Well known motorcycle dealers, Hitchcocks Motorcycles based in Solihull are the new owners and custodians of Don Morley’s photographic archive.

In a statement issued on their social media on Thursday 19th September 2024, they announced that the company are now copyright owners of a substantial collection of some of the world’s best photographic images.

Their statement read: “Hitchcocks Motorcycles are thrilled to announce that they are now owners, copyright holders and custodians of the Don Morley photography archive collection.

This amazing collection covers more than five decades of motorcycle racing including Grand Prix, Isle of Man TT and many off road events such as the ISDT.

The 1950’s and 60’s are often considered the golden years of GP racing, and this collection has a superb selection of images from that era. Names such as Geoff Duke, John Surtees, Mike Hailwood and Bob McIntyre are just some of the riders that feature in the archive. There are also excellent images that depict the many privateers that battled for world championship points.

The 1970’s, a time of great technological change are extremely well represented with images including Jarno Saarinen, Kenny Roberts and Barry Sheene, a fabulous photographic documentation of that 2 stroke era.

The collection contains images that reach into the new millennium, a coverage of over fifty years of racing.

We are implementing plans to digitize the archive, a tall order given an estimated 750,000 images including monochrome film and transparency slides.“

Trials Guru are delighted that Don Morley’s work will be in very safe and responsible hands and we wish Hitchcocks all success with whatever they feel they should put Don’s fantastic photographs to use.

John Moffat of Trials Guru said: “I am pleased to see that a long established and reputable firm has been able to ensure that Don Morley’s images are safe. I have known Don since the late 1980s and have utmost respect for him, he is the ultimate professional. I’m sure Hitchcocks will manage Don’s archive as Don will have wanted.”

Recently Trials Guru released a full article on Don and it can be read HERE.