TSY is Pennsylvania-based and thus very proud to present a brand new series of posts– PA MAKERS written and photographed by Raymond C Schwab IV. We are grateful Ray is kind enough to share these with us.
Picture this: A bike shop burns to the ground in Philadelphia. There’s a fire sale a couple days later. There you see a burnt up 1951 BSA Star Twin motor up for grabs and you think “There’s my land speed racing motor!”
“When Push Comes to Shove” black & gold custom chopper built for Brad Pitt by Indian Larry Legacy (Paul Cox & Keino Sasaki), paint by Vince Szarek, and amazingly intricate engraving work by Tarrera.
“I try to carve out time for a solo ride in every country I travel to, from the Highlands of Scotland to the Atlas Mountains of Morocco to the belly of India. I haven’t even come close to fulfilling my list—yet. . . . But in the traffic of L.A. with a helmet on, I’m just another asshole on the road.” –Brad Pitt (Photograph by Mark Seliger for DETAILS magazine at Humboldt Redwoods State Park to promote the film Fury, 2014.) VIA
Alice Denham — writer, Playboy centerfold, film actress who left a vivid chronicle of her literary and sexual adventures in her 2006 memoir, “Sleeping With Bad Boys: A Juicy Tell-All of Literary New York in the Fifties and Sixties.”
“Manhattan was a river of men flowing past my door, and when I was thirsty, I drank.”
Ms. Denham came to New York in the early 1950s, fresh from the University of Rochester, with two things on her mind: literary fame and romance. The city held forth the promise of both, in abundance. “New York in the fifties was like Paris in the twenties.”
A stunning beauty with a talent for repartee, she made her way easily into Manhattan’s literary salons, and her presence did not pass unnoticed by a long list of editors, publishers, film producers, actors and writers — most of whom made a play for her, quite a few successfully.
Her conquests, she said, included the actor James Dean, a close friend until he fell hard for the Italian actress Pier Angeli; the authors James Jones, William Gaddis, Evan S. Connell and Philip Roth; and Hugh Hefner, whom she had persuaded, in a clever gambit, to feature her as a centerfold and reprint, as part of the package, her first published short story.
“Of course he was no egalitarian,” Ms. Denham wrote. “But he possessed one of the finer male characteristics I was aware of: He liked my writing.”
Sushi ~ The Race of Gentlemen, 2017. Photograph by Sean Madden
Armed with a leaky old 35mm camera, and an iron clad determination to capture as many of the “Faces behind the Races” of TROG 2017— Sean Madden surely delivered the goods! Sean was snapping at a furious pace and wasn’t able to get everyone’s name – so help us out by sharing this post and/or leaving a comment if you see someone you know!
Sumner Dilworth has made quite a name for himself shooting incredible portraits, and some of the hottest up-and-coming models, brands & bands. We first met at our Greaser Getdown event with Triumph & Disaster in our New Hope, PA shop. Sumner has a commanding stature and presence that exude a gentle, self-assured confidence. His smooth voice and chill delivery immediately put you at ease. He went about setting up a very simple rig in our doorway consisting of a backdrop and a couple lights, and proceeded to take some of the most stunning portraits that any of us had ever seen.
Sumner fixed his attention on the numerous photos on the walls at The Selvedge Yard shop of The Race of Gentlemen shot by our friend and esteemed photographer Scott G Toepfer, and his interest immediately grew. From that Sumner was determined to bring his unique eye to TROG West (Pismo Beach, CA) and TROG EAST 2017 (Wildwood, NJ) that just occurred June 10th & 11th. Sumner has allowed TSY to share some of these latest photographs with you, and I am confident you’ll love them as much as we do.
I cannot imagine life without The Race of Gentlemen! Honestly, how did we ever live before it? TROG has become such an iconic event that brings so many amazing people together each year to celebrate their love of vintage motorcycles, hot rods, racing, Kustom Kulture, and so much more. Old shit is the best shit! The past is where it’s at! Sean Madden once again captured these rad shots of TROG for TSY that capture the vibe of the event and the people who come out every year to make it The Greatest Race on Earth!
Mel Stultz, founder of The Race of Gentlemen, TROG EAST 2017, ALL Photos c Sean Madden
The Race of Gentlemen, TROG EAST 2017, Wildwood NJ, ALL Photos c Sean Madden
The Race of Gentlemen, TROG EAST 2017, Sushi on Mel’s bike, ALL Photos c Sean Madden
The Greatest Race on Earth! The Race of Gentlemen 2017, ALL Photos c Sean Madden
Matt Harris of 40 Cal Customs racing his 1923 Harley-Davidson – Sons of Speed
Billy Lane of Choppers Inc. had a vision to race vintage board-track motorcycles with his friends, family, and other respected builders and racers. Sons of Speed finally kicked off in Daytona during the 76th Bike Week at the New Smyrna Speedway on March 18th, 2017, after having been cancelled due to Hurricane Matthew.
Waiting outside the New Smyrna gates, there was definitely some anticipation and excitement to see these bikes perform on the track. Since these vintage bikes have no clutch or gearbox, the four riders are positioned at the top of the banked track and are push-started with the help of gravity and some manpower. It’s so great to hear the bikes fire up once the twin engines roar to life, propelling the riders down the paved track.
Billy Lane, the man behind Sons of Speed Continue reading
With every intention of getting to The One Moto Show, I still managed to miss it. It’s my favorite show of the year, and the best people, who I truly missed. My buddy Steve West (Silver Piston Jewelry) was on-hand, and sent back his personal shots from Portland. And out of all of them, this old school Triumph Bobber definitely has my heart…
Bummed that TSY could not make it to TROG West out at Pismo Beach, CA. Stoked though that our photographer friend Pierre Robichaud shot these amazing images for us to share with y’all. I can’t imagine The Race of Gentlemen without the colorful (in more ways than one…) backdrop of Wildwood, NJ… but damn if Pierre’s photography and words don’t make me even more sorry that we weren’t there.
“With caffeine levels topped up for the five hour journey to south wales, I was finally going to experience the buzz that surrounds the VHRA Pendine Sands Hot Rod Races.Stepping back in time doesn’t quite do it justice. It’s one of those events that people can’t stop talking about, and they assure others that haven’t been that they need to make the pilgrimage. Everyone congregates on the hill waiting for the tide to go out before the racing can begin– and when it did the two hundred strong fleet of rods seemed endless making their way to the pits on the historic beach.
With the sun bursting through the few clouds in the sky, it was as if our brothers across the pond at the east coast The Race Of Gentleman in Wildwood NJ, had sent some sunshine to the U.K. as rods and customs were kicking up sand on both sides of the Atlantic.
