{"id":345,"date":"2013-04-09T16:36:58","date_gmt":"2013-04-09T16:36:58","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/colinchapmanmuseum.org.uk\/?page_id=345"},"modified":"2022-06-24T08:19:17","modified_gmt":"2022-06-24T08:19:17","slug":"march","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/colinchapmanmuseum.co.uk\/?page_id=345","title":{"rendered":"March"},"content":{"rendered":"

Colin<\/strong> Chapman Museum<\/strong> and Education Centre Newsletter March 2012 <\/strong><\/p>\n

Newsletter – Number 35<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n
    Lotus around and about <\/strong><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  2. \n
    Museums around the world you may not have heard of: <\/strong>The Mexico City Car Museum<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  3. \n
    Questions from our readers<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  4. \n
    Geoff Goddard<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  5. \n
    The Works<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  6. \n
    Lotus books one for the library<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  7. \n
    Lotus collectables<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/li>\n
  8. \n
    Lotus interest on YouTube<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
    <\/div>\n

    All previous articles relating to these are held on the website.<\/strong><\/p>\n

    1. Lotus around and about <\/strong><\/p>\n

    \"1203_clip_image002\"<\/a><\/h1>\n

    Seen at the boxing day Romsey show
    \nPhoto by Liz Oliver<\/p>\n

    2. Museums around the world you may not have heard of: Mexico City Car Museum, by Anthony Wright<\/strong><\/p>\n

    \"1203_clip_image003\"<\/a> \"1203_clip_image004\"<\/a> \"1203_clip_image005\"<\/a> \"1203_clip_image002_0000\"<\/a><\/p>\n

    El Museo del Autom\u00f3vil in the south of Mexico City houses more than a hundred painstakingly restored cars. In existence since 1991, the Museo del Autom\u00f3vil is unique to Latin America and was the fruit of the labors of a group of vintage car lovers, who exhibit their treasures for the joy of it. While it is basically a permanent exhibition, around 30 cars are rotated every three months to allow other collectors to also display their wheels. All the cars are registered and in fine working order, and the engines are turned over once a month to keep them that way.<\/p>\n

    See the full article here<\/a><\/p>\n

    3. Question (can you help?)\u2026This time a request<\/strong><\/p>\n

    We frequently get asked from around the world quite amazing questions , so far we have used a limited group to try and answer them, not always successfully.<\/p>\n

    So we now put them on our website and see if any \u201cfriends\u201d know the answer.<\/p>\n

    Still many unanswered questions on our website can you help?
    \n<\/strong><\/p>\n

    Neil
    \nI was passing through the Crinan canal and stopped in the Ardrishaig basin for a couple of nights. An old fellow in a house boat next door was very kind to our kids and so we invited him on board for what he told us was his customary 4pm tipple of whisky. <\/em><\/p>\n

    During the conversation he mentioned (I think) that he had been involved in supplying engines to the old lotus racing team. He also said that he had moved to the Crinan to escape from his former life down south and planned to end his days there. <\/em><\/p>\n

    I was only after we had left, and I\u2019d looked at the paper we\u2019d exchanged with his name on it I made the (possible) connection \u2013 his name was Ken Chapman. <\/em><\/p>\n

    I just wondered if you could verify if Ken was in fact related to Colin and if you have any record or knowledge of his involvement \/association with the Lotus team back in the 60\u2019s\/70\u2019s? <\/em><\/p>\n

    Thank you in anticipation of your kind reply. <\/em><\/p>\n

    4. GEOFFREY GODDARD [Born 24\/7\/1929, died 24\/4\/2006], LOTUS AND MOTOR SPORT PHOTOGRAPHY. <\/strong><\/p>\n

    Introduction<\/strong>
    \nThe Telegraph Obituary of Goddard commented:
    \n\u201c His own photography captured uniquely the majesty of motor sport with natural scenery. He loved classic settings \u2026\u2026\u2026and especially \u2026\u2026.the Sicilian Targa Florio.\u201d<\/p>\n

    From another source it was said of his work with Nye \u201cFerrari in Camera\u201d:
    \n\u201cMadly exclusive, outrageously expensive, exquisitely printed and brilliantly evocative\u201d<\/p>\n

    Geoffrey Goddard was one of the foremost photographers of motor sport. His career spanning three decades included the Golden post war era that was dominated by Britain and in particular Lotus through the late 1950\u2019s and 60\u2019s.
    \nIn this article we will explore some of the context and possible sources of inspiration. We do not know much about Goddard other than the Telegraph Obituary that seems to be based on a brief autobiography [First Steps] that Goddard gave in \u201cTrack Pass\u201d but we will attempt to make some extrapolations through the history of the era.
    \nGoddard left a major body of work in his photographs and we will examine a few of these in greater detail to gain some insight into the aesthetics and sensitises of the man.
    \nMuch of our appreciation of the drama and indeed the beauty of motor sport is a result of Goddard\u2019s imagination and technical skill. He remains something of a modest unassuming man behind the lens.<\/p>\n

    Contemporary Photographers \/London context<\/strong> of the Era<\/strong><\/p>\n

    We often allude to the fact that London was the post war epicentre of motor sport. This was significantly reinforced graphically by the artistic vision aesthetic and interpretative quality that pervaded the era. It was given expression through the presence of the press, magazines, graphic \/ promotional art and photographers.
    \nThe GPO Film [Documentary] Unit was also a major source of artistic interpretation and insight \/ expression [frequently vying between poetic and realism]
    \nIt is possibly Picture Post that is most redolent of this period. Their images were the work of the likes of:<\/p>\n