Hello Ted,
Regarding Major Taylor stems most of the pictures I have seen of the
"Maestro" he is riding a round version of an adjustable extension with
the handlebar clip fitted uppermost instead of the more common
under-slung fashion.
The largest British maker of Major Taylor (square section) extension was
Accles & Pollock they made these in three versions conventional, webb
with exactly that, this web piece ran from the horizontal to the
vertical and a braced version with an extra round bracing rod running in
the same place instead of the web section. All three types were
available in headclip or expander bolt fitting. These were really
popular and fashionable prior to the Second World War which was their
heyday in
the UK. Holdsworth stopped listing them in the 1940's but Brown Brothers
still supplying them in the early 1950's.
The round section adjustable extension that you see Major Taylor
equipped with mostly was called a "Middleton" here and were still being
sold in the early 1960's, this style of extension must have had the
longest time frame 1890's to 1960's. There was also a round section
extension very similar to the former called a "Cam".
Another extension you never here off is again adjustable and of round
section
is the "Duke" circa late 1940's. In this the handlebar clip fitted into
drilled slots on the stem so not quite as versatile in its adjustment.
Holdsworth also made the "Quanda" (fitted to early La Queldas) this was
an adjustable extension with a downward-curved forward extension sliding
in the special head-stem section.
Lastly the other popular adjustable was the Constrictor extension.
Mick Butler Hunts UK.
--
Michael Francis Butler
michaelbutler@fastmail.fm