Fifty years World Press Photo

In 1955 a number of members of the Dutch Association of Photojournalists founded World Press Photo, the international equivalent of the Silver Camera competition. Since then World Press Photo every year organizes this prestiguous competition for international press photographers, and in this way supports and promotes their work.

On the occasion of the 50st anniversary of the organization, the Dutch TPG Post issued on October 8th 2005 a stamp sheet with all the winning pictures from this period on it.

The first winning photo from 1955 was taken by the Danish photographer Mogens von Haven and has the all-explaining title "the falling motorcyclist". A participant in a motocross race falls off his bike during a championship race, ridden on the Volk Mølle track in Randers (Denmark).

The motorcycle is most probably a Triumph TR-6:

Photographer Von Haven photographed all Danish motorcycle and car races in the 1950ies. He was in the right place, at the right time and that often resulted in the most beautiful pictures.

The stamp sheet shown above contains a nice printing plate error, no. 2357 PM1 on stamp 6, a black dot at the bottom right of the "G" of "vijftig". Clearly visible in the enlarged image.

Ad van Tiel

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