coming of age at the ace cafe
TRANSCRIPT
An exhibition by Coventry Transport Museum UK
and Ace Cafe LondonAvailable for worldwide hire
About The Ace Cafe
Planned as a transport cafe for lorry drivers during the 1930s, the United Kingdom’s Ace Cafe on London's North Circular Road quickly became a place where motorbike riders gathered.
In the 1950s the Ace became the destination for a new breed of motorcycle riders; teenagers who met there to listen to rock 'n' roll, and to burn up the road doing The Ton - the magic speed.
They were daring and dangerous, and their lifestyle has influenced fashion, music and motorbikes ever since.
The café fell out of favour during the 1960s, and by the end of the decade it had closed down. Over the years the building was used as a tyre fitting shop and a garage among other things, until in the late 1990s Mark Wilsmore decided to try to restore the building to its former use.
The Ace Cafe was finally ‘fully’ reopened in 2001, and has continued to attract car and motorcycle enthusiasts, locals, and those who appreciate one of the best breakfasts in North London, ever since.
About Coming Of Age At The Ace Cafe
This exhibition, which ran at Coventry Transport Museum in the United Kingdom throughout the Summer of 2011, depicts the Ace Cafe in its heyday during the late 1950s early 1960s. It explores the Leather Boy or ‘Rocker’ subculture of the period and shows how the Ace was an integral part of that culture.
The exhibition explores the music, fashion, movies and bikes that were vital to the Leather Boys. It also explores who the Leather Boys were and gives some indication of why they became part of this social group.
The exhibition also details the history of the Ace Cafe from the start, before World War II, to its rebirth in the early 21st century.
The exhibition comprises bikes from the late 1950s and early 1960s, showing the sort of machines the Leather Boys rode. There is also a period Jukebox playing original tracks from the period, as well as clothing and musical instruments which are as iconic as the bikes and the cafe itself.
This innovative and immersive new exhibition is available for hire either in full or in part, from October 2011 onwards.
* Exhibition is modular and therefore scalable
* Items from your own collection can be displayed within the exhibition framework
* Costs are dependent on scale and location of your venue
