Harvey, unless I've been mislead for decades, Georgina Terry, during the CR On Topic era, was very much a framebuilder in every sense. But for many years now, her frames have been outsourced. I'm pretty sure they were made in Italy for a while. Don't know if she ever went to Asia. Currently her website shows three models, one made by Waterford, one "in the USA" and a cross frame which she doesn't say where it is built. Since the website features Georgina in videos on frame design, it would have you believe she still takes an active role in frame design, and indeed perhaps she does. She of course sells bikes mostly to women, and she uses a number of different wheel sizes, often with the front wheel smaller than the rear, to solve the problem of getting toe clearance on small frames without compromising frame angle too much.
Regards,
Jerry Moos
Big Spring, Texas, USA
> From: Harvey Sachs <hmsachs@verizon.net>
\r?\n> Subject: [CR] Women KOF, not just frame builders...
\r?\n> To: "Classic Rendezvous" <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
\r?\n> Date: Saturday, January 2, 2010, 8:52 PM
\r?\n> Ladies and gentlemen:
\r?\n> The conversation on "women frame builders" has jolted me,
\r?\n> because we have confounded three very different concepts, in
\r?\n> a way that seems unfair to all three. I think that
\r?\n> defining the terms will illustrate:
\r?\n>
\r?\n> 1) Women as constructeurs. Designer and builder of the
\r?\n> bike. And we've seen mention of some, such as Margo at
\r?\n> Lunacycles (?).
\r?\n>
\r?\n> 2) Women as shop owners with house brands. Presumably they
\r?\n> specified the bike designs, but bought bikes just like they
\r?\n> bought tyres and derailleurs.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> 3) Women as brazers in an assembly process, as at Schwinn's
\r?\n> Paramount "cage." Those who don't work in or visit factories
\r?\n> just don't see how much production line work is done by
\r?\n> women now and historically. This work often involves a high
\r?\n> level of skill and discipline, but rarely involves design of
\r?\n> the product or its manufacturing process.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> I met Georgena Terry once at a tandem rally, and she's a
\r?\n> very impressive person. Whether or not she is a "Brazin'
\r?\n> Hussie" who both designed and built (as I think she did).
\r?\n> She's been an innovator, much to be admired. And has
\r?\n> chosen a whole different level of responsibility from that
\r?\n> of the skilled artisans who brazed up the Paramount
\r?\n> framesets.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> So, I hope that this helps us remember that the term "frame
\r?\n> builder" can take very different meanings.
\r?\n>
\r?\n> harvey sachs
\r?\n> mcLean va