THE BOOK...
THE BOOK...
through the lens of Charlie Laird
To do justice to the exceptional artistic vision and “maverick” spirit of Charlie (Chuck) Laird, we decided to choose a size for the book that came as close as possible to the proportions of his original slides and negatives. We also chose not to “clean up” the originals in order to maintain what he saw through his lens, all those years ago. This helps take us back in time and to marvel at the incredible skill needed to capture those GODS at speed using the “archaic” technology they had at their disposal at the time. You can “smell” the hot rubber of the tyres, you can “feel” your eardrums buzz as the cars flash past and you can “hear” exactly what they are saying to each other through their cheeky glances, even though they never actually opened their mouths. The rawness, the excitement and the danger reach out and embrace you from the pages.
Only on a very few pages did we “enhance” the pictures using minimal amounts of “modern graphics” to emphasise the graphic effect of the page without changing Charlie’s original intention. Some are purposely, hard to notice.
These choices gave us a book size which could only be realised by making it by hand. Each one of the 025, “LTD. RACING EXHIBITION EDITION.” and the subsequent 025 "LTD. RACING COLLECTION EDITION." books are made by expert book craftsmen with generations of experience. Each one is individually crafted, meaning no two books are exactly the same. The smooth, satin 170gm pages are bound by a hard cover and safely housed in a Solander case, which in turn, is protected by its numbered transport box.
050 INDIVIDUALLY HAND CRAFTED - NO TWO BOOKS ARE EXACTLY THE SAME…
NUMBERED: LTD. RACING EXHIBITION EDITION.
THE BOOK...
Please note: VINTAGE HINCHMAN RACE SUIT IS NOT INCLUDED & USED FOR DEMONSRATION ONLY
Commercial Rights: ALL RIGHTS FOR ALL PHOTOGRAPHS IN THE BOOK & PORTFOLIO ARE HELD BY VELIA WORTMAN
FOREWORD BY DEREK BELL MBE.
To try and capture an authentic feel of that era, we wanted the colours in the book to accurately emulate those from the iconic posters created by Olt Aicher for the 1972 Munich Olympics. His graphics for ’72 still stand out today, as does the design of the Olympic stadium, which remains one of the most unique pieces of architecture of all time. One of his posters, in particular, unites his graphics and the stadium design through dramatic swathes of bold blues and greens. It was his blue which most seemed able to transport us back to ’72. Through this “Munich Blau”, together with his vivid green, now called “Stadion Green”, we are further assisted in our ability to travel back in time. The blue edging on the book required a new technique to perfectly capture Munich Blau.
Hopefully, the design of these pages helps you momentarily slip back to a time when anything seemed possible…
Each “LTD. RACING EDITIONS.” chassis plate was hand-hammered in 2026, but with the very same tools used by the teams in the ‘60s and ‘70s. The stamping tools are exactly the same age as the pictures in the book. It is a faithful reproduction of the plate design used by the BRUCE MCLAREN MOTOR RACING LTD. in the ‘60s and ‘70s.
THE 050 “CHASSIS PLATES” EVOKE THOSE FROM THE TEAMS. MADE BY TOOLS AS OLD AS THE PICTURES
NUMBERED: LTD. RACING EXHIBITION EDITION.
THE BOOK...
Please note: VINTAGE HINCHMAN RACE SUIT IS NOT INCLUDED & USED FOR DEMONSRATION ONLY
Commercial Rights: ALL RIGHTS FOR ALL PHOTOGRAPHS IN THE BOOK & PORTFOLIO ARE HELD BY VELIA WORTMAN
Each section explains different aspects of what the reasons could have been, that made the drivers able to pilot those lethal machines, despite the ever present danger and what might have been behind the negligence displayed by officials, engineers and the fans. Le Mans legend, Derek Bell MBE opens the book with his invaluable insights. It was a time when fatalities were almost expected, as collectively, they anticipated the next high speed “gladiatorial combat” at the next race, where the race would continue even if a driver lay trapped inside a burning car. No one came to his rescue. An approach that would make us all shudder, today!
WE WOULD SHUDDER TODAY... DRIVERS WERE TRAPPED IN BURNING CARS AS THE RACE JUST CARRIED ON...
NUMBERED: LTD. RACING EXHIBITION EDITION.
THE BOOK...
Please note: VINTAGE HINCHMAN RACE SUIT IS NOT INCLUDED & USED FOR DEMONSRATION ONLY
Commercial Rights: ALL RIGHTS FOR ALL PHOTOGRAPHS IN THE BOOK & PORTFOLIO ARE HELD BY VELIA WORTMAN
Who else but Jo Siffert could sell Steve McQueen a Porsche 917 race car for the filming of “Le Mans” without an engine or gearbox! Siffert’s friend and sculptor Jean Tingely had a working Formula 1 car in his bedroom, who’s wife was the one that most appreciated it! Spanish police tried to yank Graham Hill out of his car on the grid just as the cars were about to start. Ronnie Peterson was hoping his car wouldn’t break down at the Belgian Grand Prix as the local police would arrest him the moment his car stopped. Spectators in Mexico sat right on the track as the race continued… they also brought their dogs, one of which was “vaporised” by Jackie Stewart’s suspension. Stewart went to a funeral every two months and one driver was so unlucky that a fellow driver joked that “if he became an undertaker, people would stop dying”! They were dangerous, but special times…
A FUNERAL EVERY TWO MONTHS. A WORKING F1 IN YOUR BEDROOM? THEY WERE "SPECIAL" TIMES!
NUMBERED: LTD. RACING EXHIBITION EDITION.
THE BOOK...
Please note: VINTAGE HINCHMAN RACE SUIT IS NOT INCLUDED & USED FOR DEMONSRATION ONLY
Commercial Rights: ALL RIGHTS FOR ALL PHOTOGRAPHS IN THE BOOK & PORTFOLIO ARE HELD BY VELIA WORTMAN
# 050 NUMBERED: LTD. RACING EXHIBITION & COLLECTION EDITIONS.
THE BOOK: SPECIFICATIONS
In order to maintain the original proportions of the negatives and slides, both in portrait and landscape format, it gives a unique size which can only be realised by making it by hand. Each one of the 025, “LTD. RACING EXHIBITION EDITION.” and the subsequent 025 "LTD. RACING COLLECTION EDITION." books are made by expert book craftsmen with generations of experience. Each one is individually crafted, meaning no two books are exactly the same. The 240 smooth, satin 170gm pages are bound by a hard cover and safely housed in a Solander case, which in turn, is protected by its numbered transport box. Each one has its own unique hand-hammered chassis plate.
The exclusive page colours “Munich Blau” and “Stadion Green”, were inspired by the colours from the 1972 Munich Olympics and are used to help us travel back in time to when the pictures in this book were taken. The blue edging on the book required a new technique to perfectly capture Munich Blau.
The book measures 33,5cm x 28,5cm and the outer presentation box measures 46cm x 36cm. It will be shipped in an additional padded delivery box.
The books will be made in small batches, so please expect a delivery time of three weeks from the time of your order. It is planned to make an additional series of books with the numbers 026 to 050. Once those have been dispatched, there will be no further numbered examples with their ID chassis plates and Solander boxes. The "LTD. RACING EDITIONS." will exceed no more than 50 examples, worldwide.
Please note: VINTAGE HINCHMAN RACE SUIT IS NOT INCLUDED & USED FOR DEMONSRATION ONLY
Commercial Rights: ALL RIGHTS FOR ALL PHOTOGRAPHS IN THE BOOK & PORTFOLIO ARE HELD BY VELIA WORTMAN
Please note: VINTAGE HINCHMAN RACE SUIT IS NOT INCLUDED & USED FOR DEMONSRATION ONLY
Commercial Rights: ALL RIGHTS FOR ALL PHOTOGRAPHS IN THE BOOK & PORTFOLIO ARE HELD BY VELIA WORTMAN
Please note: VINTAGE HINCHMAN RACE SUIT IS NOT INCLUDED & USED FOR DEMONSRATION ONLY
Commercial Rights: ALL RIGHTS FOR ALL PHOTOGRAPHS IN THE BOOK & PORTFOLIO ARE HELD BY VELIA WORTMAN
SHIPPING RATES
