Thanks for the kind words, guys. Much appreciated!
While I'm at it, here's some information on the Devos brand.
There were several Devos shops in Belgium, but I coudn't find anything on this one until I had the bike in my hands and noticed "Handzame" on the headbadge. Handzame is a small town in the Flemish Westhoek region. And as it turns out, the Westhoek has a
wonderful historical website, with a lot of old pics. Including many of Handzame and the Devos shop.
From this, its history can be more or less reconstructed. The pictures are linked from the above-mentioned website, where you can find bigger copies.
Sometime before the Great War pub owner Jules Devos opened a shop in 'Velos en Naaimachienen' (bicycles and sewing machines) in a corner of his pub.
Here Jules (on the right, with flat cap) posing in front of his pub in September 1913:
At some point during the interbellum Jules's son Adhemar took over the business. The pub was replaced by a new building, where the focus was on the bike business.
Adhemar Devos in front of his successful shop with wife and child in 1942:
In 1945 the pub is closed, and the building is completely dedicated to the bike business:
Devos sponsored a cycling team from 1947 to 1954. Here's a happy Adhemar with two of his prize winners:
It looks like in the early days Devos may have built their own frames, but I get the impression from the pictures that after WWII they were bought from other manufacturers (of which Belgium had quite a few).
Check out the plastic-wrapped frames behind a certain Emperor of Herentals, who visited the shop in 1969:
Another shot of the same shop, at the opening of the new showroom in 1969. Nr 5 is Gerda Devos, Adhemar's daughter who would take over the shop when he retired.
Devos also sponsored the local riding club. Adhemar is nr 2 on the left. The bike on the left in this picture from the eighties looks familiar:
Gerda ran the shop until her death in 2008. After that the building has been sold a couple of times to real estate developers. Latest plans I've found spoke of turning it into apartments.
Lastly, my favorite Devos picture. The rider is Roger Olivier, on a Devos. No date, but I estimate it was taken around 1950. Check out the details
here.
