Peter Behrens's Blog, page 565
August 11, 2012
Motobecane, puis un Citroën 2CV camionette
from our West Texas/Midi correspondent, Don Culbertson:
"I know this is a pickup truck site, [not really--pb] but seeing a Citroën camionette and a Motobecane together harkens back to the days before the family car when workers commuted on two wheels. The golden age of the moped, or mobilette. Can one use the word golden age and moped in the same sentence? The Citroen was spied in the village of Meyronne. Appears to be a working truck, because it was off on the farm working the next day, when I went to to check on it."-DC
"I know this is a pickup truck site, [not really--pb] but seeing a Citroën camionette and a Motobecane together harkens back to the days before the family car when workers commuted on two wheels. The golden age of the moped, or mobilette. Can one use the word golden age and moped in the same sentence? The Citroen was spied in the village of Meyronne. Appears to be a working truck, because it was off on the farm working the next day, when I went to to check on it."-DC
August 10, 2012
1951 Pontiac Sedan Delivery
from our man in south Saskatchewan, Alex Emond:
"This old panel wagon [aka, sedan delivery] and the pickups were drawing me closer. I can't remember, quite, which tiny town that I saw this scene in. Just north of Rockglen. The stylized Pontiac himself is quite noble and savage. The globe was on the Fargo."--AE
"This old panel wagon [aka, sedan delivery] and the pickups were drawing me closer. I can't remember, quite, which tiny town that I saw this scene in. Just north of Rockglen. The stylized Pontiac himself is quite noble and savage. The globe was on the Fargo."--AE
August 9, 2012
The American Boy's Handy Book, 1880
Plans for this skiff were in the American Boy's Handy Book of 1882. E.B. White (Charlotte's Web, etc.) built one her in Brooklin for his son Joel White, founder of the Brooklin Boat Yard. The Whites' vessel was called Flounder. Bill Mayher built Flounder II this summer. Her homeport is The Pond, and she is lots of fun.Huck Finn & Tom Sawyer have been having a very good, very shoeless summer here in Brooklin.
August 8, 2012
1959 Pontiac Catalina
The '59 Catalina is my dream machine and in this essay--"Love Cars"--I attempted to sort out why. Conclusion: the car thing, guys, is all about our fathers.
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1950 F-350
From Michael S. Moore, way out West:
"...Linda's 1950 F-350 welding truck, which we had up on the desert for awhile but finally gave up...I bought her from D and D Irrigation in the Central Valley which made us the second owners. At some point someone had dropped in a big Merc flathead, the dual mufflers were totally blown and it was LOUD!...Lincoln welder and generator we got working well enough to set the cheat grass on fire. As you can see from the picture, cheat grass on fire could present a problem.
Those are the Buffalo Hills in the background and the original trailers we lived in at Wall Spring [a '59 Aljo and '64 Holiday Rambler, which became guest quarters]...the trees are tall enough to hide the hills by now, but neither Steve nor I can remember when this was taken..."-MSM
©2012 Stephen Chandler[image error]
"...Linda's 1950 F-350 welding truck, which we had up on the desert for awhile but finally gave up...I bought her from D and D Irrigation in the Central Valley which made us the second owners. At some point someone had dropped in a big Merc flathead, the dual mufflers were totally blown and it was LOUD!...Lincoln welder and generator we got working well enough to set the cheat grass on fire. As you can see from the picture, cheat grass on fire could present a problem.
Those are the Buffalo Hills in the background and the original trailers we lived in at Wall Spring [a '59 Aljo and '64 Holiday Rambler, which became guest quarters]...the trees are tall enough to hide the hills by now, but neither Steve nor I can remember when this was taken..."-MSM
©2012 Stephen Chandler[image error]
August 7, 2012
Porsche Carrera for Sale
Sean McKay, whose shop is Affordable Performance here in Brooklin, Maine, has a Porsche for sale every summer: the Carrera convertible is this year's machine. Asking $17k. You could call Sean for details: 207 266 1801 or email "sean mckay" <affordable.performance@gmail.com>,
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1954 International Harvester
From Alex Emond, our man in south Saskatchewan:
"Two mornings ago I came upon this fine older truck just north of Ponteix when I was walking the dogs. The farmer was busy, with a mask on, shoveling out the bottom of a granery so I never talked to him. The truck seems flawless, just burnished by time and Saskatchewan sun..." --AE
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"Two mornings ago I came upon this fine older truck just north of Ponteix when I was walking the dogs. The farmer was busy, with a mask on, shoveling out the bottom of a granery so I never talked to him. The truck seems flawless, just burnished by time and Saskatchewan sun..." --AE
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August 5, 2012
Eggemoggin Reach Regatta 2012
Out yesterday aboard Here & Now, a Gannon & Benjamin sloop, built 2004, in the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta here in Brooklin. Zero breeze in the morning so start was delayed until noon but by mid-afternoon it was blowing 18 knots out in Jericho Bay.
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August 3, 2012
George R. Stewart & US Highway 40
Has anyone out there read George R Stewart? His book US 40 was a narrative, with photographs, of an auto trip across the United States on US Highway 40, from San Francisco to New Jersey, in 1952. He had a good clear eye for landscape and roads and architecture, especially for the way the US landscape had been changed and organized around the automobile....Stewart was one of the first to look at ordianry, vernacular, roadside America. I followed his trail 50 years later and tried to duplicate the exact frames of as many of his photographs as I could. I plan to scan these, and will start putting them up, as they are very close to the heart of what Autoliterate is all about, whatever and wherever that is. I guess it's mostly about paying attention.
