Here is an Ad.... bet you know this much already!
Interesting lawsuit that might give you some clues.....Battery Patents Corp. v. Chicago Cycle Supply Co., 7 Cir., 111 F.2d 861, 862.
Here is a link to a 1915 Cat on ebay... Lots of pics.
http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5335809022&icep_item=271394209487
Howie has a 1923 CATALOG - It has Shelby, Cadillac, Liberty, Chicyco ( own brand )
http://www.proteanpaper.com/scart_p...ic=000000000000007527&part=000000000000008204
In 1934, the Schwinn Aero Cycle-designed after an airplane fuselage-had a tougher frame and cost double what the competition was charging. Furthermore, it was designed as a thing of beauty. Its styling (a word not used when discussing bicycles up to then) made bicycle esthetics as much of a selling point as performance. The department stores, where most bicycle sales took place, wanted nothing to do with the high-end ride. Schwinn got the Chicago Cycle Supply Company to distribute the new bicycle and told them not to sell to the department stores.
1938 advertisement for Chicago Cycle Supply
Prior to World War II, Schwinn utilized distributors to get their products into the hands of retailers and customers. Some distributors such as Chicago Cycle Supply would also sell their own branded versions of Schwinn bikes and/or contract to "make" private label brands for sale by larger retailers. This 1938 ad for Chicago Cycle Supply's three "Autocycle" models describes their standard features and available colors and sizes.
A Letter with address from 1956....