# 1901 Silver Queen Lady's Safety



## Wing Your Heel (Oct 14, 2014)

Are there any known survivors of Hendee's Silver Queen?

Here's my 1901 Silver Queen Lady's Safety






























Full pics and catalogue -

http://www.oldbike.eu/museum/1900-1904/1901-silver-queen-ladys-safety/


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## Nickinator (Oct 14, 2014)

What a beautiful bike! The riding instructions are funny..."to avoid concussion with Mother Earth".....
I notice your frame is a bit different from the catalog...
I love my 1898 Tribune, but would sure like a front brake like yours 


Darcie


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## thehugheseum (Oct 14, 2014)

really really neat! i havent seen another but rumors of them,there are 2 silver kings that im aware of......were they already doing a steel fender like on your queen this early?


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## Wing Your Heel (Oct 14, 2014)

*?*

Have emailed you Darcie.

Re metal mudguards/fenders, they were fitted to safety bikes soon after 1886. Like a lot of safety bike stuff, they'd already been used on tricycles.
Wider mudguards came in soon after pneumatic tyres began to be used, i.e. around 1890. The type on the Silver Queen are very common on English bikes.
What was called a 'forward extension' became fashionable from around 1908, i.e. the front of the mudguard protruded beyond the front forks. Previously it was cut off to accommodate the plunger style of front brake, which was in use until around 1901.

Below you can see a very rare accessory, a separate forward extension, to add to the earlier style of mudguard to bring it up to date. It's waiting to be fitted to a bike.


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## kccomet (Oct 14, 2014)

thats one of the coolest decals ive seen on a bike


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## fordsnake (Oct 14, 2014)

Colin, what a beautiful survivor! 

Before you begin handing out accolades to George M. Hendee for manufacturing a superb machine as the Silver King, understand that George was a visionary, he really didn't do much manufacturing in his early years, instead he borrowed ideas and assembled parts from jobbers...the concept for his Silver King bike was an import from the shores of England!




After retiring from racing in 1892, George was employed by the Hulburt Bros. & Co. department store in New York City as a salesman for their bicycle department. 








He quickly advanced to the position as the buyer for the Hulburt Bros. & Co. The young Hendee frequently crossed the Atlanta to purchase inventory, this allowed him the opportunity to network and establish relationships on the British soil, especially with the Centaur Cycle Co., of Coventry, England (!remember this name) 




Back in New York, on the floors of the Hulburt Bros. & Co., customers could often view exceptional fine machines; high wheelers and the latest well built safeties! Young Hendee (a showman & promoter) often advocated his favorite ride; the King Scorcher & Queen Scorcher, both of these high tier models were made by the Centaur Cycle Co!

In 1893, Hendee decided to leave the Hulburt brothers and opened his own bicycle store and riding school...(his first shop didn't manufacture bikes)


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## fordsnake (Oct 14, 2014)

1894, Hendee began manufacturing the Silver King bicycle. WELL HE ASSEMBLED the Silver King! Parts were purchased from...guess who, Centaur Cycle Co of England. 
I imagine the Silver King name was also borrowed from the shores of England (seeing that your catalog featured Gold and Silver medals from 1890-1896)?? I’m sure Hendee "the promoter" viewed, there’s no brand infringement if the name is used in another country?







1895: George partnered with Ed. A. Nelson, another bicycle racer.


 


Two years later their business failed!  


 

The business struggled, it couldn't compete with the low-ball catalog retailers i.e., Sears, Montgomery Ward, etc.








At the end of the Hendee & Nelson partnership, their biggest creditor was guess who...Centaur Cycle Co., of England!





From all of my research...prior to 1901 the only export contribution George Mallory Hendee made was the Indian bicycle and motorcycle! The only correlation between America's and the British Silver King and Silver Queen were their names and both were produced using British parts.  

Be careful not to confuse the history. Carlton


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## fordsnake (Oct 14, 2014)

Interesting note on the Silver King name…Hendee filed for a trade mark after his company was dissolved.


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## Wing Your Heel (Oct 14, 2014)

*!*

Brilliant detective work Carlton.

I've been working on Centaur history this year and didn't know the American connection. That's amazing. 

Here's an 1891 Centaur ad





And here are extracts from the 1894 Centaur catalogue





















* A 'WHAT IF' MOMENT* - Just think, if his original business had not failed, he may have expanded the range ...and instead of the Indian, America may have got THE OSTRICH


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## fordsnake (Oct 15, 2014)

*THE OSTRICH*...too funny!

More evidence of the Hendee / British connection


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## Obi-Wan Schwinnobi (Oct 15, 2014)

fordsnake said:


> *THE OSTRICH*...too funny!
> 
> More evidence of the Hendee / British connection



Fordsnake. ..you are a wealth of knowledge!  And that one guy from Chicago. ...


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## fordmike65 (Feb 22, 2020)

BUMP for this lost treasure trove of knowledge thanks to @fordsnake. Thank you so much for sharing Carlton!


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## sam (Feb 24, 2020)

Got this several years ago.


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