Ryan submitted a new blog post: Time Archive Photos - In Color!!! Continue reading the Original Blog Post
Hey Ryan, That is one great post on what the scene looked like in living color. Those photographers had the best equipment that big corporations could buy. So, the results should be outstanding...and they were/are. 4x4 Speed Graphic cameras, Hassleblad 2.25 and probably Nikon/Leica 35mm with the accessory lenses we all drool over were the mainstays. How could they not come out fabulous? It would have been fun to be the photographer at those early meets. We never were able to get to the Santa Ana drags from our Long Beach house. But, I have been on the physical property for some photo shoots much later. We drive by that exact spot in Santa Ana near the John Wayne Airport almost weekly, these days. (Granddaughter duties...) It definitely has changed a lot. Kudos to those photographers that captured the history from way back then. It really was wide open Orange County with lots of rows of Orange Tree groves, not over developed cities as it is today. Jnaki I am sure these photos made your recovery feel much better. Thanks for the fabulous history timeline post.
These are all medium format... And since these guys were Time Mag funded, I'm guessing these photos were all taken on a then new Hasselblad 500C.
The photos are unreal. Almost as unreal as this “So after yesterday’s post, I got an email from the photo editor of Time Magazine…” Can you imagine getting that email in 1999? Crazyness
Kodachrome, gives us the nice bright colors,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I wish there was a Kodachrome filter for Photoshop
Great pics, and I was surprised in the captions that they used the term "dragsters" to refer to the racers, not the cars. I'm 72, and I don't remember the word ever being used that way. But then I forget a lot of things any more....
I was curious about Eagle Mt. and did some digging. http://www.airfields-freeman.com/TX/Airfields_TX_FtWorth_NW.htm You have to page down a bit and look find Eagle Mountain Lake Marine Corps Air Station.
A few of us from Ft. Worth did some digging about the early car clubs in the area and the “Guard base” as it was referred to was the place to be for sure. I appreciate the color shots those are amazing. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
A Forman at the local GM plant ran a white 3 window back them. His wife drove it also. I gave him a copy of the magazine. He commented that his wife had run an beat the red 5 window in the flagmans picture. He offered me some powder puff trophies from all over. Heck I didn't want any powder puff trophies. Dumb, dumb dumb!!!! Decision. Now I can't locate a number for him.
During my time here I have seen these photos several times. They are a perfect example of capturing moments in time to enjoy over and over. They also showcase the professionalism of the artists and their tools of the trade. Life is a force continuing to deliver our evolution now as they did then. They would be lesser without us and we would be lesser without them. Great examples of the time and things we celebrate here. Thanks for sharing these gems from the past. A special thanks also to those who have that extra capability to drop jaws with their artistic handle on the art of photography.
I'll get bored and screw around trying to replicate Kodachrome on digital pics and haven't been able to come close. I would also think someone would have by now.
I like to imagine my dad as a car crazy 13 year old and whether he made it out to Eagle Mountain to watch the races. I know he had the drag racing bug hard by age 18. I need to ask my mom if she remembers any of these car clubs in the shot with all the embroidered shirts. So cool.
HOLE E COW I have never seen that many Oldsmobile's together at one time in my entire life,what a cool photo! HRP
love those time warp photos... comforting to not see a backwards baseball cap... or even a baseball cap period...
I am very fortunate to have attended the drags at the "Guard base"..Eagle Mtn and Caddo Mills were where it was all happening..I was living in Dallas in those days...
After viewing the copies Ryan posted.only three were from Eagle Mountian Drags..The one with all the backs showing club names...Believe it or not,The lady on front row,sitting on a tire.(second from far right Is Ruth Ann Langley.you can clearly read her Scorpion shirt.Another member is also in the photoThe Scorpion is in foreground if you look close All the shirts with T.C.M.A.A are the member club in charge of operations. TARRANT COUNTY MODIFIED ANTIQUE AUTOS
@Ryan - Great Stuff ... Thanks for sharing! FYI ... B&W versions of several of these Kodachrome images were used in the "THE DRAG RACING RAGE" article that appeared in the April 29th 1957 issue of LIFE magazine:
The Jalopy Journal
