23 replies to this topic

[fuzzi]

Race and Speed Event Photographs

I have been commissioned to produce a book on the race and speed event sites of the British Isles. The ms is complete and I am trying to source photographs of a representative selection for some of the courses. I have a budget for photographs, but this is being swallowed by the professional sources leaving me with some big holes. I can use up to 200 photos in the book and will have around 100 from professionals.

There are (or were) over 760 race, sprint, or hill climb sites in the British Isles, so with 200 images I am only going to be scratching the surface. I am looking for good-sized prints or 300dpi scans (particularly black and white) which give some idea of the venue, include a car/driver combination that were particularly associated with the venue, or who held class or the out-right record (but I will take a good image of you coming third in class if it’s all I can get). Friends are, and have been searching through their shoe boxes and albums but I would be very grateful if TNF members could have a root around and see if they have anything I could use.

Please caption any prints – preferably with a sticky label on the back telling me who, where, when and what happened. I’ve been told by the publishers that ballpoint pen captions on the back can be picked up when setting up the print for publication. Please do not forget to say how you would like the print credited and let me have an address for their return.

I am particularly in need of images for Ireland (Eire and Northern Ireland) Wales (so-far I have only Pendine), and Scotland (apart from Rest-and-be-Thankful and Bo’Ness) and the Channel Islands. Also I don’t have a good image of Reg Phillips, Roy Lane or Peter Westbury, all of whom I want to include.

Please have a look at what you have, especially if you inherited an album from your father or grandfather. If you think you may have something but could take some time to put your hands on it then please let me know, the deadline is not set in stone.

You can contact me on:

hunt4us@btinternet.com

Or on 01342 834338 (please leave a message if no immediate reply and I’ll call you back)

[E1pix]

I just PMed you.

Good Luck with your fascinating project!

[Ted Walker]

Dont forget COPYRIGHT !!!!!

[E1pix]

Dont forget COPYRIGHT !!!!!

A point always worthy of making....

[RS2000]

I'd assumed from what was written in the first post that copyright was very much in mind? Reminders warranted in so many cases but do we have to always offer specific assurances?
From current experience helping revise a Lotus Cortina site, I'm amazed how many professional photos are wrongly captioned, despite being paid for. The one source where I've found no errors on that score doing this task are those from a certain Mr. Walker!

On topic, best of luck with sprints. I once took a bet that it would be impossible to produce a sprint list equivalent to Chris Mason's "Uphill Racers" hillclimb list, as there are too many obscure and one-off venues and defunct clubs.

Edited by RS2000, 14 September 2011 - 10:26.

[Ted Walker]

RS2000 / If you are coming to Goodwood please come and see me as I would like to put a face to the handle !!!!!Thank you for the kind remarks

[Stephen W]

On topic, best of luck with sprints. I once took a bet that it would be impossible to produce a sprint list equivalent to Chris Mason's "Uphill Racers" hillclimb list, as there are too many obscure and one-off venues and defunct clubs.

It is the lack of club records that is the biggest problem. This is possibly at its worst when two clubs amalgamate and the "senior" club absorbs the "junior" club which usually entails the distruction of all the paperwork from the "junior" club.

[fuzzi]

A number of people have picked this up and offered help for which I'm very grateful (you know who you are)

I have very little coverage for Wales (Anglesey and Pendine with Rhydymwyn coming); Scotland (so far: - Alford, Bo'Ness, The Rest, Fintray, and Knockhill); and simply nothing for Northern Ireland or Eire.

I'm hoping to pick up photos of Craigantlet, Phoenix Park Dundrod and The Ards TT Course from LAT - but I also wanted to use them for the early stuff.

I take Ted's point about copyright and repro fees - it is for that reason I'm after good quality personal photos.

Please have a root about and see what you can find.

Edited by fuzzi, 20 September 2011 - 10:47.

[David McKinney]

I take Ted's point about copyright and repro fees - it is for that reason I'm after good quality personal photos.

...which are still copyright, and may be subject to repro fees

[fuzzi]

...which are still copyright, and may be subject to repro fees

I appreciate your point David. I have so far been offered photographs taken by the person making the offer and will use them with their permission with the photograph credited to them. I am not trying to circumvent copyright law or evade paying reproduction fees.

I hope that clears things up.

[David McKinney]

My tongue was in my cheek, Julian

[D-Type]

Julian,
How obscure do you want to go?
I have half a dozen 35mm transparencies of a hillclimb at the Lade Braes caravan site, St Andrews, Scotland circa 1969. I can't name the cars, but the photos show the sea and the castle in the background.
If you're interested send me a PM with your address and I'll pop them in the post.

[elansprint72]

...which are still copyright, and may be subject to repro fees

Every time I look at the "cut-away drawing" thread I wonder if any of the posters hold the copyright!

[D-Type]

Every time I look at the "cut-away drawing" thread I wonder if any of the posters hold the copyright!

Tony Matthews most certainly does!

[elansprint72]

Tony Matthews most certainly does!

Indeed so, but I don't see him putting his work up too often (quite rightly) I think you get my point.

[Tim Murray]

Depends on your definition of 'often'. There are around 140 drawings by Tony Matthews in the cutaways thread.

Edited by Tim Murray, 20 September 2011 - 23:35.

[elansprint72]

Depends on your definition of 'often'. There are around 140 drawings by Tony Matthews in the cutaways thread.

140 out of 9981. I withdraw the word often.

[fuzzi]

Julian,
How obscure do you want to go?
I have half a dozen 35mm transparencies of a hillclimb at the Lade Braes caravan site, St Andrews, Scotland circa 1969. I can't name the cars, but the photos show the sea and the castle in the background.
If you're interested send me a PM with your address and I'll pop them in the post.

I have pm'ed you.

And in answer to the first question, as obscure as they come!

[Dounehillracer]

I have pm'ed you.

And in answer to the first question, as obscure as they come!

Just a small point - the hill climbs at St Andrews were held ay Kinkell Caravan site (outside St Andrews) - not Lade Braes, an area in the centre of St Andrews!

The hill climbs formed part of the Scottish championship and petered out around 30 years ago when the local motor club folded. The original course had a very long, flat straight after the start but there was a problem - a drop over a high cliff to the North Sea below if your brakes failed. The revised climb - beginning on the corner at the end of the straight never had the same appeal.
Entrants in the 70s included John Cleland and notable cars took in everything from an ERA (Bill Morris, I think), the famous chopped roof VITA Mini, and even a Can Am monster (Robin Smith?), which really got wound up on the original straight.

[Robin Fairservice]

I have some Black & White pictures of a sprint at Ramsgate in July 1953, and some from Great Auclum in August 1961 if they would be of interest. They are all scanned and I could let you see the scans if you send me a PM with your E mail address.

[D-Type]

Just a small point - the hill climbs at St Andrews were held ay Kinkell Caravan site (outside St Andrews) - not Lade Braes, an area in the centre of St Andrews!

The hill climbs formed part of the Scottish championship and petered out around 30 years ago when the local motor club folded. The original course had a very long, flat straight after the start but there was a problem - a drop over a high cliff to the North Sea below if your brakes failed. The revised climb - beginning on the corner at the end of the straight never had the same appeal.
Entrants in the 70s included John Cleland and notable cars took in everything from an ERA (Bill Morris, I think), the famous chopped roof VITA Mini, and even a Can Am monster (Robin Smith?), which really got wound up on the original straight.

Thanks for the correction. But I think that in 1970 it was possibly the Kinkell Braes caravan site and hillclimb. I must have got the "Braes" name from somewhere. (Although I know of the Laede Braes walk along the Laede Burn, it wasn't from there).

[Dounehillracer]

Thanks for the correction. But I think that in 1970 it was possibly the Kinkell Braes caravan site and hillclimb. I must have got the "Braes" name from somewhere. (Although I know of the Laede Braes walk along the Laede Burn, it wasn't from there).

Your memory serves you well - it was known as Kinkell Braes (brae is Scots for a hill!).

It's still a caravan site today - although when it was used for hill climbs it was off-season and there were no caravans on the hill.

It's now an all-year caravan site, but you can still drive the old course, although you'll have to dodge a few washing lines...

[WillHenderson]

Motor Racing events were also held on the beach at St.Andrews in the late 40's early 50s.

[fuzzi]

And the Sand Races can be viewed this piece of newsreel:

http://ssa.nls.uk/film.cfm?fid=1435