1939: The Indianapolis 500

You know the famous photo of the Sailor kissing the girl in Times Square on V-E day? Well, Alfred Eisenstaedt was the photographer who took that image for Life magazine. He was also sent Indy by the magazine just a few years before we entered WWII, to document the biggest event in American motor racing on May 30th, 1939. Funny enough, Eisenstaedt didn’t take any photos of the famous Indy Pagoda, the iconic Borg-Warner trophy, or even Floyd Robert’s fatal crash that day. Instead he focused mainly on capturing the racers, their pit crew, track workers and the spectators as they were in the moment; the people who make the Indianapolis 500 such an inspiring event to attend. I hope these 80-year-old, yet timeless, beautiful photos inspire you a bit as well…