Those of us who admire brilliant accomplishments of the Industrial Age always enjoy a well-done display of motorcycles. The Deeley Motorcycle Exhibition in Vancouver, B.C. is a must-see sight. Not only have they built a real museum quality show, but the collection encompasses great moments in a wide variety of manufacturers’ history. They organize displays on a theme; at the time of my September 2010 visit the show dealt with the rise and fall of the great British motorcycle industry.

I subsequently returned in April 2011 after the show switched to a history of the American industry. If you compare the photos of the two sets you may form your own opinions about their respective trade-offs between beautiful design and strict functionalism. There are examples and counter-examples both ways, which aficionados will debate into the 21st century with enthusiasm. I hope these photos will fuel many friendly arguments.

The Deeley Exhibition is photo-friendly and I want to thank the management for graciously allowing me to spend several hours in their facility, cluttering up the place with lights and cameras. In this gallery are the color outputs from a digital camera and scans of B&W prints from a medium format film camera. For more information about the current exhibition at the Deeley check out http://www.deeleymotorcycleexhibition.ca or call (604) 293-2221.