Geoff Duke, TT (Tourist Trophy) rider and Britain’s first motorcycling superstar (1923-2015)

Date(s): c.1950

Scope & Content: Geoff Duke with his motorcycle (number 48) talking to race officials.

Geoff Duke was born in St Helens, Lancashire on 29 March 1923. Duke began racing at the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy (TT) after war service as an army dispatch rider. Between 1949 and 1959 Duke notched up six TT wins, first with Norton and then Gilera. He also dominated world motorcycling, with six World Championship titles in the 1950s.

Geoff Duke typified the TT rider of the 1950s. Suave and sophisticated in his one piece racing suit he and his contemporaries – men like John Surtees – were a generation away from the ‘greasy’ mechanics of the 1930s.

Duke was named Sportsman of the Year in 1951, and awarded an OBE in 1953. The Duke name continues with Britain’s premier motorsport video distributors, Duke Marketing, based in the Isle of Man. He died aged 92 on 1 May 2015.

Language: eng

Extent: overall: 19 cm x 21 cm

Physical description: black and white photograph

Item name: photograph

Collection: Photographic Archive

Level: ITEM

ID number: PG/8268

Subject tags : #TT&MOTORSPORT

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