# Fournier Transitional High Wheel?



## Kurt S. (Dec 11, 2016)

Hello, 

  Anyone recall any information regarding this brand of transitional highwheel?  

  This is not my high-wheel; I am doing research into Henry Fournier, and wondering of any connection.  This is from and old forum post of a few years ago on the CABE.

  I cannot make out what the stamping is on the side of the frame, it starts out FOURNIER A#% and under that I can only guess.


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## rustNspokes (Dec 11, 2016)

There is a FOURNIER & CO, Albion bicycle factory, Melksham Wiltshire (John Fournier). I can find references from 1869-1878. 
"The Bankruptcy Act, 1869. In the County of Somersetshire, holden at Bath.In the Matter of Proceedings for Liquidation by Arrange-mentor Composition with Creditors, instituted by John Fournier, of Melksham,in the county of Wilts, Bicycle Manufacturer."
There was a partnership between John Fournier and Francis William Cope "Fournier and Cope" (Bicycle Manufacturers and General Engineers) which was dissolved july 24 1879 by mutual consent.


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## Kurt S. (Dec 11, 2016)

That is terrific, thank you!


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## wasp3245 (Dec 30, 2016)

Hello that may not be the same Fournier .....  the bike pictured is a French machine    circa 1872-4.... there is one located in the Henri Malartre museum in Lyons France ....   Aime Fournier of Grenoble France ...... a builder of very fine machines  with some attributes to Meyer ( inventor / first to successfully  commercially produce the tension wire spoke) .
For additional  photos of the Fournier ...and the rest of the outstanding items in the museum please see link to Robert Sterbas ..wonderful website  at

http://www.sterba-bike.cz/item/henr...ce/category/france/group/velo-museums?lang=EN
  My photos below were taken last year visiting the museum . 

Please note this bike has a kick stand !!!   the stand is very carefully sprung to swing down and swing up out of the way .... a patent was granted for this ....

Perhaps a relative to John Fournier ?  

Cheers Carey Williams


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## locomotion (Dec 31, 2016)

the stamp reads:

FOURNIERaimé
GRENOBLE


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## Kurt S. (Dec 31, 2016)

Thank you Carey.  That is really terrific of you to come through on this.  I kind of wrote it off to an English maker. 

That sign posted in the one photo translates to aluminum wheels, ( Jantes en cornier), that seems rather interesting in itself.  

 If anyone finds anything further please let me know.

Most grateful, Kurt


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## Mercian (Jan 1, 2017)

Hi Kurt,

Jantes en cornière = Wheels made from profiled metal bar (Sorry, Aluminium is not mentioned)

2 marchepieds = Two steps or runningboards (though I can't see them!)

Jambière - étrière coté gauche = Leg guard - stirrup on the left side (they probably mean the stand)

Grelot avertisseur = Warning bell

I hope this helps, (Incidentally, I live about 80 miles from Grenoble)

Best Regards,

Adrian


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## Junkhunter (Jan 1, 2017)

Wow Carey. That bike is awesome. Thanks for posting the pics! Do you have more? Side view?


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## Kurt S. (Jan 1, 2017)

Bonjour,

   Merci pour la traduction et vos corrections.

   Je ne parle pas ou ne lisez pas votre lancement, donc je dois utiliser un traducteur Google. Cela peut être difficile à certains moments, alors je vais m'excuser pour les erreurs de mes tentatives de le faire.

   J'ai essayé de trouver la littérature qui parle de cette compagnie, le Fournier Aime et ont également essayé quelques recherches de généalogie. Jusqu'à présent, ces deux résultats sont très limités.

   Toute information que vous pourriez avoir concernant Aimes Fournier de Grenoble serait d'intérêt.

Le plus reconnaissant, Kurt S.



Hello,

  Thank you for the translation, and your corrections.

  I do not speak or read your launguage, so I must use a Google Translator.  That can be challenging at times, so I will appologize for any errors of my attempts at doing so.

  I have attempted finding literature that speaks of this company, the Fournier Aime and have also tried some geneology searches.  Both of which so far have very limited results.  

  Any information you might have regarding Aimes Fournier of Grenoble would be of interest.

most grateful, Kurt S.


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## Mercian (Jan 2, 2017)

Hi Kurt,

Thanks for your reply, and taking the time/trouble to do it in French, which I appreciate (and enjoyed (-: ).

Sorry, I should have said, I'm English (ironically, from Shakespeare's own County, Warwickshire), but have lived and worked in France for a US company for some ten plus years now, hence having to learn French.

I'll have a look to see if I can find anything, but Fournier is a fairly common name. It translates to 'Oven worker', so really is the name Baker.

Have a Good 2017.

Adrian


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## wasp3245 (Jan 2, 2017)

Hello Follow Fournier Followers

France lead the way with bicycling / velocipeding  , by the second half of 1869 interest began to wane just innovations and massive improvements to the machines were being offered ( suspension, tension wheels, rubber tires, gearing, free wheel etc).  The same race to to innovation and collapse of public interest occurred in America  in the late Spring of 1869.    The new bicycling / velocipede industry  in France was struggling to gain renewed interest from the vast public  end of 69 and  early 1870 by hosting bigger and better races and shows , tri-cycling became a fade spring of 1870 ..but when France shot itself in the foot by picking on the Germans summer of 1870 ....it was all over before the croissant could be eaten.

France spiraled into a depression and bicycling was the last thing on the average Frenchman mind.  There were a few diehards that keep the candle burning , but just barley.

The bicycling industry swam across the channel to merry ole England ...and it stand there for  a very long time.   The few remaining bicycling  manufacturers in France produced some outstanding pieces but in very limited numbers.   During the 1872-5 period ( dark cycling days for France) when you find a machine they are all different  , many one of kind ...now WW1 and WW2 could have clean the street of these machines but still a handful remain ..... many ( sometimes ) exquisite examples of early cycling . 

Searching Robert Sterba's site ..touring his collection and the world's finest cycling museum of from the comfort of your desk ... you can get an inventory of the many varied styles of bikes that remain.
Click and prepare for a several hour visit ...click and learn

http://www.sterba-bike.cz/en/?lang=EN

This period can be loosely called the "transitional period" when the basic Velocipede  designed gave way to the high bike of the times.


You had custom makers like Meyer with English clients who were ordering the high bikes early on where as the local ( French) clients stayed with the velocipede. It was an interesting period  the bikes being offered with the long saddle springs ( like a velocipede ) or the newer shorter saddle spring found on the high bikes.

Below are a few more photos of the Fournier ...with a shot of the double step...

Last 4 photos are of some of my bikes also from the period all presumed French ... last one a Meyer  that started life with the long saddle spring ....the long saddle springs give the rider a lot of spring and sway ( left to right) ... hence the forward movement o the shorter springs ..all machines here  with tension wheels

Just for reference..the high wheel design ..these early French machines are not all that high ...  normally in the 40-44" range ....   it was England who pushed the wheel to the 50-60" range in the early period (1871-2)

Cheers Carey


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## Mercian (Jan 2, 2017)

Hi Kurt, Cary,

Kurt, I searched the internet using various combinations of French terms earlier today, but other than photos from the museum at Lyon, found nothing more. Sorry about that.

Cary, thank you for the history lesson, I know little about this period, so it is great to gain some background.

Best Regards,

Adrian


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## Kurt S. (Jan 2, 2017)

Hello Adrian, Carey,

  First, thank you Adrian and Carey  for your efforts and assistance, they a most welcome and appreciated.

  Carey your transitional bicycles are fascinating.   I have been getting my feet wet in this early bicycle history in France and can honestly now understand what is meant by the dark ages.  It is if someone has ripped a chapter from a great novel only to leave me confused on my understanding of what has transpired over this time and pondering the existence of characters that held my interest on the previous pages.  

   I came across this posting with the Fournier Aime bicycle while looking into Henry Fournier and pondered any family ties.  Henry’s history starts after the Franco-Prussian war so I’ve been able to find a lot of good information on him.  This all started with a poster I picked up at auction and have been putting together some of the history behind this man.

  This poster is of an event that took place in 1893 between horses and a tandem bicycle.  The main characters’ are of course S.F. Cody (Samuel Franklin), Henry Fournier, and Gaby (Pierre Huguet).  The poster comes to life for me as I begin an understanding of the history of these men.  S.F. Cody an American Wild West show host, a man who emulated the great Buffalo Bill Cody in almost every respect, he even changed his name from Cowdery to Cody, and his similar appearance is astonishing.  He lived a life that is non-stop, and became an important figure in England early aviation.  Cody is considered the father of aviation for England, much like we embrace the Wright Brothers here in the States.  Henry Fournier got a start in French bicycle racing and became a great auto racer.  He raced here in the U.S.A. as well as abroad and became very well respected champion.  Henry eventually went into aviation as well, and I’ve just begun reading about that chapter of his life.  I read an article where he crashed a plane when the support wires to the wings failed, he was hundreds of feet up when it happened but survived and continued to pursue aviation.  Gaby, is really Pierre Huguet, a champion tricycle racer.  He too participated in some of the early auto racing.

  This race however, was won by the tandem riders of Fournier and Gaby by 5 kilometers.  It was a six hour race over a two day period.  Cody was allowed up to change six mounts during the event.  It was quite a spectacle for the very large crowds.


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## Kurt S. (Jan 2, 2017)

Here's an interesting photo of an 1899  tandem with a twin Dion motor, Henry Fournier rode in 1899




Notice the dog licking the tire, I think that is in reference to the blood from a Saint Bernard that had been run over and was lodged in the wheel well of Fourniers auto during one of his races, he won that race though!


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## Mercian (Jan 3, 2017)

Hi Kurt,

I love the Cody poster (-:

You are right about his influence on early UK flying history, and military aviation. A couple of years ago I visited a museum at Farnborough which has some original parts of his planes, his flying trophies and a replica of his first military plane.

http://www.airsciences.org.uk/galleries.html#bookmark25

http://www.airsciences.org.uk/codyflyerproject/

Funny how circular things are, I visited that exhibit since I was in the area, and I have an interest in early French (pre WW1) military aircraft. You can see a presentation plaque on a piece of propeller that I own from one of the first dedicated military planes ever built at the bottom of this page.

http://albindenis.free.fr/Site_escadrille/Souscription_nationale.htm

If I do find anything of interest in the future for you, I'll be sure to let you know.

Best Regards,

Adrian


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## Kurt S. (Jan 3, 2017)

View attachment 404572 

 

 

 Very cool Adrian,

  Reading briefly into Henri Farman's history, it would seem he would have made interesting acquaintance of Mr. Fournier,  in cycling, auto and air!

  My favorite photos thus far of early aviation came about from my Fournier searching, when I came across a photo collection by Jueles Beau.  Here a link to that collection; 

http://gallica.bnf.fr/services/engi...te/sort.descending&filter=dc.type all "image"


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## Kurt S. (Jan 3, 2017)

For respect to the artist Jules Beau for giving us these amazing photos I post the following from France Wikipedia:


Jules Beau (born in 1864 in Paris and died in 1932 ) is a photographer French and one of the leading sports journalists 1 .



Jules Beau opened his first studio in Paris at 19 Avenue des Ternes , associated with a M.-H. Fontès which already owns another studio avenue de Clichy; then the two men in 1890 opened a new studio at 51 rue de Passy , store acquired by Nice in 1892 and he dubbed "Photography Passy."


From 1894 to 1913 , it will produce a work of astonishing diversity and modernity. Attracted by the sport, he specializes in this area and made many portraits of athletes in all categories, with a predilection for cycling . In his book Visions of Sport , published in 1989 , historian and photographer Jean-Claude Gautrand , which publishes eight photographs of Jules Beau, believes that it can be considered "  the first sportscaster in history 2 . "


He collaborated in 1895 in the journal La Bicyclette and from 1898 shows the sport in Life in the open air . He worked for a time as an archivist at the Touring Club of France .


It ceases all activity after 1913.


UNTRANSLATED LINK;   https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jules_Beau


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## Kurt S. (Jan 3, 2017)

Hello again Adrian,

  I came across a site you may be interested in and thought I would share it with you.  I came across it attached to another file of mine and found it contains some real nice links to Mr. Farman as well as Mr. Voisin, nice articles and images.

http://www.hydroretro.net/etudegh/index.php


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## wasp3245 (Jan 5, 2017)

Wow Kurt ...you can find the stuff...great images .     Nice image listed as a Crypto ... the bike is not Crypto ..gearing looks like Marriot Cooper . 

Thank you for posting 
Cheers Carey


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## Kurt S. (Jan 6, 2017)

Carey,

 I'm glad you saw that, I would not have known....a Marriot Cooper, hmmmm.

 Thank you, Kurt
.


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