Inside the Archives
By Jesse Alexander
Looking through stacks of old photographs I’m often struck by generally unseen images that didn’t “make the cut” for publication in the newspapers and magazines of their day. Often depicting groups of people in pits or paddock, they were probably judged not germane to the news of the moment, but have since become relevant simply because they document the participation of those involved.
Alexander has now assembled a collection of such never-before-published images into a visual history that reinforces our bond to this sport. There’s a row of precisely parked Lancia-Ferrari GP cars waiting to go; then a trio of young Italian boys posing next to a Porsche 718 prior to the start of the Targa Florio; we see Phil Hill drifting his Maserati 250F at Reims on the occasion of his F1 debut; and there’s Denise McCluggage crouching, camera at the ready, behind the pits in Le Mans.
I could go on, but you, pardon the expression, get the picture. A work of art in its own right, this exquisite volume will spark endless ruminations about motor racing and the history it has written. Available for US$75 (£55) from David Bull Publishing, (602) 852-9500 or www.bullpublishing.com
