ACS Car Race, Gilly–Burtigny, Canton of Vaud, May 12 1912
Archival pigment print, 2015

Jules Decrauzat was probably Switzerland’s first photojournalist. His almost forgotten work from the archives of the photo agency Keystone was permanently loaned to Fotostiftung Schweiz in 2015. His snapshots depicting sport or early aviation capture the spirit of society on the cusp of modernity.

 

This photograph from a car race is astonishing, not just because of its technical quality, but also its composition. It demonstrates that the thrill of speed gripped modern society even before the First World War, marking the dawn of a new age.