Author Topic: I think this is an FN but can anyone confirm?  (Read 3356 times)

Offline Arby

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I think this is an FN but can anyone confirm?
« on: March 05, 2017, 02:26:09 AM »
Hi

This is my wife's grandmother sitting astride what I think is an FN? Can anyone confirm and identify if this is correct and if yes approx what year?

Thanks for any help

Arb

Offline cardan

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Re: I think this is an FN but can anyone confirm?
« Reply #1 on: March 05, 2017, 11:15:04 PM »

Hi Arb,

No, it's not an FN.

The bike is much older than it looks - possibly as old as 1910 or even earlier! I can spy an early open-magnet magneto and the tram-handle for an NSU 2-speed gear on the mainshaft of the motor.

That said the bike has been thoroughly modernised with Brampton Bi-flex fork, disk wheels, sidecar etc.

Let me guess the photo was taken immediately after WW1? There was massive inflation after the war and for a couple of years bikes were hard to afford. Easier to make your own!

Cheers

Leon

Offline 33d6

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Re: I think this is an FN but can anyone confirm?
« Reply #2 on: March 05, 2017, 11:45:48 PM »
Hi Arb,
That's a Felix the Cat doll on the nose of the chair. The first Felix cartoon came out in late 1919 and they were very popular in the early/mid 20's silent movie era. I can add nothing about the bike but I believe the photo was taken in the early/mid 1920's. I suppose that's easy enough to confirm if your wife knows Grandma's birth date.

It's a fun photo.
Cheers,

Offline mini-me

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Re: I think this is an FN but can anyone confirm?
« Reply #3 on: March 06, 2017, 10:58:15 AM »
Its a great photo, who wouldn't jump at a outfit like that?

Anyone got a Felix mascot for my Sunbeam?

Offline sprocket-in-my-socket

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Re: I think this is an FN but can anyone confirm?
« Reply #4 on: March 13, 2017, 06:22:08 PM »
The bike is most likely owned by the photographer.
I have seen some other photos with the same bike before.
But I am not clear what make the bike is.

Regards,
Helmut