Paul d'Orléans(born 11 September 1962 in

Stockton, California Stockton is a city in and the county seat of San Joaquin County, California, San Joaquin County in the Central Valley (California), Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is the most populous city in the county, the List of municipal ...

) is an American motorcycle historian, author and curator known for his expertise in motorcycle culture and history. He is the founder and editor of the website ''The Vintagent'', an online resource for motorcycle history and culture. He is a frequent contributor to motorcycle publications and has authored several books on motorcycle history and culture. d'Orléans is a vocal advocate for the preservation of vintage motorcycles and is a recognized figure in the custom motorcycle scene. He was the co-founder of the Motorcycle Film Festival, an annual event that showcases films about motorcycles and motorcycle culture.

Biography

d'Orléans was born in 1962. He grew up in

. He went to high school and then attended the

University of California, Santa Cruz The University of California, Santa Cruz (UC Santa Cruz or UCSC) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Santa Cruz, California, United States. It is one of the ten campuses in the University of C ...

, where he studied

fine art In European academic traditions, fine art (or, fine arts) is made primarily for aesthetics or creative expression, distinguishing it from popular art, decorative art or applied art, which also either serve some practical function (such as ...

. d'Orléans began his professional life as a decorative painter. His interest in motorcycles led him to become a writer, journalist and historian specializing in motorcycle culture. In 2006, d'Orléans founded ''The Vintagent'', a website dedicated to vintage and custom motorcycles. ''The Vintagent'' quickly became a popular online resource for motorcycle enthusiasts. The website features articles, historical information and photographs. d'Orléans has also written for many motorcycle publications, including ''

Cycle World ''Cycle World'' is a motorcycling magazine in the United States. It was founded in 1962 by Joe Parkhurst, who was inducted to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame as "the person responsible for bringing a new era of objective journalism" to the US. ''Cy ...

'', '' Classic Bike Guide'', ''At Large'' magazine, ''Men's File'' and '' The Automobile''. He has authored several books on motorcycles including ''The Chopper; the Real Story'' (2014), ''The Ride'' (2014) and ''The Riders: Motorcycle Adventurers, Cruisers, Outlaws, and Racers the World Over'' (2021). In 2010, d'Orléans co-founded the Motorcycle Film Festival. He is known for his work to preserve motorcycle history and to promote vintage and custom motorcycles. He is regarded as an important person in the motorcycle community. d'Orleans is a co-founder of the Motor/Cycle Arts Foundation (MC/AF), a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation and promotion of motorcycle arts and culture. The foundation works to document and celebrate motorcycle history through various mediums including film, photography, and literature. Through the MC/AF, d'Orleans has helped organize exhibitions, cultural events, and educational programs that explore the intersection of motorcycles with art, society, and technology. The foundation also works to preserve important artifacts and documents related to motorcycle culture and history.

Recognitions

d'Orléans has received recognition for his contributions to motorcycle culture. He was invited to be the guest curator for the "ADV:Overland" exhibit at the

Petersen Automotive Museum The Petersen Automotive Museum is an automobile museum located on Wilshire Boulevard along Museum Row in the Miracle Mile neighborhood of Los Angeles. One of the world's largest collections, the Petersen Automotive Museum is a nonprofit organiza ...

. He has also served as a judge for events such as the

Quail Motorcycle Gathering The Quail Motorcycle Gathering is a motorcycle rally and Concours d'Elegance held annually since 2009 at Carmel, California. Quail participants show bikes, and 100 of them ride the California Highway Patrol motor unit escorted 112 mile Quail Ride a ...

and the Concorso di Villa d'Este. d'Orléans has provided commentary at motorcycle auctions for

Bonhams Bonhams is a privately owned international auction house and one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. It was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son & Neale. This brought t ...

and

Mecum Auctions Mecum Auctions, Inc. is an American auction company specializing in collector cars and motorcycles. It was founded by Dana Mecum in 1988, and was originally based in Marengo, Illinois. Since 2011, it has been headquartered in Walworth, Wisconsin ...

, including appearances on

NBCSN NBCSN (also known as NBC Sports Network) was an American sports television television channel, channel owned by the NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It originally launched on July 1, 1995, as the Outdoor Lif ...

and

NPR National Public Radio (NPR) is an American public broadcasting organization headquartered in Washington, D.C., with its NPR West headquarters in Culver City, California. It serves as a national Radio syndication, syndicator to a network of more ...

.http://www.npr.org/2014/10/11/354875096/behind-the-motorcycles-in-easy-rider-a-long-obscured-story

References

External links

Official website
American historians American curators University of California, Santa Cruz alumni People from San Francisco American writers {{DEFAULTSORT:d'Orléans, Paul 1964 births Living people