Alexander The Great

Aeroport Le Mans Arnage, France.

In 1989, I met Jesse Alexander just outside the front straight grandstands at Le Mans and directly across the street from the single runway which services this historic town southwest of Paris. As a young American motorsports photographer, Jesse Alexander was everything I wanted to be and the career I wanted to have. 25 years earlier he boarded a Dutch steamer & set out across the Atlantic to pursue his love of motorsports and photography. Thus began the career of the most important and influential motorsports photographer from the United States.

Jesse Alexander passed away on Dec. 12, 2021 at the age of 92. What a life he lived. Born in Santa Barbara, raised in Montecito, prepped in New England, college back on the west coast. He followed his passions to Europe & photographed the golden age of motor racing in the 50s & 60s. He arrived at his first Formula 1 race in Reims, France without a credential or assignment, but with his Leica, knowledge of light & composition, and the ability to press the shutter at the decisive moment. For the next seven decades he worked on both sides of the Atlantic, documenting auto racing & establishing a cornerstone of American photography. Jesse Alexander's images are to motorsports what Penn’s and Avedon’s are to fashion, Ansel Adam's to landscape, and Eugene Smith’s to photojournalism. He influenced & inspired generations of photographers to the possibilities of a life in photography. He was always humble, self-effacing, and generous. He shared stories of his friendship with Hill, Gurney, and Moss, the camaraderie among photogs and drivers, and joys of shooting with his Leica & Rolleiflex.

I have two of his photos in my house. The iconic portrait of Jim Clark. And my favorite image he shot - the start shot of the 1958 French Grand Prix at Reims. Prior to the start, he walked behind the last row of cars. The image is perfectly composed, leading your eye into the distant horizon of the French countryside. Like all art, it is timeless. A photo of possibilities and passions. Of beginnings and adventure - moving forward even when the outcome is uncertain.

Jesse belongs to the ages. His humanity, his gifts of kindness, and his decency will endure through the countless lives he touched. His photographs also remain. Reminding us all of the beauty in a single moment of time.