In Their Prime: Photographs of Racing Car Driver Legends from 1960

In the fall of 1960 the spotlight of international road racing shone on Riverside International Raceway for two world class motor races: the Los Angeles Times- Mirror Grand Prix for Sports Cars, and the second ever U.S. Formula One Grand Prix. This attracted the participation of the world's most talented race car drivers. In this era the stereotype of racers were akin to daredevils, thrill seekers, and speed demons. One knowledgeable photographer set out to correct this misinterpretation. Leveraging the backdrop of the Riverside's historic Mission Inn and asking the drivers to dress in their finest suits, photographer Christian du Bois Larson embarked upon documenting the formal and less public side of these distinguished gentleman racers. In Their Prime showcases Larson's twenty-two original portraits together with an action or informal shot of each driver. The show includes portraits of many driving greats including Bruce McLaren, Carroll Shelby, Dan Gurney, Jim Clark, John Surtees, Phil Hill, Roger Penske, Ron Flockhart, and Stirling Moss. This exhibition is curated by Jonathan Green, Executive Director, ARTSblock. On October 20th, 2012, Larson along with Doug Magnon, President of Riverside International Automotive Museum, spoke with Jonathan Green about the exhibition. For more information about The Gluck Fellows Program, visit: http://www.gluckprogram.ucr.edu For more information about UCR ARTSblock, visit: http://artsblock.ucr.edu