From the archives of Bob Montgomery, motoring historian
PETER HELCK: When Peter Helck died aged 95 at his New York home in 1988, the automotive world mourned the artist regarded as the finest to ever record motoring subjects on canvas.
Born in 1893, even as a small child he produced colour sketches of steam locomotives during his first years at school. This early love of trains persisted and locomotives often feature within his later paintings.
But by 1905 he had become fascinated by the automobile and a chance meeting with Al Poole, riding mechanic to the famous Joe Tracy, was the beginning of a close friendship which would last until Poole's death many years later.
Peter saw the Vanderbilt Cup races in which Tracy and Poole raced a new Locomobile racer and two years later this car, 'Old No 16', won the Vanderbilt Cup race, becoming one of the most famous American racing cars of all time. Years later, 'Old No 16' would pass into Peter's hands.
Peter left high school in his third year and went to work in the art department of a large New York store, and in 1911 studied art at the Arts Student League in New York.
Over the next few years, Peter worked for several firms including two picture companies for whom he produced publicity posters.
In 1913 he became the art director for Korbel and Colwell, an automotive press agency before in 1915 becoming a freelance. In 1917 he joined the navy on the outbreak of war.
Following the first World War, he travelled to England to study under Frank Brangwyn, the famous muralist. While there he also worked for the magazine The Motor Owner as well as producing work for Crossley, Napier and Sunbeam. Visits to Brooklands brought him into contact with many famous racing drivers and he also completed several covers for The Autocar.
In 1922, Helck married Priscilla Smith of Belfast and the couple settled at Hammersmith in London. They toured the British Isles while Peter completed various illustration commissions and also started to use the vast knowledge he had begun to acquire of motoring history to produce text as well. This deep knowledge of motoring history was to be one of the things which was to set Peter apart from other artists who tackled motoring subjects and is evident in the attention he paid to authentic detail in his paintings.
In 1924, the couple moved to the US and in 1926 Helck set up studio in a converted stable on East 33rd Street in New York. By the end of the decade Peter was established at the forefront of automotive artistry and in 1931 moved to Boston Corners about 100 miles north of New York city.
Over the next number of years the Helcks visited Europe and its great motor races on many occasions, some of Peter's finest work being the result, while back home he was in great demand as a commercial illustrator.
International recognition of his talent came also and Peter Helck became perhaps the only automotive artist whose work was recognised in the wider art world.
Peter produced two books - long out of print and much sought after - The Checkered Flag and Great Auto Races. Both are testament to his great knowledge of cars and his love of them as a subject. Indeed, on his death, one critic wrote: "Peter was a consummate artist. The fact that he loved to paint cars is beside the point. He loved to paint, and that is apparent in every stroke of his brush".