About a week ago, Amanda Walker wrote to the List with news of the Girardengo frame she had recently won on Ebay, and mentioned the possibility of having it repainted. Just by chance yesterday I came across a couple of superg photos of Brik Schotte, the Belgian pro, riding his Girardengo to victory in the 1948 World Championshop on the Valkenburg course.
It is clear that his frame was chromed all-over, before being sprayed in white enamel, leaving chrome on the head-lugs, the seat-lug/cluster, fork-crown, a long panel in the middle of the seat tube, and all the rear stays up to the brake bridge where the paint is finished in downwards pointing "darts". The transfers are the simple form surrounded with a parallel sided oval line - in red
One photo shows Schotte taking advice from his team-manager, who is driving alongside in a cabriolet with the name "LYGIE" painted boldly on the side panels demonstrating clearly the link between the two brands of frames.... or does ot?
As for Amanda's frame, I'm convinced that the lugs are Alessandro Rizzato's Art10 Serie AR ones, but as these have featured in the company's catalogue for about 45 years it is difficult to determine a date of manufacture for her frame.. Having enlarged the prints I took off Ebay of the frame, I am certain that the fork is far from original. It looks very modern, dating the late 80s into the 90s. The original full-sloping crown of that design was produced by Everest in Taiwan.. and thereafter copied widely. Companies such as Lung Yi the fork makers produced repalcement forks using such a crown. The crown was/is very heavy - a factor that might contribute to the fairly hefty weight of Amanda's frame. I would have it checked out by a reputable shop. additionally the rake of the fork which sweeps along the total length of the blade, almost, was not in vogue until fairly recently.
Norris Lockley Settle UK