Horse Racing: The Golden Age of the Track [Hardcover]

Blossom Lefcourt (Author, Editor), Eric Rachlis (Editor), Bert Morgan (Photographer), Bill Barich (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2001

The only book to capture the thrill and glamour of racing in an era romanticized by millions of fans, Horse Racing showcases life at the track as it centered around Triple Crown races from the 1930s-1960s. This exciting and elegant volume celebrates the Sport of Kings at a time when champions like Count Fleet, Whirlaway, and Man o' War thundered through the pack and lucky fans could rub elbows with Bing Crosby or Liz Taylor at the Turf Club. Nearly 150 rare duotone photographs, culled from the collection of renowned racing and high-society photographer Bert Morgan, follow the action from the bustle of the betting window to the finish at the inside rail. Publishing just in time for the peak of racing season, and with an evocative introduction by author and racing fan Bill Barich, Horse Racing is a stylish, must-have look at the best of life at the races.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Morgan's book makes an excellent companion to The Race for the Triple Crown. Morgan became a freelance photographer of high society in the 1930s for Vogue, Vanity Fair, and other magazines. Since many of these people were also involved in the thoroughbred industry, a number of his photos were taken at the Triple Crown races, and Morgan was appointed the New York Racing Association's track photographer in 1940. There are glamorous trackside photos of Liz Taylor, Jackie Kennedy, Bing Crosby, and the Eisenhowers. The introduction is by racing fan and sportswriter Bill Barich (Laughing in the Hills). Both books are recommended for large public libraries and racing collections. Patsy E. Gray, Huntsville P.L., AL
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Bert Morgan (1904-1986) photographed the society circuit from the Hamptons to Cape Cod, Saratoga to Palm Beach, for more than 40 years. His work was regularly featured in Vogue, Women's Wear Daily, Town & Country and Vanity Fair.

Eric Rachlis is vice-president of Archive Photos. He lives in New York City

Blossom Lefcourt is director of content at Archive Photos in New York City, which represents the Bert and Richard Morgan Collection.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 144 pages
• Publisher: Chronicle Books (March 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0811829901
• ISBN-13: 978-0811829908
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,423,092 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Horse Racing:The Golden Age of the Track, April 20, 2001

By 

Brian Cleveland (Texas) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Horse Racing: The Golden Age of the Track (Hardcover)

Fans of racing will learn something new by looking at the images in this book. A racing fan myself, I saw great horses, jockeys, trainers, and owners in a new light. We read so much about War Admiral and Whirlaway, "Sunny Jim" and Eddie Arcaro, but images, especially good ones, are difficult to come by. This book opens up that world of racing's golden age of Triple Crown winners and celebrity owners. I think the book is an excellent companion to the Seabiscuit book. The images capture on film much of the world that Seabiscuit lived in. A worthy addition to any racing library.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice Book, Needs A Little More Horses, June 27, 2002

By 

Lisa Sammons "FusaichiPegasusK" (Savannah, GA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Horse Racing: The Golden Age of the Track (Hardcover)

This book has many wonderful photos but it seems sometimes that the focus is more on human celebrities rather than their magnificent equine counterparts. There is also no information on any of the horses whatsoever except name and what race it was. Interesting book to skim through, but not something you could spend hours on, or even one hour.

1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Horse Racing: The Golden Age of the Track, January 12, 2007

By 

DJP "DJP" (Arizona, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Horse Racing: The Golden Age of the Track (Hardcover)

This is a really good history of horse racing and has so many wonderful pictures. It was a gift and the person receiving it is a huge horse racing fan and he loved it.