Out of the Shadows
By Roger Lane
In the late 1960s, by a chance meeting, Roger Lane was given a brief by film manufacturer Agfa-Gevaert that most motor racing fans would have given their right arm to do. In short, he was asked to capture the atmosphere and ambience of Grand Prix motor racing in photos using the latest color film. Lane was no stranger to either motor racing, or, more importantly, a camera. From a motor racing point of view he was a track marshall, and photography was a genuine hobby—he was a member of his local amateur photographic society.
In words and pictures, some 40 years later, Lane has made public his experiences. The evocative cover photo shows Jackie Stewart in the BRM at Monaco exiting Mirabeau, and immediately transports the reader back to the days when motor racing was in its “golden” era. Many of the previously unpublished photos, even those of questionable quality, have that same emotional impact. They are supported by well-written light text that illustrates the simplicity and naivety of the era, while always being aware of the inherent dangers of the sport—together with period notes of each event, the cars, the characters, and his personal experiences. If there is any criticism at all, it is that only four circuits are illustrated, Monaco, Silverstone, Brands Hatch, and Thruxton, the addition of further locations would have made this good book great. However, it is a must for all aficionados of 1960s motor racing, stirring every nostalgic nerve in those who can recall those heady times, and educating the more younger minds of the “good old days.”
Available for US$40 (£25) directly from the publisher, Halsgrove Press, at www.halsgrove.com. World-wide shipping.
