Rainer W. Schlegelmilch saw his first race in 1962, when he recorded a series of portraits in the 100km race at the Nürburgring for his exam at the then "Bayerische Staatslehranstalt für Photographie" in Munich.
18 months later, he opened his own studio for photo design in Frankfurt. Racing has always been an important aspect of his work. Schlegelmilch has photographed numerous prestigious motorsport publications since the beginning of his career.
From 1974, he focused entirely on Formula One. From the 90s to the present day, he has published more than 20 illustrated books, which earned him the praise of critics worldwide. His photo archive contains a total of 15,000 black and white negatives and over 400,000 color slides and digital images. For the Leica Gallery Frankfurt, it is a special honor to be able to present the treasures that Rainer W. Schlegelmilch has collected over all these years.
