1928 Tour de France Help!

[Tour1928]

Hello,

I am working on a documentary about the 1928 Tour de France with a focus on Harry Watson and the Australasian (Ravat-Wonder-Dunlop) team. I am trying to track down media (video, radio, photos from the families) as well as memorabilia for this team. A member of our team will be riding the 1928 Tour course and I am desperate to track down their jersey design. It is very difficult to tell what it looks like from old black and white photos.

Does anyone know or have anything from this team or year that I might be able to see photos of?

Thank you!

[Clydesdale Scot]

have you searched through Opperman's papers?
and Bainbridge's?
The images on Trov are poor. eg this one
but as the team's formation was assisted by the Melbourne Herald and that paper does not appear in the Trov search, have you looked through hard copies of the Melbourne Herald for any bigger, better photos?
good luck with the documentary.

[Tour1928]

Thanks so much, Clyde! I have seen these! The same types of photos and articles keep popping up, so if you think of anything else, or have seen neat things in the Oppy Museum, let me know! Thank you so much for your ideas and I'll the Herald another call!

[roller]

might be worth trying to get in touch with the authors of this book:

http://www.bookdepository.co.uk/Story-T ... 1598581805" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Clydesdale Scot]

I have seen these!

have you sat down with the files?
for Bainbridge: only 5cm thick 'Letters, programmes, ephemera, press clippings relating to the cycling career of Ernie Bainbridge, who was part of the Australian team in the 1928 Tour de France'
for Oppy: '3.4 metres of shelf space + 36 fol. items', including his cycling career: 'and the Bruce Small publication Amazing Oppy, Greeting cards, invitations and a collection of photo albums, mainly of Opperman's Tour de France period'

I would be surprised if something of use couldn't be found there!
Philip

[Tour1928]

Unfortunately not in the library I'm in California, not Australia. I'm looking for a way to read them online. GREAT finds though. Thank you SO much!

[Dan]

UA have good low season specials at the moment.

[Torana68]

there is a lot of stuff in the Argus, wasnt well organised at all. Whats the focus on ? can you giva an idea of what youll be trying to show or prove?

http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/resul ... -year=1928" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Clydesdale Scot]

Whats the focus on ? can you giva an idea of what youll be trying to show or prove?

am desperate to track down their jersey design

Does anyone know or have anything from this team or year that I might be able to see photos of?

As I read it, quality photos of the team jersey, and if located, I assume they might get a replica made.
so we need a willing volunteer near to the National Library

[Tour1928]

Hello all!

We are telling the incredible story of Opperman and his team during the tour of 1928. We are doing this by replicating the Ravat-Wonder-Dunlop team gear (jersey, pants, shoes, hat, goggles) and cycling the tour course that they did in '28 on a bike that they would have ridden (purchased from a collector in France). This is why we'd LOVE to find a description of the jersey and any video/radio footage that may be available. We have a short clip arriving from the Australian Film and Sound Archives, but that's all we've been able to find. It's a huge research project with very little records available.

If anyone knows anything, reach out to me! Thanks a million everyone! The enthusiasm for this story has been incredible!

[Torana68]

[quote="Tour1928"] ..........on a bike that they would have ridden (purchased from a collector in France).

Ive never seen or heard of a brand of bike other than they were supplied with "French" bikes and from what Ive read bikes were not of the required standard (or what they asked for wasnt the best choice)

This is why we'd LOVE to find a description of the jersey

you may find some others may want one as well if you have them made

[Tour1928]

I love it! Let's find this jersey!!

[Torana68]

should anyone fall over a photo of the Australians in 1914 please post that up as well

[Tour1928]

Torana68,

I'll keep my eye out! Are you working on a project about this particular year?

[Torana68]

Torana68, I'll keep my eye out! Are you working on a project about this particular year?

nope but anyone researching TDF and Australia could well turn up photos from '14

[Clydesdale Scot]

you have seen these?
http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn3802494
http://nla.gov.au/nla.pic-vn3802604
http://www.nla.gov.au/apps/cdview/?pi=nla.pic-vn3802625
(Can't post the images due to NLA's rules)
and then these teasers (no dates) from the Cycling Museum website

Ernest Bainbridge


Perry Osborne


Harry Watson

as there are three of the four team members of the 1928 TDF team present, dressed the same, and taking into account the onlookers hats, were these photos taken at the 1928 TDF?; which poses the question: did the 'team' jerseys ever have any identifying team name on them?

some general photos of the 1928 TDF

might be of use is the A guide to the literature and resources on Sir Hubert Opperman Kt.Cr. 1968, O.B.E., K.S.J. / by Tracy Gibson
and also at the NLA [Biographical cuttings on Hubert Opperman, politician and cycling champion, containing one or more cuttings from newspapers or journals].

[Tour1928]

Clyde, this is incredible!! Thank you so much! I can't believe what a great find this is. I'll start digging around these other site you suggested right away. It's so helpful having someone so helpful in Australia.

Thank you so much everyone, for all your help and enthusiasm! I could not do this without you!

[Clydesdale Scot]

I understand that recent contact has already been made with the Oppy Museum, also researching Watson.
I was told the Museum has a photo of the 1928 team as well as a transcript of an interview between the Museum staff and Opperman.
Are you aware of this approach?
Philip

[tedsbikes]

Some Bainbridge memorabilia, including photos from the 1928 TdF is up for auction. See here http://www.leski.com.au/catalogues/a290/TCYC.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Good luck with this project.

Ted

[tedsbikes]

Sorry. That's history. Auction was in 2006.

But maybe ?? the auction house could put you in contact with the purchaser (if it sold) or current owner.

Cheers Ted

[Imwit]

Those general photos from 28 tour are awesome.
I wish there were captions tho..
And the photo in the cafe is of Pelissier brothers after abandoning in protest in 1924 according to centenary tdf book.
Was ravat (of the team name) the bikes?

Ps long time listener, first time caller

[Imwit]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1928_Tour_de_France
Has a photo captioned "Kisses and flowers from the local beauty for Hubert Opperman after the 6th stage (Vannes-Les Sables d'Olonne, 204 km). France, Sables. Tour de France 1928."
Looks similar jersey to the above but with lettering. Last two letters are AT.
But why was oppy getting flowers after stage 6?
He definitely wasn't in the placings.

[HappyHumber]

...Looks similar jersey to the above but with lettering. Last two letters are AT.
But why was oppy getting flowers after stage 6?

Interesting! If you read the article more closely, it refers to the sponsor of the Aussie/Kiwi team as "Ravat" my guess is that's the first 3/5s of the "..at" on the jersey.

The photo may well just have been part of some publicity bit by the sponsor, to have given out the flowers for a staged photo. Or maybe the same bunch of flowers (and cute girl) were used in shots with all stage winners/place getters/finishers?

[User Name]

I assume these were the colours



http://histoire.maillots.free.fr/cyclisme/wonder.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Tour1928]

Anonymous "user name:" You may have just solved my second biggest mystery of this whole project! i have seen all these posters/photos listed before and after this one and somehow never seen THIS one! THANK YOU!!

HappyHumber: The Australasians were the "Ravat-Wonder-Dunlop" team. And the flowers were because he was Oppy! The crowds loved him and in a few books about him, it mentions that he was given flowers by some girls in the towns along the way.

lmwit: I actually have this cafe planned into our route! It wasn't too easy to find, as I had to read a bunch of French periodicals (Le Miroir des Sports) and figure it out, but I found it and we'll be stopping there (even though this happened in 1926, I believe).

Again, thank you all!! It's so incredible having this much support for such a fantastic story. Keep it comin' and let me know if you find any VIDEO of this year (I have a minute and a half of frantz, but no one else seems to know if any other footage exists).

CHEERS!