He worked as the London correspondent for the Birmingham Post for 25 years, moving to Cycling Weekly in the late 1970s, and the latter paid tribute when he died saying “there are few people whose love of cycling was as all-encompassing as that of journalist David Taylor”.
The items were consigned by Taylor’s wife, an existing client of the saleroom. The bidding was mainly online and on the phone, comprising collectors and cycling enthusiasts.
One of the lots sold in Surrey on September 15 included a wide array of programmes and menu cards from Games ranging from the 1924 Paris Olympics to Melbourne in 1956. Empire games also featured.
The London 1948 event was a particular highlight, with, for example, two menu cards from a dinner to honour the members of the British cycling team. One was signed by most of the members of the track team and the road team, including silver medallists Alan Bannister, Ernie Clements, Gordon Thomas, Ian Scott, and bronze medallists Tommy Godwin, Wilfred Waters, David Ricketts and Robert Geldard, while the other signed by most of the road team.
The track cycling events were held at the Herne Hill Velodrome in south London. Road race events were held in Windsor Great Park, south of Windsor. All were male only.
Estimated at £100-150, the group was catalogued as “in a condition relative to its age” and sold for £1400.
An item from a collection of rare late 19th and early 20th century Continental and British cycling trade catalogues, advertisements, patents, maps and cycle touring guides that made £1600 at Catherine Southon.
A group of early cycling ephemera, mostly programmes relating to World Championship events sold as a single lot took £550, 10 times low estimate. British interest included a programme for day 10 of the 1970 world championships in Leicester, along with a cotton musette with printed design and location card; two programmes for the 1973 cyclocross world championships held in Crystal Palace Park, London; and a programme for the 1983 cyclocross world championships in Birmingham.
Sold at £380 at Catherine Southon, a group featured late 19th and 20th century ephemera relating primarily to the history of British cycling clubs and races.
Meanwhile, Taylor’s collection of rare late 19th and early 20th century Continental and British cycling trade catalogues, advertisements, patents, maps and cycle touring guides made £1600 against a guide of £80-120.
