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Who made "Black Beauty" badged bikes??? and Mont. Wards "De Luxe"

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Bringing this old thread back to life, got some good info-

So Nick is building a Black Beauty, has the headbadge from the early 1919ish Schwinn-looking one (see pics), but badge says Haverford Cycle Co, Philadelphia, PA- did Haverford build their own bikes, or did Schwinn build them? And could Mead have supplied any parts, like the coat hanger fender braces?

Nick is still looking for frame/tank?/fork/fenders for this style BB if anyone has anything they're not attached to, please let us know. :D

Darcie

blackbeauty.jpg
BB headbadge 2.jpg
BB headbadge 3.jpg


blackbeauty.jpg


BB headbadge 2.jpg


BB headbadge 3.jpg
 
Haverford was a jobber/distributor. Schwinn was one of the companies building bikes for Haverford. Havorford may have just assembled bikes similar to Mead where they pick parts from several manufacturers and slap a Haverford badge on them. Making it hard to determine originality or if it is a mix of parts. This also makes it easy to build one up as there is little evidence to dispute what is original equipment.

Patric has said he had a Black Beauty that was a Davis built. Who knows if they used multiple manufacturers in the same year???

That BB sprocket catfish has doesn't look the same construction as the DAYTON or HD sprockets of the late teens early twenties. So I'm not sure if that is an early sprocket just not Davis built or if it's from a later Snyder built BB.
 
I have a feeling mead made some of the black beautys, as I have seen a lot of parts that suggest mead, also explains why schwinn took over making them when mead went under the schwinn roof. (just a thought) and that might be why black beauty went under and sold the name in the mid 20s-30s to DP Harris.

Nick.

Haverford was a jobber/distributor. Schwinn was one of the companies building bikes for Haverford. Havorford may have just assembled bikes similar to Mead where they pick parts from several manufacturers and slap a Haverford badge on them. Making it hard to determine originality or if it is a mix of parts. This also makes it easy to build one up as there is little evidence to dispute what is original equipment.

Patric has said he had a Black Beauty that was a Davis built. Who knows if they used multiple manufacturers in the same year???

That BB sprocket catfish has doesn't look the same construction as the DAYTON or HD sprockets of the late teens early twenties. So I'm not sure if that is an early sprocket just not Davis built or if it's from a later Snyder built BB.
 
I read this differently (brilliant research!)

The last sentence before the list of jobbers says: "Other motorcycles and bicycles treat Organized labor fairly"
and then the list...
Montgomery Ward etc....

What about Shapleigh Hardware Co St Louis Plate "Speedy" and "Ruby"
or Geo. Worthington, Cleveland O name-plate "Harvard" & "Erie"
or Butler Bros, 375 Broadway, New York City NY
or Wm Frankfort Hardware Co, Milwaukee Wis
or A. Baldwin Co New Orleans
or Hibbard-Spencer-Bartlett Co Chicago Ill
or... there's more but one thing I know is they all were built by the Arnold Schwinn Bicycle Company. At least in 1920 they were.

booksidQdooAAAAYAAJpgRA1PA24img1zoom3hle-1.jpg

booksidQdooAAAAYAAJpgRA1PA24img1zoom3hle-2.jpg

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I read this differently... The last sentence before the list of jobbers says: "Other motorcycles and bicycles treat Organized labor fairly"
and then the list...
Montgomery Ward etc....

In the upper "Headline" portion it says the same thing but followed by "Appoint Committees to Visit the Dealers GIVE THESE STRIKES PUBLICITY!"

booksidQdooAAAAYAAJpgRA3PA32img1zoom3hle-1.jpg


It's repeated before giving the list.


This is a list of dealers to visit if you are a union sympathizer or union thug! :eek:

Besides, if this was a list of motorcycles and bicycles that treat organized labor fairly, then Montgomery Wards would be a bicycle manufacturer???
 
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I just took my time and read the document as properly as I can, given the language changes that happen in a hundred years. I think Chris (chitown), has it right. But, I think it can be risky to think that these companies bought exclusivly from AS&Co. I think alot of companies then just like today would switch every order, while others built lasting relationships and stuck with one mfg. for their goods.
 
The strike list shows that Haverford was one of many Schwinn accounts. It does not prove that Haverford never used other suppliers. Nor does it indicate which models or parts were involved.

To me, the frame and fork in this ad look like they were made by Schwinn. But the out roll edged fenders are similar to those used on Indians.
1919 Black Beauty
blackbeauty_zps2a9199cc-1.jpg



Here is a girls BB that matches the Schwinns of the same timeframe:
(it appears to have a standard Schwinn non-truss fork but instead of Schwinn typical fenders it uses early Chief style long noses)
1920 Black Beauty
IMG_3499_zps9bad0fc8-1.jpg



1917 Schwinn/Excelsior (notice this Excelsior appears to have a Mead style ribbed fork)
expage19_zpsfa45faa3-1.jpg



This girls Black Beauty has seat stays and a front fork that look Schwinny but the curved down tubes do not. The down tubes look more like something Snyder would make. (It would make sense for D.P Harris to have a relationship with Haverford since they evidently later bought the Black Beauty brand. The down tubes could be a modified Schwinn, with the down tubes spaced further apart, but since I suspect that Haverford was trying to source parts cheaply, off the shelf, I doubt they would arrange for special, costly modifications.) Can anyone ID this girls frame?
mystery year, mystery make
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Nor does the the above girls Black Beauty fully match Davis frames:
1920 Davis Dayton
1920daytoncatalog45_zps0336445e-1.jpg
 
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The strike list shows that Haverford was one of many Schwinn accounts. It does not prove that Haverford never used other suppliers. Nor does it indicate which models or parts were involved.

To me, the frame and fork in this ad look like they were made by Schwinn. But the out roll edged fenders are similar to those used on Indians.

Fenders on the Schwinny bike look like the 1914 offerings from International Stamping.

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As a jobber/assembler it looks like Haverford was building with whatever stock they could get.

I stated in the Davis thread that there is a good chance that several makers were providing frames for Haverford (even within the same year) so knowing what is correct can vary widely depending on year, model and probably the location of the Haverford dealer. More east coast shops probably used the Snyder stuff more than Schwinn. This would have saved greatly on rail/shipping costs. I have no facts to back this up, just looking to untangle the web of the bicycle industry of that time.
 
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