I do not have technical details of the photos as I only have seen them as electronic files but they look like Ektachrome slides - with possibly a couple of Kodachromes but I am only guessing.They are very well preserved apart from dust spots.
It's wonderful to see these old photos.Nowadays similar collections are turning up from many sources.Sadly we may well be the last generation to have access to "hard copy" or physical photos.Today 99% of the photos being taken are being taken,stored and transmitted digitally and most will be lost to future generations which will will leave a major gap in ftheir understanding/knowledge of us and our lives.
I have thousands of slides and I have made photobooks of family and other valuable photos so I will leave physical photos behind but so many people's memories are being consigned to the ether and will not be found in the future.
Justin is fortunate in that his father ,a very keen and early Porsche enthusiast,documented his Porsche passion so well.
My favourites of these photos are the 356 at Sydney Airport alongside the Qantas Boeing 707.In those days Qantas was the totally dominant airline flying internationally from Australia.Such a contrast to today .I did some of my early international travel on Boeing 707s and when we emigrated to Australia in April 1977 we flew in on a Cathay Pacific Boeing 707 so I have soft spot for the plane.The 707 was the first mainstream succesful jet airliner and it spawned the whole family of fabulously succesful Boeing airliners.Parts of it live on in today's airliners in that the nose profile has carried through to the incredibly succesful 737.
My second favourite of the photos is the red 356 alongside the VW Kombi sevice van.I assume that this is Brian Reed's red 356 which is still in the Reed family.This was motor sport in a more relaxed age.No OH&S assesment officials and indemnity forms and all the painful nonsense which has spoilt it for so many -incl me.Then it was just fun.
The number of 356s lined up at Warwick Farm racecourse,and race circuit, outside Sydney is surprising as the 356 was a very expensive car locally at the time due to the high ex factory price compounded by high local duties and taxes.Not much has changed there as Australian Porsche retail prices are still amongst the highest in the world.Duties and taxes have come down but Porsche's fat local margins are a constant.
Some great photos from a golden era.Thanks Justin for sharing them.
Qantas photo makes me a bit sad . . . we no longer live in a world where people are assumed to be basically sensible and decent. This was pre-fences, security checks, and terrorism paranoia.
ReplyDeleteNice to see these old shots on the blog John, my Dad would be quite chuffed!
ReplyDeletePhoto 2 is when he was running the car in. He drove the car to Melbourne and back in June / July 1961. The picture is taken at a Golden Flecce in Northern Victoria, near Wangaratta I think. We stopped at the same place many years later and I took another picture from roughly the same spot of the car and Dad. I'll find the slide one day.
Photo 3 was published in Christophorus (the Porsche Factory Magazine) in 1964. Dad was in Community / Public Relations for Qantas for many years, and this picture was taken at Mascot - Kingdford Smith Airport.
You are correct in your asserttion that the pics were taken on a mix of Kodachrome ( Dad's favourite film) and Ektachrome.
Very cool - just spotted my car BXE 435 in one of Brian Reeds photographs, originally owned by Dr Symons (track Doc at Warwick Farm) and I believe one of Brians friends.
ReplyDeleteMartin G