Actually there is a BBC documentary called "Bike Brothers" out there that is 28 minuted about the Taylor brothers. There's interviews and footage of them building, brazing, and pin-striping. I know it's out there if you look. best, Brandon"monkeyman"Ives Coeur d'Alene, ID.
> Don,
>
> I'd find it surprising if movie footage of any major builder existed in
> our
> CR timeline (besides the one mentioned). Videos were waiting to be
> invented
> and 8mm home movie cameras weren't common. Actually I'd be surprised if
> any
> still pictures were available either. I went to visit the Taylor brothers
> when I was learning to build frames at Ellis Briggs in 1975.
> Stockton-on-Tees is still a bit further north from the Leeds/Bradford area
> where I was located and was a bit of a drive in my '50's Morris Minor.
> They
> were gracious is visiting with me and Norman spent the afternoon showing
> me
> how he did things. At the time I was most amazed with his plywood fixture
> with pencil drawing to position where the frame blocks would just rest
> (not
> attached, just sitting on top of the plywood). At Briggs, we had this
> really nice cast iron surface plate jig and I wasn't prepared to see
> something a home builder might use. I asked how he aligned his frames and
> got instructions on having a "good eye". I think he also used a straight
> edge off the bb shell but maybe my memory is adding that to help preserve
> their reputation in my mind.
>
> I'm struggling to remember if I took pictures that day. If I did, I must
> have had slide film in my Leica M2 with it's 50 mm pull out lens. I tried
> to have print film in the camera when I visited other British builders but
> sometimes I wanted slides for scenery shots and that roll wasn't finished.
> Stuff gets put away and moved and ends up who knows where. I'll have to
> look. The Taylor brothers aren't in my print box.
>
> My point, which I am meandering too, is that the old master builders that
> I
> visited in England and Italy in the 70's were somewhat reluctant to show
> me
> what they did, much less let me take pictures. Most allowed me to because
> I
> was an American builder and not competitive to their sales. My guess for
> this reluctance is that there were ways they did things (like Norman's
> plywood fixture) that wouldn't enhance their reputation with either other
> competitors or potential customers. I'm also guessing that what pictures
> their are, are of smiling customers with the builders getting a new frame.
> I don't remember any of my customers taking pictures of me while I work.
>
> Does anyone besides myself have pictures of old master builders working or
> even of the shop they worked in? I'd love to see them.
>
> Doug Fattic, wondering where all his pictures are in
> Niles, Michigan
>
>
> Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2006 20:50:35 -0700 (PDT)
> From: Don Wilson <dcwilson3@yahoo.com>
>
> Joel eloquently described Norman's handling of the
> torch in fillet brazing, which Norman did for 60
> years! It made me wonder: are there any films of
> Norman brazing? And wouldn't it be neat to get a
> collection of footage of major builders handling the
> torch?
>
> Don Wilson
> Los Olivos, CA USA