Most graphic documents from the 1960s and 1970s are in black and white. Although color photography already existed, it was expensive and not very widespread. If we talk about video, something similar happens, with the added problem of low quality and resolution. Only audiovisual productions for the big screen had a quality up to what is expected today. That is why it is so rare to find moving pictures of the 1962 Monaco Grand Prix, in color and in high resolution. A fascinating historical document.
The clip is an excerpt from the documentary Flying Clipper, focused on the then-fledgling tourist attraction of the Mediterranean. One of the stops was the Monaco Grand Prix, which was recorded both from the ground and from a helicopter with stabilized 70mm cameras. The size of the negative has made it possible to scan the images in high resolution, and enjoy them in great detail. The result is a historical document with hardly any equal, which allows us to see how much the Formula 1 Grand Prix has evolved.
Some shots appear to be shot from a Jaguar E-Type Convertible.
Not only because of the speed of the cars. The complete absence of protections is striking – the circuit is delimited by curbs like those in your city – and there are no barriers that separate the public from the cars. The pit lane looks like a busy street and there were barely a handful of yachts in the bay. Perhaps the most striking thing about the video is see how the world has changed in these last sixty yearsand how the essence of Formula 1 racing has been lost – there were overtaking and spinning in the middle of the race!