The Motorcycle: Design, Art, Desire PREVIEW - 1912 Henderson Four
The Motorcycle: Design, Art, Desire’ opens at Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) on 28 November, 2020, and runs through to 26 April, 2021.
Presenting the motorcycle as a design object, the exhibition will feature over 100 bikes, documenting almost 150 years of motorcycle history - from the 1870s to the present day.
Henderson was an American-made motorcycle brand that debuted in 1912. While the tandem seat layout is the first thing you notice about this bike, what was more important was its mechanical componentry, which was advanced for the period and exceptional given this was the first motorcycle that Henderson produced.
The specification included a crank-start 965cc (60ci) four-cylinder engine with mechanical valves and splash lubrication, dual pedals for the rear brake, a magneto and a clutch – the latter feature virtually unheard of when this bike was introduced more than a century ago.
Two American adventurers had enough faith in the Henderson Four that they attempted to ride a pair of them around the world. One rider dropped out within days, but the other rode on, completing the journey ten months and more than 18,000 miles (29,000km) later.
Today, only six examples of the Henderson Four from 1912 (the first year of production) are thought to exist worldwide and the unit going on show in Brisbane is arguably the best of those survivors. The value of first-year Hendersons is reflected in an unrestored example selling for almost US$500,000 at a US auction in 2017.
The Motorcycle: Design, Art, Desire opens on 28 November, 2020 and runs to 26 April, 2021. To purchase tickets, go to: https://www.qagoma.qld.gov.au/
For more information, exhibition updates and details on GOMA’s COVID-SAFE plan, go to: https://www.qagoma.qld.gov.au/
Source: Clyde Crouch Collection
Photo: Robert La Prelle
