JESSE ALEXANDER

(1929 - 2021), b. Santa Barbara, California

 
Juan Manuel Fangio, Maserati 250F, Reims, France, 1958 by Jesse Alexander

Juan Manuel Fangio, Maserati 250F, Reims, France, 1958 by Jesse Alexander

Jesse Alexander was considered one of the greatest motorsport photographers in history. His images of vintage automobiles and the people who gave them life; captured from the European race circuit during the 1950’s and 60’s are collected and exhibited by museums and galleries throughout the world.

Jesse Alexander was involved in photography and especially motorsport photography since the early 1950s when he covered the original Mexican Road Race. He then spent many years in Europe covering Formula One and the famous long distance sports car races, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Mille Miglia and Targa Florio. In that period of time he also photographed theater and music personalities for the New York Times.

His work is held by numerous private collectors and has been exhibited in museums in the United States, including the Birmingham Museum of Art, the Akron Museum and the Santa Barbara Museum of Art.

COLLECTIONS

  •  Chrysler Corporation

  • Ford Motor Company

  • Volkswagen of American

  • Ralph Lauren Polo, New York

  • Porsche North America

  • Audi North America

  • Santa Barbara Museum of Art

  • Oakland Museum of California

PUBLISHED BOOKS

  •  AT SPEED  -1971

  •  LOOKING  BACK -1982

  •  P38 LIGHTNING  RESTORATION OF AN AMERICAN WAR BIRD -1990

  •  FORTY YEARS OF MOTORSPORT PHOTOGRAPHY -1996 

  •  DRIVEN (Chronicle Books) -2000

  •  PORSCHE MOMENTS (David Bull) -2006

  •  FERRARI GRAND PRIX MOMENTS (David Bull) -2007

  •  PORTRAITS (David Bull)  -2008

  •  INSIDE THE ARCHIVES  (David Bull) -2010

  •  FORTY YEARS OF MOTORSPORT PHOTOGRAPHY-(eBook Artist) -2011

  •  CHASING MONACO  (to be published in 2013)

EXHIBITION LIST:

  • Santa Barbara Museum of Art Santa Barbara, 1980 

  • Birmingham Museum of Art, Birmingham, 1984

  • Akron Museum, Akron, 1986

  • Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles, 1992

  • Peter Fetterman Gallery Santa Monica, 1995

  • Staley+Wise Gallery New York, 1996

  • Halsted Gallery, Birmingham, Michigan, 1997

  • Staley+Wise Gallery, New York, 2000

  • Michael Hoppen Gallery,London, England, 2002

  • Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, 2007

  • Patty Look Lewis Gallery, Santa Barbara, 2007

  • Art and the Automobile, Stansted, Quebec, 2008

  • Brooks Gallery, Santa Barbara, California, 2012

  • Fahey/Klein Gallery, Los Angeles, California, 2012