The motorcycle gang

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Last week we featured a pamphlet detailing motorcycle races to be held at Claudelands showground. The event was organized by the Hamilton Motorcycle Club. In those days, 1920s and 1930s, a motorcycle owner would only need to be a member of a club to compete. Very often, even into the 1960s, men with motorbikes would congregate at motorcycle dealerships. This would not be infrequent on Friday nights which were late shopping nights back in the day.

Here, in daytime, we have a number of motorcycles outside Jenkin and McIntyre who for some years from about 1910 to 1920 where bicycle and motorcycle dealers. Most of the motorcycles in this photo appear to be Douglas 350s which were manufactured up to about 1918. However, the photo appears to be a little later than that and it is definitely posed - who would wear a hat which would fly off at speed. One of the riders is a teenage lad in school uniform.

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