Papa at 80 kilometers an hour (see READ MORE for UPDATES)
This is surely one of the most evocative photographs we have ever seen (click for enlargement). In fact, to us this photograph symbolizes the essence of a pre-war car. Made by French photographer Jacques-Henri Lartigue in 1913, at a time when the word photoshop had not been invented. Early photographs were really “stills” without any sense of movement. Jacques-Henri Lartigue (1894-1986) was one of the first photographers who knew to create a distortion in his photos, thus suggesting movement, if not real speed. The original title of this photo is “Car Trip, Papa at 80 kilometers an hour”. It has long been thought that the car was a Delage and that the photo had been taken on June 26, 1912 during the Grand Prix de l’ACF, held at the Circuit de Dieppe. However, research has proved that no Delage with that starting number participated in that particular Grand Prix and that it is in fact a Theophilé Schneider, photographed in 1913 during the Grand Prix at Picardie (see Read More). This amazing silver print, signed by Lartigue in ink, was auctioned last Tuesday at Sotheby’s in Amsterdam. Its estimate was 4000-6000 Euros but the hammer fell at a staggering 7800 Euros. Maybe it’s a good thing we weren’t able to attend. Who knows what could have happened to our wallet. (Photo courtesy Sotheby’s) (RB)
Read more:
Sources:
Kevin Moore: Jacques-Henri Lartigue, Invention of an artist, published 2004, page 91 and note 70 on page 235
David E. Junker: Jacques-Henri Lartigue, a Correction, published 1995, page 179-180
T.A.S.O. Mathieson: Grand Prix Racing 1906-1904, published 1965
Racing Database lists René Croquet with starting number 6. He finished tenth.
UPDATE I by Carleton Hughes: "The distortion you mention was not deliberate but was the result of the downward travelling focal-plane shutter on the Graflex camera favoured by Lartigue and others circa 1905-1920. Thus the image will appear leaning forward from top to bottom giving the impression of speed and motion but is in reality due to the vertical shutter curtain slowly travelling from top to bottom."
Editor JB: "Carleton is right be it only partly... As you can see the car is leaning forward, yet the onlookers backward. So in fact it is a combination of the shutter technique and a horizontal pan-movement from left to right in order to keep track with the car during exposure. Still, many have tried to copy the effect (especially in car advertising) but -as we understand - never had the result Lartigue had. So the effect of the lucky shot was added as a topping over the technical aspects. The more important question stays... is it a Delage or a Schneider...?”
UPDATE II: Marc Fellman confirms that four Th. Schneider cars participated in the ACF GP on the 12/13th July 1913. Car #16 driven by Henry Champoisseau and Louis Daclin (finished 7th), #20 driven by Rene Thomas & Brombant (finished 9th), #6 the subject of the Lartigue photo driven by Maurice Croquet & Didier (finished 10th) & #12 driven by Fernand Gabriel & Mongeot (did not finish). Cars were equipped with 5.5 litre 4 cylinder engines. History records that Georges Boillot won in a Peugeot but the Th. Schneiders acquitted themselves well among a field of the likes of Boillot & Goux in Peugeots, Chassagne in a Sunbeam and Bablot & Guyot in Delages.
UPDATE III: Per Bjurling suggests a slightly different explanation to the distortion of the photo. Presume that the car is moving forwards. At ground level the distance between the feet of the people and the car tyre touching the ground is relatively short. At head level the distance between the heads of the people and the upper part of the tyre is longer. It took a certain time for the slot to move over the film surface while the camera rotated and the car moved even faster than that. As I understand it the slot in the shutter must have travelled from below and upwards. Anyone with a modern system camera who hasn’t understood this will fail in trying to remake the shot.
Editor JB: “I was not implying that people with a modern camera cannot remake the photo. I know from people who tried to remake the shot with a similar or identical old camera. Without being able to get this result....”
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