Unseen shots of Campbell bring legend to life again
Don Wales, the nephew of land and water speed record holder Donald Campbell, has discovered hundreds of unseen photographs of his uncle in action aboard his jetpropelled boat Bluebird.
He has been cataloguing and curating the images, taken by a motorsports photographer who became a trusted member of Campbell’s team.
The photographs were shot by the late Manchester-based photographer Geoff Hallawell and feature Campbell (pictured) testing boats and breaking speed records in the late 1940s and 50s — before he tragically lost his life in Bluebird on lake Coniston in 1967.
‘It really is a gold mine of treasured moments,’ says Don, a photographer himself based in Weybridge, surrey.
He is hoping to complete the task this year, which marks the 100th anniversary of his uncle’s birth, and to prepare prints for sale.
‘I’m sure Donald’s fanbase, which still seems to be growing, will be keen to have a photo of their hero,’ he says. ‘Geoff was a trusted member of Donald’s team. Whenever he did a test or record attempt, he would invite Geoff to be official photographer. ‘Geoff was pretty brave, too, getting very close to the action on board his own boat. ‘I got to know him towards the end of his life and he trusted me to scan his negatives and catalogue his library. He was a good motorsport photographer and he has a great archive. ‘The quality of his photographs is superb, considering he was shooting people travelling at great speed. ‘I am in awe of his skill, that back in the Fifties and sixties he could capture an image of a boat travelling at over 200mph — and in focus.’