Screw that. If I'm shopping in the 60's, I'm bringing back a container of Lambrettas.

You mean of this kind:



Lambretta 125LD of 1957 with mystery machine...

Best,
F

Ha, ha, very nice. French LDs are VERY rare in the US. A friend had a German NSU LC. I was very jealous!

Nah, I was thinking of a container of SX200s. Much better resale value!

missionhb wrote:You mean of this kind . . . Lambretta 125LD of 1957 with mystery machine...

François, en tant que mes enfants d'adolescent pourrait indiquer, vous sont trop frais pour l'école -- ou, peut-être, pour ce site Web.

Merci beaucoup pour la photographie.

missionhb wrote:You mean of this kind:
Lambretta 125LD of 1957 with mystery machine...

François, is there anything you own that is NOT cool?!

Okay, here is a small rejoinder:



Mine goes faster.
d

Hi all,

A funny ad and a shot from an exhibition regarding the Gaggia Gilda (probably Achille Gaggia is one of the guys showing off here, anybody knows?)



The text says something like: "It was scientifically demonstrated that the stimulating and tonic properties of coffee have positive effects on the human organism. However, its method of preparation is detrimental to both its chemical contents and taste. GAGGIA has now resolved this problem by mechanizing the simple and antique Napoletan coffee brewer concept, thus creating the "GILDA", a small machine for family use. Thanks to the GILDA - a machine that offers in its small dimentions the same quality as the machines found in the most prestigious bars - It will now be possible to erogate the natural "Crema Caffe Gaggia" within a domestic perimeter"



Cheers,
F

This human organism, after receiving the stimulation of coffee prepared in a way not detrimental to its chemical contents or taste resolved to move all the images in the first post from 'photobucket' to the HB server and update the post to reflect new information found in these pages, and the job is done

Please take a look and let me know if there is any miss-labeling or other mistakes in there!

Regards, Henry

Great Job!
Thanks, Henry

There's a 220V Mini Gagia with steam wand on Ebay right now. Probably a good place to snag a photo (and maybe a machine if you either have 220v or don't mind the conversion. It's also a different color (blue) and possibly a newer model. I couldn't quite figure out if the unusual switch/light is due to it being newer or probably European. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI....&item=200286548224

I found a picture of Achille Gaggia presenting one of his machines (hydraulic group) to the Italian president in charge at the moment:



Back to the "Gaggia Gilda" exhibition:

Would you say that Achille is the first one starting from left?

ManSeekingCoffee wrote:Probably a good place to snag a photo ...

Nice one, Christian, I added it to the first post.

François, I think you found the right guy! I remember a Gilda user posted the "showing off the Gilda" photo a year or two ago, at the time I thought Gaggia was the proud looking guy looking at the camera, not the bemused guy off to the side!

BTW, that is the most artistic hydraulic group I've ever seen... perhaps the face cast on it is an image of the president?

Regards, Henry

Hi All,

Here is a "Mokacream", "Famiglia" model, in perfect condition. Open boiler, spring double lever. I believe from the mid 50'S. Probably one of my favourite.

Best,
F

Built-in knockbox?
Even the new Slayer machine doesn't have that!
Every time you post here i wonder how come you get all the cool stuff. Is the little knob on the back the thermostat adjustment?

Hi Bluecold,

The little knob just serves to open the rear flap of the boiler to fill it. There's no thermostat on this machine.
Appart from its intriguing design, this machine has an "avant-garde" particularity:



The portafilter basket is endowed with smoe sort of "cream intensifier": its bottom is made of a first screen hold in place with a circlip, followed by a thin space, and eventually a secondary much smaller sieve.

Best,
F.

Wow! That is a crazy design.

I was just looking at patents for crema devices... the ones in English, at least, are all quite new (80's and later). Could this be one of the earliest 'crema enhancer'? It probably was one of the first 'cafe-type-espresso' machines directed at the home market...

(ie back in the day home users either used moka pots for 'home-type-espresso' or lever machines for 'cafe-type-espresso')

Regards, Henry

Henry- greetings!

The "back in the day " comment for Italy is still today..I have two friends and neighbors who just relocated from Italy in the last year.. they were amused by all my interest in espresso

The first time I ate dinner at their home, they asked if I wanted an espresso after wonderful Italian meal..I of course was bursting with anticipation........ They whisked out their Moka pot , proudly brewed me a "cup of espresso" and served it as such..

They couldn't think of any body they knew in Italy that didn't use a MOKA pot at home...They thought I was crazy....