One of the reasons for collecting old items is that they reflect the values of another age. And sometimes those values would be seen as politically incorrect in the present, but I don't believe in trying to sanitize collecting any more than I agree with attempts to sanitize history.
I wouldn't buy a bike built today with such a headbadge, but that LeJeune wasn't built today. To me objecting to historic objects is a bit like the attempts a few years back to ban Mark Twain's novels from schools because they depicted race relations that some modern readers found objectionable. But Mark Twain wasn't trying to depict the ideal of social relations in the late 20th century, he was depicting actual social relations in the early 19th century American South of his childhood.
Things are what they are, and attempts to rewrite history to make it more appealing are foolish, whether one is talking about 40 year old bicycles or 150 year old novels.
Regards,
Jerry Moos Big Spring, TX
Fred Rednor <fred_rednor@yahoo.com> wrote: In fact, neither do I approve of the head badge, although I must admit I had forgotten about it by the time I saw the construction details of the frame. Nevertheless, just how it would be accepted or displayed in France (or elsewhere) is another matter.
For example, in this country, there are even many African-Americans who collect this sort of thing. There are, in fact, a number of museums devoted to it. A search on "black americana" will return links to articles such as these:
http://www.ferris.edu/
But if this would be the focus of the discussion, I suppose we can drop it. Fred Rednor - Arlignton, Virginia (USA)
> Dear Mr. Rednor:
> Whatever the merits of this bike's construction, considering
> the head-badge which appears to be from the disgraceful
> "Sambo" school of racial incorrectness, I doubt this bike
> would be displayed anywhere in any museum either in France or
> the US. Perhaps it's best relegated to the obscurity in which
> it has so long and so richly remained.
> Cordially,
> George Hollenberg MD
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Fred Rednor
> Date: Wednesday, May 16, 2007 3:53 pm
> Subject: [CR]Sauvage-Lejeune, the anti-Cinelli
> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
>
> > Unlike certain Cinellis, this bike
> >
> >
>
http://ebay.com/
> > (eBay item #140118738931)
> >
> > will not ever make it into New York's Museum Of Modern Art.
> I
> > doubt it could even be displayed amongst the exposed
> plumbing
> > at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.
> >
> > But that is its beauty. E.g. compare the sheet metal
> fitting
> > for the seat post binder (and the fitting for the rear
> > derailleur cable) to similar pieces found on your average
> > Italian object of worship.
> >
> > Are you man enough (or should we just say "cyclist enough")
> to
> > ride such a frame? I assume it's totally devoid of Bondo.
> Yet
> > similar frames were good enough to win the Tour de
> France...
> > Cheers,
> > Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)