Flickr in the Fast Lane
Photo: Flickr user Rich007
Do a search for Stirling Moss on flickr.com, the public access photo sharing service, and you will find three hundred eleven entries. Put his name within quotation marks to signify that you are searching for the whole phrase, and the number diminishes somewhat to two hundred sixteen results, which is still impressive. Clearly this is man who has had impact on his fans, as well as the media.
Perhaps this should not be surprising. After all, racing has always been a very visual sport, with beautiful, technologically advanced machines, and charismatic drivers. However, while the digital age has taught us to gauge popularity based on the number of results offered up by search engines, and while we have bloggers racing to be the first to report any kind of celebrity gossip, we forget that the web also serves a greater purpose: it allows citizen journalists to document the lives of their heroes.
No one browsing through the publicly available Flickr images of Sir Stirling could come away doubting that this man is a hero to his fans. Why else would the oldest image of him be just a snapshot of the man spotted through a crowd, with the British flag stenciled on the side of a car visible above his head? Why would an image of him, identity barely discernable (though inside an utterly recognizable car), have at least 43 documented viewings - and not just one such image - many of them. Granted the are marvelous, but it is the man who has the real impact on these photographers.
Spend an hour, or even half that time, browsing through these images, and you will form in your head a picture of a man who drives hard, plays hard, commands respect, and still finds time for healthy rivalry, warm friendships, and a quiet moment with a loved one.
Many of these images document races won, hands shaken, babies kissed - all of the things one expects of a celebrity. The image with the most impact, however, is one of Sir Stirling sharing the cockpit of a 1955 Aston Martin DB3S with fellow racing legend Roy Salvadori, on the occasion of the latter's 85th birthday. A quick glance might merely show two gentlemen of a certain age sitting in a car. A more careful look shows that these are people who still retain the passion of youth, and a zest for life that is unmatched.
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