Speed week in the Bahamas must have been super cool in the 50s and 60s, racing, parties, and Slim Aaron’s camera was there to preserve it for posterity. He earned the good life, he'd survived being a WW2 combat photographer

Gordon Butler's Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray at the Bahamas Speed Week at the Oakes Course in Nassau. December 1963.

Long before Instagram was making beautiful people in beautiful locations a thing, Slim Aarons was creating a world of a similar sort. 

Slim, born George Aarons in 1916, begin his foray into photography taking photos at West Point and later earned a Purple Heart as an Army combat photographer in some brutal conflicts in North Africa and Europe during World War II.

During his extraordinary career, Slim Aarons became synonymous with capturing the glamour and elegance of high society. Aarons dedicated himself to chronicling the lives of the rich and famous, creating a visual archive that showcases the opulence and sophistication of the mid-20th century. His lens immortalized the leisure activities of aristocrats, celebrities, and socialites, often set against luxurious estates, sun-drenched beaches, and exclusive resorts.

Aarons’ intimate connections with his subjects, including some of the most illustrious personalities of his time, allowed him to capture candid moments that revealed the essence of their lifestyles. His close relationships with figures such as Diana Vreeland, C.Z. Guest, and Gianni Agnelli provided unique access to private aspects of their worlds. This proximity enabled Aarons to publish numerous monographs filled with his captivating photographs.

Here are the Cushings of Newport, The Fords of Grosse Pointe, and the Rockefellers of New York; here are the kings and queens of Beverly Hills playing croquet, the Cabots sailing off Boston's North Shore, and Barry Goldwarer on the range in Arizona. Here are the Whitneys entertaining on Long Island, the Armours in their pool in Lake Forest, the Klebergs on their Texas ranch. and the scions of Palm Beach, San Francisco, and New York having a wonderful time.

https://www.motortrend.com/news/slim-aarons-cars-photography/

https://leisurepiece.com/products/bahamas-speed-week

https://www.holdenluntz.com/artists/slim-aarons

https://slimaaronsprint.com/category/posters-prints/

Kodachrome deserves an award

For a look at the 1955 Speed Week, photos of Tom Burnside https://automedia.revsinstitute.org/sun-sand-and-speed-an-atmospheric-look-at-the-1955-bahamas-speed-week