| Allen R. Kuhn's career as a photographer of
sports cars began when he attended the 1956 Torrey Pines road races
as a 17 year-old high school student. Having won an award, in the
Eastman Kodak National High School photo contest, with a photograph
of Fred Woodward in a Jaguar Special, he became increasingly
interested in sports car photography.
This interest lead to his enrolling at a
photographic school in Los Angeles where he spent two years refining
his camera techniques and developing (no Pun) his skills in the
darkroom.
Over the next ten years he became the staff
photographer for the Sports Car Journal and California
Sports Car Magazine, shooting at many Southern California road
courses.
However, as technology increased and car
design changed from the rolling artistic sculptures of the late 50's
and early 60's, Kuhn's interests also changed. The L.A. Times G.P.
for Sports Cars in October 1965 was the last race he covered.
His negatives now were put to rest, for the
next 30 plus years, until a chance meeting with the editor of the
Vintage Racecar Journal (Casey Annis) at the Tustin Thunder vintage
races in Southern California in 1998.
Kuhn then began to bring the long-neglected
negatives back to life. Tom Trabue, winner of the Monterey Cup and
the Ken Miles Trophy at the Monterey Historic, was one of the first
people to ask Kuhn for pictures.
Tom asked if he had any pictures of a
Denzel. What the heck is a Denzel? After searching through almost
all of his 5,000 negatives, he finally came across what looked like
a Porsche Speedster, but not quite. Thus began the searching and
printing ritual that has become his quest - to bring back to life an
era now much loved by an ever increasing number of enthusiasts.
He now has a worldwide list of aficionados
who have purchased his photographs. His work has graced the pages of
some of the better known magazines: Forza, Excellence, Cavallino,
Vintage Racecar Journal and soon to be in Vintage Motorsport.
He also shows his photographs at numerous
vintage races and concours.
See
more at www.vintage-sportscar-photos.com
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