Reading about the Brown Brothers books being stored on CD brought to mind a friend of mine who had a 1940s catalogue.
He gave it to a pal who must have thought it was a great read but was not to carefuyl about how he handled it. When my friend got the catlogue back, half the pages had fallen out! That was the end of that friendship!
Thats the problem with these old catalgues, they get a bit fragile over the years. Putting them on a CD is a good way of making sure that they are still around for our grandchildren. Ive tried to get a catalogue in the past but they go for a fortune at cycle jumbles in the UK. If you can find one at all. Some people will happily pay £70 for one and they are getting dearer all eht time.
Jim
>From: brucerobbins@worldmailer.com
>Subject: [CR]Get your Brown Brothers CDs here...
>
>Hello everyone,
>
>Dales given me permission for a blatantly commercial plug for the CDs Ive
>produced of the famous UK Brown Brothers catalogues-so here it is.
>
>In a mammoth operation more time consuming and complicated that taking
>apart and rebuilding a Sturmey Archer hub, Ive photographed all 800-plus
>pages contained in two catalogues from 1939 and 1952 and Im now offering
>them on two separate CDs at US$18, $28 Can and $35 Aus each plus postage at
>cost, approx US$2 Can$3 and Aus$4.
>
>The CDs, viewable on PC and Mac, have high resolution jpegs of all the
>cycling-related pages on them. Most of the products are pictured with
>descriptions.
>
>The pages are indexed and can also be viewed eight (or is it ten, I cant
>remember) at a time in your web browser. I've deliberately left the sepia
>tone on the aged, hallowed pages for nostalgic effect!
>
>Other than that they are just plain CDs in jewel cases without any printed
>matter. The information is worth its weight in gold, though.
>
>Brown Brothers were a huge UK cycling concern and their catalogues contain
>lots of detail about everything imaginable including dynamo lighting
>systems, ball bearings, Bluemmels mudguards, stems, gears, tyres-you name
>it!
>
>There's lots of info about products from Brooks, Chater Lea, Williams, GB,
>Simplex, Continental, Reynolds, etc. If you want to know all there is to
>know about Airlite hubs, Philips pedals, Lycett saddles, or any of the
>myriad products available from Brown Brothers in the 1930s-50s, these CDs
>will keep you reading for weeks. Theres even a complete Sturmey Archer hub
>parts interchangeability chart.
>
>That's the sales pitch over. I haven't bothered putting any copy protection
>on the CDs, believing instead that people on the list have sufficient
>integrity not to rip me off. :)
>
>Ive set up a PayPal account and, if people will let me know their
>requirements, Ill send off a payment request. Alternatively, I'm happy to
>accept UK pounds in cash or your native currency but I'm charged £2 or the
>equivalent of about US$3, Can$4 and Aus$5 to change the money so that would
>have to be added. Of course, I'm more than happy to deal with other
>countries-just get in touch.
>
>Thanks for your indulgence,
>
>Bruce