Found this — what I thought was a bicycle headbadge — in Northeast France a long time ago, and it's always puzzled me.
The text on the emblem reads "Jos. Hornecker" at the top and "STRASBOURG" at the bottom, with an illustration of the Strasbourg Cathedral in the center.
According to the internet, a Joseph Hornecker was a French architect born in Strasbourg in 1873 who died in Nice in 1942, was an active member of the Art Nouveau movement (École de Nancy) and designed several buildings including the Nancy Opera House built in 1919.
As far as I can tell, the architect Hornecker is not associated with the Strasbourg Cathedral or bicycles. Nor can I find any information on a different Joseph or Josef or Josiah or other such French Hornecker who built bicycle frames.
It could conceivably be some kind of architectural placard and not a bicycle headbadge, but I've not found any information on such an application either. And it really is exactly what an old bicycle headbadge would be — right size, right shape, right curvature, right mounting holes.
Any info would be appreciated.
by Schmeezy-Money