The Eye of Klemantaski [Paperback]

Louis Klemantaski (Author), Peter G. Sachs (Editor), Charles W. Queener (Editor)

Book Description

"The Eye of Klemantaski" is a superb, very high quality softbound booklet of 32 pages. It illustrates the 25 favorite photographic images of Louis Klemantaski, who is the greatest automobile racing photographer of all time. The captions for the photographs in "The Eye of Klemantaski" were created by Peter G. Sachs of The Klemantaski Collection which is one of the world's largest and most varied archives of motorsports photography.

"The Eye of Klemantaski" begins in the 1930's and continues into the 1960's, covering four decades of motorsports at the highest level. Selected from over 55,000 images, these remarkable photographs illustrate The Golden Age of Motor Racing. The Eye of Klemantaski" gives you a unique opportunity to reflect visually on that timeTazio Nuvolari's gentle victory smile at Donington in 1938, Peter Collins winning a tune-up for the Mille Miglia or Juan Manuel Fangio as he slips through the early morning light of Monte Carlo.

This is an unprecedented opportunity for collectors of great motor racing photographs to add to their private libraries.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

All of the images in "The Eye of Klemantaski," as well as other images in The Klemantaski Collection are available as photographic prints, made from the original negatives. In addition, The Klemantaski Collection also offers a very limited quantity of prints signed by Louis Klemantaski, including those in "The Eye of Klemantaski."

About the Author

Louis Klemantaski is the true inheritor of Jacques-Henri Lartigue who pioneered the art of photography of moving objects at the turn of the last century. Klemantaski's work, which spans the years from 1936-1974, represents the aesthetic pinnacle of this technique.

Louis Klemantaski was born in the Manchurian city of Harbin in 1912. His father, a British subject of Russian extraction, had hoped to seek his fortune there by exporting soy beans and importing Willys-Knight and Overland cars. Klemantaski returned to England for his education and, having learned to drive a car when he was eight, in his teen years spent much of his time at the famous Brooklands circuit where he founded what he believes was the first school for racing drivers. In what was a most fortunate decision, he became a professional photographer in the 1930's as a means of keeping in touch with the sport he loved, after he realized that a career as a racing driver would be too expensive to underwrite.

Klemantaski attended every race he could get to. Always positioning himself close to the action, Klemantaski combined his talent for panning with the use of short lenses and large apertures to capture the feelings and sensations of motion. Klemantaski's talent for composition was also unique. His images are like finished paintings, needing no alteration to maximize their impact on the viewer. Some of his most important work came from his trips to Italy for the Mille Miglia. For five years in the mid-1950's he rode as a passenger in this most famous of all the open road races which resulted in some of the most dramatic photography ever taken.

Today, Louis Klemantaski lives in England in quiet retirement with his wife.

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Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Klemantaski Collection (December 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 096416891X
• ISBN-13: 978-0964168916
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,710,572 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Thin volume disappoints, doesn't match description, January 4, 2000

By 

Lawrence Cheng (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Eye of Klemantaski (Paperback)

Disappointing. In reality this "book" is little more than a catalog for the large Klemantaski collection of photos. Not only is it a very thin volume, but it's small too - only about 5"x7". The selection of pictures is very good and the reproduction is better than average. Text is minimal, with only a 1- or 2-sentence caption per picture. It's really too bad, because Klem's body of work is generally outstanding.

4.0 out of 5 stars Defending "The Eye...", February 10, 2011

By 

58 Dino - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Eye of Klemantaski (Paperback)

I can understand why one reviewer was"dissapointed" in "The Eye of Klemantaski." Aren't people often slightly saddened when a good movie ends; when it is too short; when they want more? Yes, "The Eye of Klemantaski" is brief, but I know of no other source for so many interesting,high-quality photographs for so little money. One can derive hours of learning and enjoyment with regards to racing and photography by perusing this little book. But,if that's not enough, The Klemantaski Collection also offers "The Golden Age" for the same money.