Page 30 - June 2018 Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
P. 30
Lorne Shields, Bicycle Collector
By Maxine Carter-Lome, Publisher
L orne Shields is proof you don’t have to be an avid cyclist Tell us about your collection.
to love and collect “Cycliana,” or cycling memorabilia.
My initial focus was on the bicycles
For over five decades, Shields has amassed and donated
themselves, but that quickly expanded into
some of the most important bicycle and cycling-related
collectibles ever assembled. Parts of his collection have been on many aspects of cycling. Since the late 1960s
I’ve specialized in collecting this one topic,
display at the Smithsonian Institution and other museums in non-motorized Cycliana – essentially every-
France, The Netherlands, Canada, the U.S. and England. thing historic related to manumotive or
What’s left and what has been newly-acquired line the walls pedimotive transport. The collection literally
and decorate the rooms of his home in a encompasses the history relative to one, two,
suburb of Toronto, Canada. When you three, four, five, and more wheeled vehicles;
talk to him about his collection, which I also, bicycles in the air and on the water. There
did in early April, you can tell his interest are numerous groups of items related to cycling:
in the subject and collecting has not art, porcelains, Stevengraphs, photographica,
waned over time. After all these decades, books, manuscript material, cycle accessories,
he still gets excited about what he may Author Lorne Shields’ trophies, posters, jewelry, ephemera, early light-
find next by going to antique shows, auc- living room walls decorated ing, memorabilia, vanity items, and others.
tions, flea markets, and meetings of collec- with 19th century posters My mentor taught me to buy the best of the
tors’ organizations (such as the Ephemera and some bicycles, including best that I could afford, advice that still guides
Society and the National Association of the American Star bicycle my collecting philosophy today. Over the years
I’ve even mortgaged my house to make an
Watch & Clock Collectors). In fact he at left and an English important acquisition. The more I collected
shared his shopping list with me in “Penny Farthing” the more I found out how little information
advance of his forthcoming trip to the on the right was out there. There were a few books and
28th Annual Bicycle and Automobilia catalogues to guide me, but the knowledge I
Auction in Copake, New York. gained incentivized me to locate and buy the
How did you get started? rarest, best examples.
Like a lot of people, collecting is in In 1981, Canada’s National Museum of
my DNA. As a child I collected stamps. Collector Lorne Shields with a Science & Technology in Ottawa acquired a
Then I went on to coins, art, ephemera, photograph of a circa 1870 Lady good portion of my collection, giving it one of
photographica, Victorian glass, and the best collections of cycles in the world. At
Velocipedist projected at a recent
various other collectibles as I aged. In the that time, they asked me to acquire more related
1960s I was working in the wholesale bike presentation of the Photographic objects in order to give the collection stronger
industry when a friend—who was also my Historical Society of Canada visual appeal and historic relevance. That’s
mentor and a professional coin, stamp, essentially what I’ve specialized in when
and ephemera dealer—suggested that I start collecting objects related to my making my acquisitions over the last 40 years.
profession. He pointed out that these acquisitions could become a business Over time, more than 100 feet of rare and
expense and would provide a greater depth of knowledge of the industry. important pre-1900 books and journals were
transferred to the Museum’s Library. I saved
about five feet of rare books (a seed collection)
and have been adding more over time. There
are now an additional 50 feet of
important books for the Library to consider.
A strong aspect of my collection is pre-1900
cycling-related photographic images, which is
likely the largest collection in existence,
including over 4,000 cycling photographs and
over 700 stereoscopic cards.
Are there any bicycles left in your collection?
I have six which all neatly fit in my living
room. The earliest is an example of the first
commercially made pedal driven bicycle
(velocipede) produced by Michaux in France,
1867. His initial run was about 150 bicycles
An exceptional silver plated and this is the earliest known example of that
16-1/2" tall Trophy by Meriden production run at this time. Next is a Facile,
Silver Plate Co. awarded for made in England in 1881, with levers that
First Prize of a 3 mile race at allowed for a smaller front wheel which made it
Park Garden track in safer to ride; then another English bicycle, the
Providence, RI, August 1884 Kangaroo, 1885, which introduced chains on
both sides of the front wheel and is of a similar
size to the Facile; an American Star, which is a
lever-driven bicycle built in 1885 with a small wheel in the front and big
Oil Painting (about 37" x 29") of a Velocipedist wheel in the back; and two important High-Wheel (penny farthing) bicycles
done in France by a female artist, circa 1869 identified as being sold in Toronto.
Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
28
By Maxine Carter-Lome, Publisher
L orne Shields is proof you don’t have to be an avid cyclist Tell us about your collection.
to love and collect “Cycliana,” or cycling memorabilia.
My initial focus was on the bicycles
For over five decades, Shields has amassed and donated
themselves, but that quickly expanded into
some of the most important bicycle and cycling-related
collectibles ever assembled. Parts of his collection have been on many aspects of cycling. Since the late 1960s
I’ve specialized in collecting this one topic,
display at the Smithsonian Institution and other museums in non-motorized Cycliana – essentially every-
France, The Netherlands, Canada, the U.S. and England. thing historic related to manumotive or
What’s left and what has been newly-acquired line the walls pedimotive transport. The collection literally
and decorate the rooms of his home in a encompasses the history relative to one, two,
suburb of Toronto, Canada. When you three, four, five, and more wheeled vehicles;
talk to him about his collection, which I also, bicycles in the air and on the water. There
did in early April, you can tell his interest are numerous groups of items related to cycling:
in the subject and collecting has not art, porcelains, Stevengraphs, photographica,
waned over time. After all these decades, books, manuscript material, cycle accessories,
he still gets excited about what he may Author Lorne Shields’ trophies, posters, jewelry, ephemera, early light-
find next by going to antique shows, auc- living room walls decorated ing, memorabilia, vanity items, and others.
tions, flea markets, and meetings of collec- with 19th century posters My mentor taught me to buy the best of the
tors’ organizations (such as the Ephemera and some bicycles, including best that I could afford, advice that still guides
Society and the National Association of the American Star bicycle my collecting philosophy today. Over the years
I’ve even mortgaged my house to make an
Watch & Clock Collectors). In fact he at left and an English important acquisition. The more I collected
shared his shopping list with me in “Penny Farthing” the more I found out how little information
advance of his forthcoming trip to the on the right was out there. There were a few books and
28th Annual Bicycle and Automobilia catalogues to guide me, but the knowledge I
Auction in Copake, New York. gained incentivized me to locate and buy the
How did you get started? rarest, best examples.
Like a lot of people, collecting is in In 1981, Canada’s National Museum of
my DNA. As a child I collected stamps. Collector Lorne Shields with a Science & Technology in Ottawa acquired a
Then I went on to coins, art, ephemera, photograph of a circa 1870 Lady good portion of my collection, giving it one of
photographica, Victorian glass, and the best collections of cycles in the world. At
Velocipedist projected at a recent
various other collectibles as I aged. In the that time, they asked me to acquire more related
1960s I was working in the wholesale bike presentation of the Photographic objects in order to give the collection stronger
industry when a friend—who was also my Historical Society of Canada visual appeal and historic relevance. That’s
mentor and a professional coin, stamp, essentially what I’ve specialized in when
and ephemera dealer—suggested that I start collecting objects related to my making my acquisitions over the last 40 years.
profession. He pointed out that these acquisitions could become a business Over time, more than 100 feet of rare and
expense and would provide a greater depth of knowledge of the industry. important pre-1900 books and journals were
transferred to the Museum’s Library. I saved
about five feet of rare books (a seed collection)
and have been adding more over time. There
are now an additional 50 feet of
important books for the Library to consider.
A strong aspect of my collection is pre-1900
cycling-related photographic images, which is
likely the largest collection in existence,
including over 4,000 cycling photographs and
over 700 stereoscopic cards.
Are there any bicycles left in your collection?
I have six which all neatly fit in my living
room. The earliest is an example of the first
commercially made pedal driven bicycle
(velocipede) produced by Michaux in France,
1867. His initial run was about 150 bicycles
An exceptional silver plated and this is the earliest known example of that
16-1/2" tall Trophy by Meriden production run at this time. Next is a Facile,
Silver Plate Co. awarded for made in England in 1881, with levers that
First Prize of a 3 mile race at allowed for a smaller front wheel which made it
Park Garden track in safer to ride; then another English bicycle, the
Providence, RI, August 1884 Kangaroo, 1885, which introduced chains on
both sides of the front wheel and is of a similar
size to the Facile; an American Star, which is a
lever-driven bicycle built in 1885 with a small wheel in the front and big
Oil Painting (about 37" x 29") of a Velocipedist wheel in the back; and two important High-Wheel (penny farthing) bicycles
done in France by a female artist, circa 1869 identified as being sold in Toronto.
Journal of Antiques and Collectibles
28
