In the history of motorsports, perhaps no photographer is better known than Jesse Alexander. He began photographing racing back in the mid-1950s when he went to Mexico to document the great La Carrera Panamerica. Over the ensuing decades he has photographed virtually all the great Formula One races, and more recently he has turned his attention to the Indy 500. Alexander’s classic black and white photographs have been seen in such luminary publications as Road & Track, Car and Driver, Automobile, Newsweek and Sports Illustrated. Additionally, many of his works are a part of the permanent collection of museums and automotive corporations.
Although he is still working as a motorsports photographer, Alexander is best known for his coverage of the golden years of automobile racing, 1954 –1967. During those years, captured on film the fleeting moments of the high-speed world of Formula One, photographing the great drivers and cars of the time. A recent catalog of his work, Jesse Alexander: Forty Years Of Motorsports Photography, documents those years. This retrospective has reproductions of many of the photographer’s most well known images, including Fangio at Monza, Phil Hill in the winner’s circle at the Italian Grand Prix, and perhaps his most famous photograph, the haunting portrait of Jim Clark.
Few motorsports fans can ever hope to own even one Alexander print; the prices the galleries command for one of his limited edition prints is beyond their reach. By buying this catalogue, however, it is possible to own the best photographs of the world’s preeminent motorsports photographer for under $25. Furthermore, because the book is printed on Centura dull text and the photographic plates have been reproduced with 250 line screen and are spot-varnished duo-tones, the quality of the images is incredible.
If you are an automotive enthusiast, race history buff, or just appreciate fine photography, this is one picture book you shouldn’t be without. For more information, contact At Speed Press; 805/684-8273.-- Peter D. duPre
