Manton and Smith bicycle

[Neanderthal77]

here is a link to a CL ad for a men's Seneca badged M&S. I just found out what this was yesterday when I posted it on this site. That was a very cool history lesson about the company, I found very little about them.

http://milwaukee.craigslist.org/bik/5011336007.html

 

[vincev]

Found this yard art M &S.Did they ever weld a brace across the frame on a girls bike? The brace is holding the bike in the Parks work stand.Was this someones "repair"?

 

[chitown]

 

[DonChristie]

Thank you Bill! Great inside info! The Cabe is all ears!

 

[Trishasuelovett]

Manton and Smith produced bikes from the mid thirties through the mid fifties. Yours is post war from the late 40's or early 50's. If you google Manton ranger bicycle, you can view images of some. Although most lead back to the CABE. Here's a girls like yours,
View attachment 577778
And a boys posted by Scott M. ,
View attachment 577779

Hello!!! Can you help me identify information about mine?

 

[stezell]

Hello!!! Can you help me identify information about mine?

Trisha I would say post it under Classic Balloon tire bicycles with a title saying Need help with identification. There are a lot of knowledgeable people on here that can help you as long as you post pictures.
Welcome to the site,
Sean

 

[Krysta Obringer]

I am looking for as much information as I can get on mine. I have had a hard finding another springer fork like the one I have. Anyone have any information they would like to share?

 

[bike]

What is stamped on the top of the spring chrome plate?

 

[Krysta Obringer]

What is stamped on the top of the spring chrome plate?

 

[bobcycles]

Manton and Smith was an ornamental iron company that started building bike frames for other companies in the early 20's. A mong their early accomplishments was the assembly and installation of Buckingham Fountain in Chicago and the facades of most of the buildings along Michigan Ave. They also had a little structural steel business called Chicago bridge and Iron which they sold off after the stock market crash. The interest in bicycles came from one of the owners ( there were three partners) JS Manton's interest in six day bicycle races which he was proficient at. He built his own bikes. The other partners were HP Manton and Mr Smith. Smith suffered a stroke long before the company started building bikes, but was kept on out of loyalty. It was his heirs who demanded the liquation of the company in 1953 because the company was unable tobuy them out after Smith's death. JS Manton died in the early 50's and HP went on to become a famous architect. He died in 1972. M&S bikes were all gas welded by hand. HP Manton was my grandfather, the welding shop foreman was my father HC Manton.

Funny story....a few years back I was given a tour of the 'back lot' or over stock room at the Bicycle Museum of America in
New Bremen...John B, a curator there was nice enough to give me a behind the scenes peak there.. Looking over what
was mostly uneventful back stock inventory I was amazed to see an incredible Manton & Smith Golden Zephyr bike ...turns out they had
no idea really what it was or it's importance. Needless to say...a few weeks later John sent me the following pix of the
bike cleaned up quite a bit and ready to head out to the museum floor to take its rightful place. It was just funny and
odd to see that bike languishing with dept store 1970s 3speeds in the mothball zone. That's The Bicycle Museum
of America for ya! >gag<
Beautiful original blue example and one of my favorite ballooners!

sorry about the low rez pix.... reused the ones the museum forwarded once the bike was
detailed out a bit.