Review:
The main problem with Britain, my neighbour told me, was the legislation that prevented her dog being allowed into restaurants. Totally unreasonable, she felt. At the time, said mutt had it's head resting on my left knee beneath the table of a five-star bistro in the verdant hills of south-eastern France. It was the only time I ever had a proper conversation with Joan Cahier and her husband, Bernard. The occassion was a road-car launch orgonized by Lancia ( for the original Dedra, if memory serves) and the Cahiers - plus pooch - had been invited to join us during the lunch stop because the driving route passed quite close to their home. I had been wriitng about cars and motorsports for a few years by then and was delighted to have the oportunity to make their acquaintance. Bernard began covering the Formula One world championship as a photo-journalist in 1952, and, like Denis Jenkinson or Jabby Crombac, was something of a media icon. It was a brief encounter and , subsuquently, we were never more that nodding acquaintaences, but that didn't dilute my sadness when I heard, last thursday, that he passed away aged 81. I was working in central London when the news broke and my mind immediatly conjoured images of a charming couple, posh food and a dog-moistened kneecap. Upon my return home, a book-shaped package lay unopened on the breakfast bar ( a fairly regular occurence, truth be told): peeling back to cardboard, I was greeted by a charming, candid cover shot of Jack Brabham contemplaiting a Repco V8 during the 1967 season. The tome's title? Grand Prix Racers: Portraits of Speed, featuring the photography of Bernard Cahier and his son , Jean-Henri...About 40 minutes have passed between the composition of that last sentacnce and this, because I have just had another look to make sure the content is as good as I was about to suggest. And once you dip in, you're snared. cahier senior stepped awat form Formula 1 during the eighties, although he continued to attend racers form time t time, but Paul-Henri 9 he's the one Kiki raikkon bundeled over the grid at Silverstone ten days ago, an incident that seems to be quite a popular YouTube attraction) has maintained the family's trademark style and elegance. The content is splendidly diverse, from an oil-and-fly smeared Nino Farina, to the corporate overload of Michael Schumaker, Pdro rodriguez looking about 14 years old at le Mans in 1962, Denny hulme struggeling to clench a flower between his teeth, Alain prost chewing his fingers and Graham hill giving his moustache a twirl. Every image has a certain something and each is as fresh as the scent of Castrol R. --Motorsport News --Speedscene magazine;All the greatest postwar Formula 1 drivers are here. He (Cahier) and his talented son present soulful portraits of 72 racers, accompanied by sensitive, haunting text...(Prancing Horse)This is, therefore, a book with which you will want to curl up in a favorite chair on a quiet night with a glass of fine wine and refresh your memories of all these heroes(Vintage Racecar Journal)The Cahier s photographs) quality is breathtaking and their reproduction in 'Grand Prix Racers' is stunning. Most are close up portraits of the drivers....Ansel Adams-like landscapes of the racer s faces that illuminate their souls. It almost sounds like hyperbole and hype but you must see this book and experience the images. 'Grand Prix Racers' scores a perfect five of five lug nuts.(Speed TV)It s not typical history, but instead, uncommonly emotional photojournalism(Hemmings Sport and Exotic)How do they do it at the price? ..this superbly produced picturebook from the Cahier father-and-son team is a bargain in anyone s language(Octane magazine) --Octane Magazine;The old adage,'A picture is worth a thousand words.'is exponentially multiplie --Motoring & Leisure, October 2008
While portraits of cars at speed open the six chapters, this is a study of 72 selected drivers from 1950 to the present day. Each gets a large black and white photograph, possibly two as some drivers get four pages, others one or two. It is the moody phototgraphs, taken in the earlier days by Bernard Cahier, competitor and journalist, and letterly by his son Paul-Henri, that will selll the book. Chimit's text is perceptive and informative, more pshycoanalytical than historical. It is strange how much more one can read into a contrasty black and white image than one in full colour. A classy coffee-table album. --The Automobile magazine, january 2009
Evocative portraits and breathtaking action shots by Bernard and Paul-Henri Cahier accompany stories of honour, glory, ruthlessness, courage, cowardice, selflessness, and greed about the greats of Formula One. These human traits make up the intriguing personatlities who have shaped the sport and this book makes for a fascinating read put together by Cahvier Chimits. --Motoring & Leisure, October 2008
From the Back Cover:
From the perspective of Formula One drivers, Bernard Cahier was more than just a photographer. He was a member of their elite community. As a privileged and respected witness to Formula One’s early years, Cahier enjoyed a unique access to his subjects. For Cahier, these famously hard and silent men were willing to let down their guard, allowing his camera to record images that represent real moments of shared intimacy.
Bernard’s son, Paul-Henri, was blessed with the same gifts as his father, and he soon found his own place in the Formula One community. Between them, across six decades of Formula One history, every grand prix driver has been immortalized by the Cahier duo—from Nino Farina, the very first World Champion in 1950, to the reigning title holder, Kimi Räikkönen. Choosing which drivers to feature—and which ones to leave out—was a painful process. But the results are spectacular. Represented here are seventy-two legendary grand prix drivers; their portraits and stories tell the breathtaking history of Formula One, with all of its triumph and tragedy, joy and loss.
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