The year is 1958.  The air is stifling hot as the cars take to the track at Remis-Gueux, France.  The engines of the cars roar to life, and then it happens. The flag drops and the cars speed off into the distance followed only by the guttural growl of exhaust.  The French Grand Prix has begun and as the last car rounds the turn out of sight the only remnants left is the odor of a gas and rubber so strong it stings as it enters the nose.  Before the end of the race one man will die, one legend will retire and one legend will be born.

It is these moments in racing history that fade as time progresses.  There are no archives, no televised broadcast for re-runs, no critical analysis on the evening sport wrap-up, just man and machine bound together by the bond of those in attendance that day.  Photos are the last vestige of remembrance these historical races have, and though many may be lost, one man’s photos stand the test of time delivering the passion and talent those drivers exuded on courses throughout the world.  

For Jesse Alexander the series of events that sent him down the path to photograph some of the greatest races of all time started with a simple hobby.  That hobby combined with a little luck moved him to photograph the rise of sport car racing in America.  

“The cars were coming in from England, and showing a whole new side of road racing.”

Road racing set an anchor deep inside Alexander and in 1954 he packed up his family and headed to Europe. They set up shop in Switzerland and traveled to races across the continent.  

“We bought a VW Bus directly from the VW factory and just went. Traveling in Europe was wonderful, great food, great hotels and no traffic. I also had a Porsche 356 and it made touring fun.”

Leaning on a number of contacts, Alexander was able to gain access to races throughout Europe. His photos and knowledge of the sport allowed him to generate a repertoire with the racers, the mechanics, and the entire scene, which in turn gave him access to document the Golden Era of Motor Sports.  He began to send his photographs and race reports to magazines in the States, and quickly became the European Editor for Sports Car Illustrated.  

“Europe became a second home. I would see the racers and the mechanics and the owners every weekend and they became family. We all learned the tracks, the turns, the straight-a-ways, it became home.”

The French Grand Prix of 1958 is Alexander’s most memorable race because he says it was the first Grand Prix for the American Phil Hill, the last race for Juan-Manuel Fangio and the last day in the life of the Italian star Luigi Musso. He calls it an anniversary.  

“I didn’t see it at the time but it was a very memorable race for those people.”

While his photographs capture the passion and drama that unfolds on the racetrack, Alexander is also a wealth of knowledge, recanting facts and details about all the races he attended.  

“Phil Hill didn’t win the race he had a problem with his helmet in the wind, it kept pulling back and bothering him.  He was also racing in a Maserati that he borrowed from a friend. Fangio also didn’t win because he was having engine problems.”

A common thread in all of his photographs are the people.  The faces may change, but he strives to capture the emotion, and the grit and grime of racing.  

“I focus on dirty hands, faces, and the human aspect of the scene. I’m not really interested in the cars but the people and the mechanics. I often photographed portraits for people and portraits are in a number of my books.”  

To capture his shots he used a Leica and a Twin Lens Reflex Camera. He says that today’s SLR cameras make shooting easy.  

“They’re ready to go so you can be ready, but in the older days you took a shot and hoped. You didn’t see it until you developed it in your bathroom. It was a different world.”

Alexander shot the majority of his photos in black and white, but at times did shoot in color. He attributes his black and white choice with trying to copy his heroes W. Eugine Smith and Cartier-Bresson.  

“I held [Smith and Cartier-Bresson] on a pedestal and wanted to do what they did. They were great photographers in WWII and I grew up looking at their photos. Color can be distracting and take away from an image but it’s all subjective.”

His choice in format has changed since those days in Europe, he has switched to a digital camera, but he still keeps that Leica camera on his desk for the occasional shot.  

“Film cameras have a wonderful feel, and the Leica makes you feel like a pro. It was used by some of the greatest photographers in the world and it is simple to use.”  

Today Alexander, 81, no longer chases the roar of the engine down the track, but that doesn’t mean his life has slowed down. He has archived all of the photographs he took during his travels and spends his time developing those prints into gallery portraits. He will be holding an Exhibition of his photographs at the Fairfield County Concourse d’Elegance this September. GSM

www.jessealexander.com