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Mead Cycle Company?

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barneyguey

Riding a '38 Autocycle Deluxe
Hello folks, my name is Barry Gray. You may or may not know I've been working on a book about the many different head badges found on prewar Schwinn bicycles and the dealers who sold them.
I'm down to my final editing and check lists on companies I need a little more information about.

Mead Cycle Company is one of them. Of course I know they were a mail order company and had lots of badges including Albatross, Amazon, Argonaut, Cossack, Crusader, Hurrycycle, Hurry Up, Iroquois, Kennebee, Ladies Sentinel, Lincoln, Majestic, Montrose, Newport, Pathfinder, Prince, Princess, Ranger, Roman, Royal, Sentinel & Windsor.

I've found lots of ads and photos of bikes, the problem is finding any history about the founding of the company. I can't find anything!

Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you, Barry
 
My 1941 Autocycle..........OOPS,you already have a Royal
Schwinn Autocycle 1941-1.jpg


.....................
 
Schwinn was just 1 of many suppliers to Mead, The Early Mead bikes are unrelated to Schwinn.
I'm not certain to the exact transition when Mead sourced from Schwinn. If you study the brochures of mid teens/20s Mead, they read like a Schwinn ad does, I think Schwinn borrowed the fantastic marketing of Mead, and continued with it promoting their own.

@chitown can help on this if willing.
 
The company, according to chicagology.com, was founded in 1898. I’m relatively sure it was bought by schwinn around 1946 (idk where I read this however) the company was located in both England and the us. I’ve seen a photo on here of a British mead but i can’t find the thread. Is there any specific information you’re looking for?
8436BA74-1FB1-4D7B-81D6-48786603FB5C.jpeg
 
The company, according to chicagology.com, was founded in 1898. I’m relatively sure it was bought by schwinn around 1946 (idk where I read this however) the company was located in both England and the us. I’ve seen a photo on here of a British mead but i can’t find the thread. Is there any specific information you’re looking for? View attachment 966163
Yes, I'm trying to find out who founded the company, when it was founded and a biography of the founder. Thank you very much for your help. I thought Schwinn owned Mead also, but have had several members tell me they never did? Have a great day. Barry
 
you know what, ill contact some museums and libraries in Chicago and see if anyone has any solid information.
 
welp nvm, i found a magazine article from the turn of the century. Mahin's magazine published in 1903, states the founder as James L. Mead.
https://books.google.com/books?i.d.=I-lMAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA1-PA20&lpg=RA1-PA20&dq=mead+mail+order+company+chicago&source=bl&ots=lVFYWOxSp4&sig=ACfU3U36bTdIzYvvb0rNVFrOwi4C-Odp8w&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjch5DThorhAhUH5IMKHVD9DzIQ6AEwC3oECAIQAQ#v=onepage&q=mead mail order company chicago&f=false

If this link doesn't work, the article starts on page 925 of volume 2 of Mahin's Magazine 1903
 
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