1962]

see now, you'e got me looking.

Holy smokes!

I think thats my Indian!!

Well probably not, but cool picture anyways!!