The Indy 500: 1956-1965 (IN) (Images of Sports) [Paperback]

Ben Lawrence (Author), W.C. Madden (Author), Christopher Bass (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 18, 2004

The 1950s and early 1960s are considered by many to be the Golden Era of Racing at the Indianapolis 500, and photographer Ben Lawrence was on hand taking photos of the Greatest Spectacle for the Indianapolis Times. During that era, Ben captured many images of the race and race events that surrounded the Indy 500. He was there when Bill Vukovich met his fate in 1955. He photographed the first Indianapolis 500 Parade, which has become an annual event. He captured A.J. Foyt winning his first race at the Brickyard. He was on hand to photograph the breaking of the 150-mph barrier. Then he saw the transition from the front-engined Offenhauser to the rear-engined Lotus-Fords, which ended the Golden Era.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Author and historian W.C. Madden helped in writing this book. His other Arcadia titles are Baseball in Indianapolis, Indianapolis in Vintage Postcards, and Indianapolis Then & Now. Local sports historian Christopher Baas further assisted in the research for this book. Together, with the images of Ben Lawrence, they leave the reader with a greater understanding of what the Indianapolis 500 was like during its Golden Era of Racing.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Arcadia Publishing (April 18, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0738532460
• ISBN-13: 978-0738532462
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,011,097 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars The Indy 500: 1956-1065 (images of Sports), January 23, 2009

By 

L. Mclerran - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Indy 500: 1956-1965 (IN) (Images of Sports) (Paperback)

I must have missed something here? This is a "scrap book", with NO detail or verbage of the time?? If you want to look at pictures with little information about them, this is your book!

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent, for what it is, July 17, 2009

By 

DWD "DWD's Reviews" (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The Indy 500: 1956-1965 (IN) (Images of Sports) (Paperback)

The "Images of Sports" series is intended to be a scrapbook history of a team, or in this case of an event.

This 127 page book is comprised of photographs taken by Ben Lawrence, a photographer for the now-defunct Indianapolis Times from 1956-1965. This book is not a comprehensive history of the Indy 500, but rather a photographic scrapbook, a yearbook, if you will.

In a way, it was also a Golden Era for the Speedway with the new (also now defunct) scoring tower and the arrival of mainstays such as A.J. Foyt, Parnelli Jones and the Unsers. There are captions for all pictures and a few introductory paragraphs for each new section.

Not only does the reader get pictures from the race but also from the first 500 Festival parades, shots of the fans, candid shots of the drivers, track workers and even celebrities (the Jayne Mansfield shot is something else!). The race is more than just a race, it is an event, the biggest thing that happens in Indiana all year long and the book gives us an idea what it was like 50 years ago.

2.0 out of 5 stars nothing special about the pics, March 9, 2009

By 

Stick500 "carp hunter" (WI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Indy 500: 1956-1965 (IN) (Images of Sports) (Paperback)

The best shot in the book is the one on the cover! The rest appear pretty amateurish and many are even out of focus. A disappointment for this 500 fan....