Ryan submitted a new blog post: Eric Rickman & The Drag Safari Continue reading the Original Blog Post
I love Rickman's work.. so uncomplicated. and each picture tells a story... very clean and a very much Documentary " style.
News & interviews with Jack Gobble. The strip was in Pocatello. The interview was in Idaho Falls 52 miles up the road - no TV station in Poky ...
Great trove of shots - Was surprised to see Big Daddy Don's 1st rail on the right. Eric Rickman & The Drag Safari Continue reading the Original Blog Post[/QUOTE]
The safety safari even traveled up to New England in '55 or '56 visiting Sanford, Maine's strip. Our club president Jere Sheehan beamed every time he told the story of when Hot Rod showed up at the drag strip.
Because my "passion" was a little different than most car guys, I got to meet and know many great names from the past. The people who made the sport what it is today. I wanted to help people remember the contributions they made and the memories they created. I had the chance to meet and talk with Rick on numerous occasions over many years, as I was fortunate enough to have been able to restore two vehicles that he took pictures when originally built and then again when restored.
Back in 1975, I went into a second hand/thrift store, just looking at cool junk and stuff. I found a cool, not too beat up old school pith helmet, that had the words on the front that said, " SAFETY SAFARI " I bought it for $5.00. I just thought it was cool, at that time I had no idea of what the safety safari was, or what it was related to. I had it for about a year, and then it got lost at some wild party/kegger back then!
@Ryan - Great stuff! I've long admired Eric "Rick" Rickman's work as a "Photojournalist" ... his photos epitomized the old adage: "A picture is worth a thousand words"! I first "met" him in the '70s ... when he & my father (a professional photographer by trade) would have conversations at various motorsports events. I say "met" because I actually never talked to him until the late '80s (i.e., I was just a "fly on the wall" during his discussions with my dad). Here's one of my photos of Rick that I shot at the 40th Bonneville Nats in 1988: Ace HRM photog Eric Rickman passes some words of wisdom onto @Rich Venza (black Isky hat) while Garlits waits patiently in the drivers seat. Rod Kempkis holds the canopy open and listens in on the conversation.
E. Rick Mann was to hot rod photography as Ansel Adams was to landscape photography. I've often thought he had a great life. Think of getting paid to go to all kinds of major race events and shoot photos of some of the most important cars of the time. He used to drive his early Corvette with Olds motor from shop to shop in LA to see what builders were up to. Imagine having the kind of access he had to the big hitters too numerous to name. Most racers and builders welcomed him because he was the guy with the key to the treasure chest. If you were a speed equipment manufacturer, showing up in Hot Rod meant huge exposure. Racers looking for exposure to potential sponsors wanted their cars in the mag. It appears that there were a lot of pretty girls seeking exposure as well, judging from the number of them we see in his photos. Truly a life well lived.
All pretty amazing thanks Ryan. But this? I need more of this. The side mounted radiator, the removable body. Any more info?
For Safety Safari in NJ in 1954 see: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum...ing-association-part-2.1067258/#post-12112674
This particular photo from the gallery looks to be from Halls, TN. The Safety Safari made a stop there on the 'round the country trip in '55. Notice the Dyersburg, Tenn. on the door of the truck, town just north of Halls, and the Tennessee shaped tags on the tow car. Good stuff.
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