We actually know very little about 'John Gilbert', which is almost certainly not even this early-postwar motor racing photographer's real name. We do believe that he was a German ex-serviceman, who had been held in England as a prisoner of war. After peace returned in 1945, 'John Gilbert' is understood to have married an English girl and remained in the UK. He was a keen photographer and, again we believe, that he was a Leica enthusiast, perhaps having used one of these magnificent litte 35mm cameras perhaps during his wartime duty, maybe even as an official kriegsberichter - war photographer. Most unusually for the late 1940s - when there was hardly any professional market for news colour photography (the vast majority of published media being printed solely in black and white) - our man shot in colour from 1947 - 1952, and not only stills but movie too. Uniquely in our experience, 'John Gilbert' photographed the Jersey Road Race at St Helier, Channel Islands, in colour and he also covered the inaugural race meeting at Goodwood in September, 1948 - also in living colour. The GPL Collection is particularly proud to hold around 250 of this pioneering postwar racing photographer's colour 35 mm transparencies, covering events at Le Mans and Silverstone in addition to St Helier and Goodwood.