DOWN TUBE TRANSFERS
FAIRGROUND (1938 to present)
SCRIPT (1953 to 1960s, Millennium)
Fairground: the standard down tube transfer is known as the Fairground transfer; it is so-called because the font resembles that used on fairground merry-go-rounds. The earliest known intact original ones date from 1938 and 1939. Pre-War ones have red shading which fades into the gold background, whereas post-War ones have a sharp line between the red and the gold.
A smaller version of the Fairground transfer was sometimes fitted to top tubes behind the head lug; it had the same font and measured 11 cm long.
Script: a second down tube transfer is a three-color cursive one known as the Script transfer. This was introduced in 1953 and used until the mid 1960s. [Single-color gold script is a reproduction, not original.] Click here for Script.
The family name is Hetchin (no s); the bike shop was known as Hetchin's (i.e., Harry's shop). The Script transfer included the apostrophe to indicate the possessive form, whereas the Fairground transfer omitted the apostrophe.
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Below: the standard down tube transfer, FAIRGROUND type.
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Above, pre-War Fairground, red fades to gold.
Below, post-War Fairground; red/gold is the most common.
White/gold and sky-blue/gold variations are known from the early 70s.
The dark blue variation was fitted to Paul Riley's 2008 track bike.
[Green/gold is a reproduction, not original.]
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Below: later sharp-line version compared with
early fade-to-background version.
One fade-exemplar is known as late as 1953.
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Below: down tube transfer, SCRIPT type:
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Above: three-color Script, from 1953.
Below: modern reproduction (note different 'e').
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Below: a recent reproduction is more accurate.
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Below: red Script transfers were specially made for the MO Millennium.
These included the frame number of each frame.
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