Miscellaneous: 100 years ago, through Europe on a Harley-Davidson

It was in the spring of 1922, just over 100 years ago, that Warren R. Laity wrote a three-part account of a trip through Britain and continental Europe on a 1920 Harley-Davidson roadster (with side car) for the Harley-Davidson company magazine. His account appeared in the March, April, and May issues of "The Harley-Davidson Enthusiast." 

Although he says it's possible to enter Europe through any port, he recommends an American choosing a British point of entry, suggesting that the common language makes the transition to a new country easier than it might be through, for example, France. 

He describes his machine as "economical and dependable" and outlines the process of crating a motorcycle and having it delivered to a US port for departure, meeting the machine at the port and paying for its transport as baggage ($25, or $35 with sidecar), and also taking care of customs and other formalities, before writing about the pleasures of travel through unfamiliar lands on a motorcycle. He says "Some walk, but that is too slow, bicycling is too tiresome, and autoing too formal. The Motorcyclist may stop any moment for a prolonged view or a chat with some odd character. It is so easy to slide from the saddle to snap a picture or inspect some romantic ruin by the roadside...." 

His wanderings take him from England to Belgium, and France, and then through Switzerland, and Italy. The articles are profusely illustrated with his own photographs, and it was as a photographer that he was known (particularly for photographs of architectural subjects; he taught art history at a New Jersey women’s college that later became part of Rutgers. His special areas of interest were the history of the flying buttress and runic script on cathedrals in Europe). Warren R. Laity was my mother's father. My son Warren is named after him. Above is one of his photographs (Florence), a cover of one of the magazine issues his account appeared in, and a picture of the type of motorcycle he used (I regret that I have been unable to find a credit for the motorcycle photo).