Brooks 1900 Catalog — Cycle Saddles and Accoutrements

The Brooks annual catalogue for 1900, printed in blue on white within a green rule, from the Registered Offices and Works in Great Charles Street, Birmingham. The cover prints the year twice, on either side of the Industria bee trade mark, and carries the line “(Established 1866)”. The foreword is dated January, 1900, describes the book as the “Annual Catalogue of Cycle Saddles and Accoutrements”, and gives the telephone as No. 1213 and the telegraphic address as “Brooks, Birmingham”. The back cover is printed by Cond Bros., Printers, Moor Street, Birmingham.

This is the earliest catalogue in the Ebykr collection to price every saddle in two finishes, and that makes it the book that settles how much nickel plating cost.

Every model on every saddle page is quoted twice, Enamel and Nickel. Across the thirty-two saddle prices in the book the nickel premium is never a percentage but a flat uplift of between two shillings and four shillings and sixpence, applied in bands according to the price of the saddle. Expressed as a percentage that works out at between sixteen and thirty-two per cent, and the cheaper the saddle the larger the proportion. The extremes are the B 22 and the B 92 at 12/6 enamelled and 16/6 nickelled, a premium of thirty-two per cent, and the B 10/2 at 12/6 and 14/6, a premium of sixteen per cent. The saddle pages reproduced here carry both ends of that range.

Three other things make the book worth citing.

The first is that Brooks is selling motor saddles in 1900. Printed page 3 announces “New Models for Motors B 80 and B 81”, and printed pages 13 and 14 give a section headed “Motor Saddles — For use on Motor Cycles” containing the B 80 at 18/6 and 22/6, the B 81 at 24/- and 28/-, and the B 90/4 at 20/- and 24/6. The B 80 is “specially designed to counteract, in motor tricycles, the constant leaning, caused by the slant, as well as the unevenness of the road.” Printed page 28 adds a range of Motor Bags.

The second is the name Challenge. Printed pages 29 and 30 are headed “Brooks Patent ‘Challenge’ Tool Bags”, with a Brooks patent attachment and a patent tool strap “fitted to all our ‘Challenge’ bags.” Challenge is therefore a Brooks product name in 1900, a third of a century before the Challenge saddle range of the 1930s, and it began on bags rather than saddles.

The third is a dated introduction. Printed page 15 announces that “We can now supply our LADIES’ SADDLES (a few patterns excepted) with top Ornamentally Embossed by our Patented Process, as here illustrated, without extra charge”, and illustrates the embossed top in full.

A standing footer on every saddle page reads: “WHEN ORDERING Saddles, please state Diameter of Seat Pillar, and Colour of Leather. Black, Brown, or Light Colour can be supplied; but BLACK is specially recommended, as a far superior dressing can be used in preparing the Leather than is possible with the lighter colours.” So three leather colours are offered in 1900, with black preferred for reasons of dressing.

One warning about the source. The scan is defective. It runs twenty-one sheets, and the printed pages read continuously from 2 to 31, but the sheet that should carry printed pages 32 and 33 is instead a second copy of printed pages 12 and 13. The two renders are byte-for-byte identical and the same image is embedded twice in the file under different object numbers. Printed pages 32 and 33 are therefore absent from the collection and cannot be consulted. Printed page 34 and the closing leaf are present. Nothing reproduced in this record comes from the duplicated sheet.

Sheet indices and printed page numbers diverge as usual: sheet N carries printed pages 2N minus 4 and 2N minus 3.

This record reproduces the cover, the foreword and seven saddle and accessory pages, chosen to carry the nickel premium at both extremes, the motor saddle section, the Challenge tool bags and the embossing announcement. The remaining printed pages, which cover the rest of the saddle range, the gear cases, dress guards, luggage bags and luggage labels, are held in the Ebykr collection but are not reproduced here.

The scan is a low-resolution one. The embedded images run about 1,063 pixels across per two-page spread, which is roughly 532 pixels per printed page, and the images in this record are presented at twice that. Headings, model numbers and prices read cleanly. The smallest body copy sits at the floor of legibility.

— Page 1 —

[Front cover. Green stock printed in red and black within a double red rule.]

1900 [Industria bee trade mark] 1900

BROOKS
(Registered Trade Mark)

Cycle Saddles & Accoutrements

J. B. BROOKS & Co. Ltd
Birmingham
(Established 1866)

Registered Offices & Works, GT. CHARLES STREET

— Page 2 —

[The foreword, printed in blue within a green rule, facing the inside front cover.]

January, 1900.

IT is with pleasure that we again submit to your notice our

ANNUAL CATALOGUE
OF
CYCLE SADDLES AND ACCOUTREMENTS.

We have endeavoured as usual to bring “BROOKS” Saddles as near as possible to perfection; and we hope that the improvements which have been introduced in our existing models, and also the several entirely new patterns illustrated herein, will meet with the complete approval of all riders of the wheel.

“BROOKS” Saddles will as heretofore be Only of the Very Highest Class, and neither efforts nor expense will be spared to enable them to continue to merit that high esteem with which they have ever been regarded. Whilst thanking those who have supported us in the past we would offer our assurance that our best endeavours will be continued, tending towards increased comfort for cyclists.

J. B. BROOKS & CO. LTD.

Telegraphic Address:
“BROOKS, BIRMINGHAM.”
Telephone: No. 1213

— Page 3 —

[Printed pages 2 and 3. Printed page 2 is unnumbered. Each saddle page carries a header band reading BROOKS, the Industria bee trade mark, BIRMINGHAM.]

[Printed page 2.]

ALL GENUINE

Brooks’ Saddles

are prominently marked with the name

BROOKS

Registered TRADE MARK.

[Printed page 3.]

Our New Models
ARE
B 35 and B 22

New Models for Motors
B 80 and B 81

BROOKS’ PATENT
New Road Saddle

B 35 Enamel 21/- Nickel 25/6

A broad seat, with soft pads, supported by our Patented Spring Arms, which yield to the motion of the rider. The pads will retain their shape. All injurious contact with the peak is avoided.

[Standing footer:] WHEN ORDERING Saddles, please state Diameter of Seat Pillar, and Colour of Leather. Black, Brown, or Light Colour can be supplied; but BLACK is specially recommended, as a far superior dressing can be used in preparing the Leather than is possible with the lighter colours. — Patentees and Sole Manufacturers, J. B. BROOKS & CO. LTD., BIRMINGHAM

— Page 4 —

[Printed pages 4 and 5.]

[Printed page 4.]

BROOKS’ PATENT
Road Saddles

B 22 Enamel 12/6 Nickel 16/6

A New Patent Saddle for fast riders on long distances. Springs are introduced, whilst retaining the low build of a racing saddle.

B 60 Enamel 15/6 Nickel 19/6

Our Patent “International.” The sides of the Saddle yield alternately to the pressure of the thighs, thus greatly reducing friction or chafing. The new pattern is lower built, and generally much improved.

[Printed page 5.]

BROOKS’ PATENT
Road Saddles
FOR LADIES OR GENTLEMEN.

B 40 Enamel 19/6 Nickel 24/-

A comfortable and yielding seat, with plenty of spring.

THESE SADDLES, B 40 AND B 30, HAVE BROAD PADDED TOPS, WITH CENTRE DEPRESSIONS, AND ARE FITTED WITH OUR PATENT TENSIONED LEATHER UNDER-SEAT, WHICH GIVES SOFTNESS TO THE PEAK AND AT SAME TIME WELL SUPPORTS THE BODY ON THE BROAD PART OF THE SADDLE, THUS SECURING IMMUNITY FROM INJURIOUS PRESSURE.

B 30 Enamel 15/- Nickel 18/-

A firm seat, fitted with our patent four-wire frame as B 10. Also suitable for road racing.

— Page 5 —

[Printed pages 10 and 11.]

[Printed page 10.]

BROOKS’ PATENT
Road Racing Saddles

B 10 Enamel 10/6 Nickel 12/6

This Saddle continues to meet with unqualified success, and remains the unrivalled favourite of road racing men.

CAREFUL ATTENTION TO DETAIL.

B 10/2 Size larger Enamel 12/6 Nickel 14/6

This Saddle is just what is required by those who like B 10, but prefer a somewhat larger seat.

[Printed page 11.]

BROOKS’ PATENT
Path Racing Saddles

B 11 Enamel 9/- Nickel 11/-

Undoubtedly the most comfortable Racing Saddle in the Market, and absolutely unrivalled.

CAREFUL ATTENTION TO DETAIL.

B 17 Enamel 7/6 Nickel 9/6

A neat light Saddle, with Single Wire Frame.

B 17 may also be used for Road Racing.

— Page 6 —

[Printed pages 12 and 13.]

[Printed page 12.]

BROOKS’ PATENT
Light Road Saddles

B 302 Enamel 8/- Nickel 10/6

A good sound Saddle and Spring. For easy riding.

COMFORT WITH DURABILITY.

JUVENILES’ SADDLES

B 25 Enamel 6/6 Nickel 8/6

A light neat Saddle, with just sufficient spring. A really excellent Saddle for Boys or Girls.

CAREFUL ATTENTION TO DETAIL.

[Printed page 13.]

BROOKS’ PATENT
Motor Saddles
For use on Motor Cycles.

We submit the following models, which we feel confident are unequalled for suitability to the purpose, either in design or construction. The Attachment Boss, which in Motor Saddles receives great strains, has had our special consideration; and our new patent Clip will be found to be absolutely secure.

B 80 Enamel 18/6 Nickel 22/6

This new Patent Saddle has our broad pattern Seat, and is specially designed to counteract, in motor tricycles, the constant leaning, caused by the slant, as well as the unevenness of the road.

— Page 7 —

[Printed pages 14 and 15. Printed page 15 illustrates an ornamentally embossed ladies’ saddle top in full, the leather worked in a dense foliate pattern around a central slot.]

[Printed page 14.]

BROOKS’ PATENT
Motor Saddles

B 90/4 Enamel 20/- Nickel 24/6

This Saddle is of a design which has met with unqualified approval. It will not sag in the centre, but yields along its entire length, giving an easy and resilient seat. Suitable also for heavy cyclists.

B 81 Enamel 24/- Nickel 28/-

A similar Saddle to B 80, but fitted with our Patent Uplifted Pads, which cause the weight to be well sustained on the broad part of the seat, preventing all injurious pressure.

[Printed page 15.]

BROOKS’ PATENT
Ladies’ Saddles

BROOKS’ PATENTED PROCESS OF EMBOSSING

We can now supply our LADIES’ SADDLES (a few patterns excepted) with top Ornamentally Embossed by our Patented Process, as here illustrated, without extra charge.

CAREFUL ATTENTION TO DETAIL.

B 85 L Enamel 12/6 Nickel 15/6

A most easy and efficient Saddle, which continues to receive the highest commendation from lady riders.

— Page 8 —

[Printed pages 18 and 19.]

[Printed page 18.]

BROOKS’ PATENT
Ladies’ Saddles

B 10 L Enamel 10/6 Nickel 12/6
B 10 L/2 size larger Enamel 12/6 Nickel 14/6

A neat Saddle for light weights, giving a firm seat with just sufficient spring.

CAREFUL ATTENTION TO DETAIL.

B 13 L Enamel 9/6 Nickel 11/6

A very light Saddle (1 lb. 4 oz.), and suitable for very light riders.

[Printed page 19.]

BROOKS’
Gear Cases

CELLULOID PANEL.—New Design.

G 149—Patent Leather 12/-

ORDER FORMS FREE ON APPLICATION, SHOWING FULL PARTICULARS REQUIRED.

New CELLULOID CASE.—Leather Border.

G 162—Patent Leather 11/6

— Page 9 —

[Printed pages 28 and 29.]

[Printed page 28.]

BROOKS’
Motor Bags

No. 8479 17/6
Best Leather, three large pockets, good straps all round. Size, 12in. × 7in. Here shown Open and Closed.

No. 8442 16/6
Best Leather, fall front, with pockets, two ring locks, loops for tools. Size, 11½in. × 6in. × 3½in.

Any Pattern made to Order.

[Printed page 29.]

BROOKS PATENT
“Challenge” Tool Bags

BROOKS’ PATENT ATTACHMENT
Enables Bag to be easily and quickly secured. Neat appearance.

BROOKS’ PATENT TOOL STRAP
Closes the Bag and at the same time firmly grips the Tools within, entirely preventing all noise.

FITTED TO ALL OUR “CHALLENGE” BAGS.

No. 7838 2/9
Size, 7½in. × 3¾in. × 1¼in.
Contains Oil Duster, and is fitted with Brooks’ Patented Improvements, as illustrated above.