@Stockegsix from Instagram created this AMAZING Rolex Crown collage comprised of six Rolex models and I almost fell out of my chair when I first saw it!?!! I have to say in my opinion this is one of the coolest looking Rolex Studio Shots I have ever seen!!! Just AMAZING!!!!
I am pretty certain I recognize the model/actress in this vintage Rolex ad, but I can't seem to remember her name. She's rocking the Farah Fawcett Majors hairstyle, with her yellow gold Rolex Lady-Date, and he is gorgeous and has it going Bossa nova 4-Sure!!! It's so interesting how marketing messaging has changed and evolved over the past 50 years. I'm not certain, but I think the message this image is conveying is that the woman is professional, happy and on top of things as she is taking notes...
If this photo were taken today, she would be on her iPhone, wearing AirPods...I just love the super feminine vibe with the 28MM Lady Date, which has always been considered a major status symbol as the female Rolex President model...I had a girlfriend I dated several decades ago who wore this model and it always mesmerized and bedazzled me...
50th Anniversary Celebration Model with Green Dial
Reference 116718LN
It's hard to believe this watch is now considered vintage as Rolex discontinued one of my favorite models back in April of 2019 which is the yellow gold Rolex GMT-Master II with green dial as seen bellow.
Rolex introduced this stunning beauty nineteen years ago in 2005, on the 50th anniversary of the GMT model, and they gave it an unusual forest green dial. Over the years I have seen this watch in person and it is a truly magnificent looking Rolex watch. The watch is just striking in person, and the forest green dial for some reason kind of reminds me of a pool table.
Examining the up-close macro dial shot of this beauty really allows you appreciate how elegant, precise, iconic and timeless Rolex design language is...just stunning!!! When Rolex discontinues models, often times we see them go up in value and I think this model will likely follow that trend.
Paul Newman and Muhammad Ali are both kings of cool, and Al Satterwhite also famously photographed another King of Cool, Steve McQueen, in 1970, also at the Sebring International Raceway, while McQueen was rocking his trademark ROLEX SUBMARINER [Reference 5512], just like Paul Newman was rocking his exotic dial ROLEX DAYTONA [Reference 6239]. More on that later...
Exclusive Interview & Story
Al Satterwhite
Legendary Photographer
54 Years Wearing Nothing but Rolex
A Detailed Retrospective
I have an amazing treat to share with you as we hop in the Rolex Time Machine and take a nostalgic trip back to yesteryear to explore the amazing lifetime and world of photography of the legendary photographer, Al Satterwhite. This in not just a story about a man who took photos of famous people wearing Rolex watches, as well as capturing the fascinating world around him, but a story about a man and his magnificent machines...not to mention, some of his amazing adventures and friendships...
If you are a regular reader of Jake's Rolex World, you know I specialize in telling the stories behind the stories, which people commonly refer to as "The Backstory". In this story, we will not only see some of the most iconic Rolex history images of the Kings of Rolex Cool, including Paul Newman and Steve McQueen rocking their Rolex watches, which were taken by Al Satterwhite, but we will also learn all about the amazing man behind the camera and his outstanding lifetime achievements!!! This is Al's story...
I’ve had the pleasure of interviewing Al Satterwhite several times for this article, and I feel extremely privileged to have had the opportunity to converse with an absolute master of photography. Al Satterwhite is a living legend in the world of photography, with a career that has spanned over 60 years, and at age 81 today, he has exclusively worn Rolex on his wrist for the past 54 years, thus making him a member of "The Rolex 50+ Year Club."
Al has had an amazing career as a freelance photographer on assignment for major magazines including Automobile, Car & Driver, Fortune, National Geographic, Life, Look, Money, Newsweek, People, Playboy, Sports Illustrated, and Time—just to name several. Chances are, in the past you have seen Al Satterwhite's photo, without realizing who took them, whether it was on the cover a famous magazines, like Newsweek, or in photos for beer brands.
I have a strange confession to make I want to share with you. I have been aware of Al Satterwhite's amazing photography career for many years, and when I used to look at his photos they told a story of sorts, but after having worked at-length with him to put together this story, which is largely in chronological order, I must admit doing so radically changed his context for me. In other words, seeing all of his work product in a historical timeline, radically improved and enhanced his content for me, or put simply—context gives content meaning.
Photojournalism Student
Al Satterwhite was born in 1944 in Biloxi, Mississippi and was a military brat who lived in two different countries and multiple cities before that age of six. His family ended-up settling down in Saint Petersburg, Florida just before he started attending school.
Al Satterwhite began his photographic journey while in high school by accident, after he was certain he would become an ace pilot and gunner in the Air Force Academy, but instead ended up as a photography intern in Florida shooting for the Pulitzer Prize Winning, Saint Petersburg Times.
Al recounted that all of his "Top Gun" dreams vanished as he "fell madly in love with the imagery and subjects through the new lens in life." Al started shooting photography at age 17, in 1961 and served full-time on staff during his college summers. The photo below of Al Satterwhite was taken in 1963 while he was shooting a University of Florida Football game for the Saint Petersburg Times.
I mentioned Al is a hardcore gearhead, and in the photo above we see him rocking a Nikon F which came out in 1959. Al said, "The Nikon F Single-Lens Reflex (SLR) was completely revolutionary and blew the photography world apart. When I first saw this magic camera I knew I had to have it..."
Al went on to major in photojournalism at the University of Missouri, where he studied under the legendary Proffessor, Cliff Edom. Later he concluded his photographic studies at the University of Florida. Al Satterwhite has personally witnessed and chronicled many key moments in world history and culture, and a great example is the photo below he took of the NASA Gemini 6A launch from Cape Kennedy, Florida on December 15, 1965.
Al tells the story behind this historically significant photo in his own words:
"Gemini 6A was scheduled to launch December 12th, but was aborted due to an electrical problem. I lucked out because I missed the first attempt, stuck in Gainesville at the University of Florida. The second attempt 3 days later was successful. I was there to cover it for the St Petersburg Times and UPI, and used a 1000mm Russian Matsutov lens. The press site, from where we were allowed to shoot, was almost 3 miles from the launch tower. Astronauts ‘Wally’ Schirra and Tom Stafford had a mission to rendezvous with Gemini 7—which launched December 4—with Jim Lovell and Frank Norman aboard.
"Launches in those early days were very special and not very common. This was the 5th manned launch. It was awe-inspiring to be there and to actually photograph history being made in front of my eyes and camera. The film is a bit damaged because it had to be hurriedly processed to meet publication deadlines. Speed was everything in those days. It took almost 10 minutes to transmit a small 6x9 print on a special transmitter hooked up to a telephone line, a far cry from today’s nearly instantaneous transmissions."
In 1964-1965 Al used to skindive, and this was in the days before they had certification, so Al said "We would just fill our tanks and go diving!" The photo below of Al was taken in 1966 when he was shooting underwater on assignment for the Floridian Magazine.
In the 1966 photo below we see Al Satterwhite as a young sports photographer shooting at a football game at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. One of Al's trademark characteristics is he always can be seen carrying two cameras to make sure he never misses a great shot. He typically maintains one camera with a long zoom lens for action or distant shots, and one for closer images and portraits.
Al and I had an AMAZING conversation about photography as I grew up as a child, around some of the most iconic photographers of the 20th Century, including Ansel Adams, and Rock n' Roll photographer, Jim Marshall, who was a close friend of Al Satterwhite. In my opinion, Al Satterwhite is one of the great photographers whose career has spanned the 20th and 21st centuries, as we witness in this article.
Al Satterwhite studied Photojournalism at the University of Missouri in 1966, and in the photo below we see Al popping-a-wheelie on his 1964 Honda 250cc Scrambler CL72 on a weekend ride. Ironically, Al was not wearing a helmet but was wearing penny loafers :-0 Al has always been obsessed with acquiring the best machines and tools, in his personal and professional life, and this includes fast motorcycles and fast cars.
In the selfie photo below taken in 1966, we see Al in a Coast Guard helicopter with TV newsmen on assignment for the Saint Petersburg Times.
In this next shot also taken at the 12-Hours of Sebring, on March 26, 1966, we see Ken Miles in his Ford GT-X1 #1 V8 P+5.0 driving through a hairpin turn, which he won the race with his co-driver, Lloyd Ruby.
In the collage of photos below we see Al Satterwhite at age 23 in 1967, waiting to check-in at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida in his super cool Shelby GT-350.
Al Satterwhite is pictured below (center) in 1967 standing with Cratie Sandin from the Tampa Tribune, along with Hugo Wessels, who was the Bureau Manager for UPI, along with Toby Massey from the Associated Press (AP), and Mark Foley, also from the Associated Press.
Ben Franklin
Riviera Beach, Florida, April 24, 1969
Early on in Al Satterwhite's career he photographed an amazing event as it unfolded in Florida on Riviera Beach, that was spearheaded by a very famous Rolex ambassador, the Swiss Professor, Jacques Piccard, who previously set the all-time depth record in a submersible when he dove 7 miles down into the Marianas Trench, off the coast of Guam, and ironically Piccard had a special Rolex DEEPSEA SPECIAL prototype attached to the outside of his Submariner, which as they say, "Took a licking and kept on ticking..."
Below we see photos of the Benjamin Franklin Submarine, which began its mission by diving into the Gulf Stream on the coast of Florida, then glided all the way up Past New York and ended up off the coast of Nova Scotia.
I couldn't help but notice the diver standing on the pier with his hands over his face is rocking a Rolex Submariner in the photo below taken on Riviera Beach, Florida.
Al describes the photo above:
"The Grumman Piccard PX-15 130-ton 'Ben Franklin' Research Submarine was built for Jacques Piccard, a long time deep water explorer like his father Auguste Piccard, to explore the Gulf Stream that runs from the Gulf of Mexico up the eastern seaboard. It underwent outfitting and tests in port before it submersed off Palm Beach July 14, 1969 and floated 1444 nautical miles at 600-2,000 feet depth. The sub surfaced 30 days later off Halifax, Nova Scotia. I went aboard to shoot some photos of the interior which was very cramped. Here, the divers had just come up from a check on the outer hull."
Wilson Pickett
New York, New York 1969
Wilson Pickett was one of the great American singer songwriters, and one of the pioneers of soul music, with famous hits like "In the Midnight Hour". Al took this great photo of Wilson in New York City back in 1969.
Mario Andretti
Sebring, Florida 1969
Mario Andretti is one of the most legendary race car drivers in history and was even featured in some vintage Rolex Magazine ads, one of which is seen below.
In the photo below we see Mario Andretti in his Ferrari 312P V12 #25, during a pitstop for a fuel problem, taken during the final laps at the 1969 Sebring 12-Hour race on March 22, 1969. Mario and his team ended up taking 2nd place that year.
Mario Andretti is featured below in a 1976 Rolex Day-Date ad. Al didn't take the photo in the ad, but I thought I would include it for frame-of-reference.
Al also took the cool photo below at the Sebring 12-Hour Race on March 22, 1969 which features James Garner looking into the Lola T70 Mk 3 as he talks with driver, Lothar Motschenbacher.
Steve McQueen
The King of Cool @ Sebring 1970
Al Satterwhite's first experience with shooting photos of a THEKing of Cooloccurred in Florida, in 1970 during the 12-hours of Sebring International Race, where he first shot legendary actor and race car driver, Steve McQueen. Al took this super-iconic photo of Steve McQueen, clad with American flags and the Gulf logo emblazoned on his racing suit on March 21, 1970.
In the photograph below, we witness Steve McQueen carefully entering the cockpit of his Porsche 908 with a cast on his left foot (not visible) during the 1970 12 Hours of Sebring race. I emphasize “carefully” as McQueen had recently sustained a severe foot injury, breaking his foot in six places, during a motorcycle race at the Elsinore Grand Prix off-road race, which is located just north of San Diego, California. Steve shouldn’t have participated, as he entered the race under the pseudonym Harvey Mushman to conceal his dangerous dirt bike racing habit from his studio. Despite his accident, which resulted in the broken foot, he managed to complete the race and finished in the top ten.
Steve McQueen would also appear in the movie "On Any Sunday", which was filmed on the streets of the Lake Elsinore Grand Prix. In the movie, On Any Sunday, Steve McQueen played the role of Harvey Mushman, and two years later Honda named their CR250 Elsinore motorcycle after the race.
If you've ever wondered what makes Steve McQueen "The King of Cool", just look at Al Satterwhite's photo below, which answers that question perfectly! Steve McQueen was Speed Racer in real life, but in the photo below he looks more like Racer X.
In the photo below, we see Steve McQueen setting his Rolex Submariner bezel to time laps at the Sebring International Raceway in 1970.
Muhammad Ali
5th Street Gym, Miami Beach, Florida 1970
Al Satterwhite took some amazing photos of legendary World Heavyweight Championship boxer, Muhammad Ali, in Florida, back in 1970, and this first image was taken a the 5th Street Gym in Miami Beach.
Donald Sutherland
Fayetteville, North Carolina 1971
Al Satterwhite took this amazing photo of actor, Donald Sutherland back in March of 1971, when on assignment for TIME Magazine and it was taken during a rehearsal for FTA (Fuck The Army), which was an anti-Vietnam War show put on by Jane Fonda, Donald Sutherland, Peter Boyle, Alan Meyerson, Dick Gregory, Fred Gardner and others.
ROLEX Photographer
On Assignment
Al Satterwhite has chosen to keep the time of his life with only Rolex watches on his wrist for more than 50 years—54 years to be exact. I asked Al about how he acquired his first Rolex and he said:
"In April 1971, I was in Zurich, Switzerland testing Nikon lenses, as I was just switching over from shooting an amazing Nikon F camera to the even more revolutionary brand-new Nikon F2. I was so impressed with the Nikon F2, I ended up owning 10 of them over time for when I was shooting advertising in the 1980s.
The Nikon F2 was the best mechanical camera ever made—as you could customize it to the nth degree. The Nikon F2 was the gold standard of cameras, just like Rolex. And just like a Rolex, it was bulletproof dependable, and solid as a rock, and it would just run, run, run."
"While in Zurich, I saw a Single Red Rolex Submariner (SRS) for $200, which was $100 less expensive than in the United States, and I couldn't resist...It was state-of-the-art, as it was the first Rolex Submariner model to add the really useful date calendar aperture window feature...I wore that Rolex Submariner everywhere, including to Vietnam. When I was in Mexico, a dude broke into my hotel room and took everything, except ironically, my Rolex—cause I was wearing it, otherwise I wouldn't have it. I wasn't really phased by the theft, since I still had my trusted Rolex Submariner, I was fine..."
Al Satterwhite in 1971 in Saint Petersburg, Florida
rocking his brand spanking new Rolex Submariner [Reference 1680]
while shooting film on a 60MM Arriflex
Al continues:
"I love the simplicity of Rolex as I beat my Submariner watch to death, and would crawl thought mud with it, and all kinds of other extreme conditions, and of course, I had to replace the crystal every couple of years, but that was one rugged, and I mean "rugged" watch. It was crystal clear to me that whoever designed that watch was really thinking! Keep in mind, when I bought that Submariner it was NOT a status symbol, but a rock-solid tool watch—just like my cameras. The Submariner had a bracelet extension that made the width bigger so when you had a wetsuit on it would still fit on your wrist over the wetsuit. I always thought that was pretty cool, as it was a very thoughtful design that really worked well."
"I loved my Rolex Submariner and I used to trip on the Red Submariner dial text, but I later realized I should have originally purchased a GMT-Master from the get-go, since I travel so much all over the world. This explains why I ended up wearing a GMT-Master. I have loved wearing Rolex watches my entire adult life, as they just work—just like my cameras."
Al Satterwhite is pictured below in Palm Beach, Florida shooting photos in 1972, (52 years ago) and we get a great shot of his Single Red Rolex Submariner [Reference 1680] along with his Nikon F SLR. I asked Al what it was like taking photos of so many famous people who wore Rolex watches and he responded, "Back then Rolex watches were great watches, but they were more about function, and dependability. When I shot many of the famous photos of people who were wearing Rolex, it was not by design, and it was no big deal. It was just a fact. I was just taking photos of amazing people who just happened to be wearing Rolex watches. Back then, cars were just cars—and watches were just watches!"
Palm Beach Life
Bejeweled Fashion Photography
Al Satterwhite has shot a great deal of fashion photography, and the following jewelry campaign story is a beautiful work of art!
Al Satterwhite is pictured below in 1972 in an AMAZING photograph, as he is shooting a model on top of the Harry Winston Building in New York City, on assignment for a special section for Palm Beach Life Magazine. This photo just blows my mind!!! There are so many fascinating elements in the image below. First there is the dizzying feeling of Vertigo, which is interesting as I typically am not scared of, or, effected by height, but this image looks so hairball, as there is no guardrail, so if that model fell backwards she would die.
Also, the fact since it was taken in 1972, in New York City, there are ONLY American cars on the road, and they are all land sharks as they are huge American cars. In other words, there are no compact cars or foreign cars, or SUVs, as the oil crisis in the U.S. didn't occur until 1973. So we see just gas-guzzler station wagons, and sedans. This photo really shows a slice of Americana that no longer exists. Everything in this photos is obsolete today, from the clothes to the camera equipment, to all the cars and busses. There is probably not one single automobile in this photo that is still on the road today, but the two things that stand out out as having transcended time are Al's Rolex Submariner and the buildings...Especially the Rolex U.S.A. Headquarters building which you know is located somewhere around a corner...
Even though the photo is silent, I can imagine hearing the obnoxiously loud NYC, Gotham background soundtrack of horns and sirens, and people whistling for taxi cabs. The fact Al is rocking his Rolex Submariner as all this seemingly controlled chaos ensues around him, and just the overall vibe is so early 1970s retro-cool, in a hectic Harold and Maude, funky kind of way, including Al's camera gear kit on his waste, not to mention, the models super bellbottoms...Also, the whole concrete jungle aspect, and the photo has a "Long Cool Woman in a Black Dress" song vibe. This photo just takes my breath away!!! Also, I LOVE how we get to see an actual photo shot from that crazy-ass NYC rooftop perspective (below), which is also a retro masterpiece that has been frozen in time for us to examine!!!!
1972 was a great year for Al Satterwhite as he also took the AMAZING photo below of legendary NFL Quarterback, Joe Namath at the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida.
Chris Evert
Champion Tennis Player
Al Satterwhite is pictured below in 1973 with Wimbledon Champion and female tennis legend, Chris Evert in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
Al Satterwhite was on assignment for Newsweek Magazine at the time and was tasked with taking some great photos of Chris Evert for the cover.
When Al Satterwhite took the photos of Chris Evert she was just embarking on her most amazing career, where should would go on to win 18 Grand Slam Singles Championships, and was ranked the Number 1 female singles tennis player in 1964, 1965, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1989 and in 1981. Chris Evert has also worn Rolex watches and been a Rolex brand ambassador for many decades.
Hunter Thompson
Fear & Loathing in Cozumel
Al Satterwhite took the photo below of Hunter S. Thompson in Cozumel, Mexico in 1974. Al and Hunter became fast-friends when they met in 1972 while covering the Republican National Convention for different publications. At the time, President Nixon was running for his second term, and would go on to win the U.S. Presidency by a landslide.
Playboy Magazine interviewed Hunter Thompson in Cozumel, Mexico and Hunter specially requested that Al Satterwhite take his photos for the Playboy story. After the interview was complete, Hunter convinced Al to stay a while longer so they could visit every bar and rage-like-rock-stars.
Hunter Thompson took the photo below of Al Satterwhite, which is titled "The Start of the Great Shark Hunt." It's interesting to note Al is wearing his Rolex Submariner in this photo, and not so long afterward, Hunter S. Thompson ended up wearing a Rolex GMT-Master.
The letter below was sent to Al Satterwhite by Hunter S. Thompson in 1974, after the Playboy interview ran. Hunter and Satterwhite remained pen pals and friends until Hunter's unfortunately passed away...
Stevie Wonder
Los Angeles, California 1974
This is an amazing photo of legendary singer, Stevie Wonder, probably taken at the height of his popularity, and this magical photo not only captures the magic of the moment, but also Stevie's passion and joyous vibe!!!
Graham Hill
Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah 1974
Legendary race car driver, Graham Hill is pictured below in this superb photo by Al Satterwhite, which he took in late September of 1974 of Graham sitting in a Ferrari which he had been co-driving with Paul Newman and Luigi Chinetti.
Philippe Cousteau
Marina del Rey, California 1975
The photo below was taken in 1975 in Marina del Rey, and shows Phillipe Cousteau holding up a photo of his father, Jacques-Yves Cousteau.
Mother & Daughter
Waiting To Be Picked Up At Airport
The image above is one of my favorite photos of Al's. All Satterwhite took this photo on December 1, 1976 and described it as:
"I was in Portland to shoot something for Time-Life magazine but I don't remember the specific assignment. I spent almost twenty years in-and-out of more airports than I care to remember. To make it interesting, instead of mundane, I always looked around to see if there was anything new that caught my eye. What I found most was people who do something interesting that stops me in my tracks. This woman and young child sitting on their luggage waiting for their ride is pretty much how I generally feel about being in airports. It's a lot of "sit tight and wait". I also like mirror images that can add to the overall composition."
There are so many reasons I LOVE the image above of the mother and daughter, patiently waiting to be picked up at the Portland airport. Firstly, I love its magnificent composition, and the split world mirrored view offers such an interesting perspective. It's interesting to consider this photo was taken in a different world, long before smartphones existed, so all the mother and daughter could do was wait patiently. Obviously if this photo was taken today, the mother would glued to her smartphone, and the daughter would probably be playing on a tablet, and their suitcases would have wheels.
It's also such a lonely looking photo that leaves me wanting to know much more about the image and the mother and daughter. Are they still alive today? If so, it's likely they are not aware of this photo, but I am certain they would love it! I could literally write an entire blog post just on this image, but let's move on...
Below, we see another magnificent example of a photo Al took where he creatively uses the reflective mirror finish of the windows on the building to capture a strong sense of immersion and depth.
Evel Knievel
Another King of Cool @ Viva Knievel
Al Satterwhite took the image below of Evel Knievel in 1976 in Hollywood, California as part of a setup for an Evel Knievel Movie named Viva Knievel. Again, it's a completely different world, where masculinity was defined by a man wearing a white leather Elvis Presley Jumpsuit with a huge collar and super bell bottoms, yet Knievel looks like some kind of ultra-masculine super hero.
Below we see actress, model and photographer, Laura Hutton picking up Evel Knievel.
Paul Newman
Another King of Cool @ Sebring 1977
Al took the photos in this set including super-iconic photos below of Paul Newman rocking his "Paul Neman Exotic Dial Daytona" back on March 19, 1977 at Sebring Raceway in Daytona, Florida.
Below we see a contact sheet of Paul Newman images from Al Satterwhite that were shot back in the mid 1970s. These images represent a real Time Machine if ever there was such a thing...In a strange way, this contact sheet is like a work of art, in and of itself...
Al Satterwhite is pictured below in 1978 in Tombstone, Arizona shooting the town—literally, while rocking is Rolex Submariner.
Ansel Adams
San Francisco, California 1979
The photo below of Ansel Adams is a really interesting photo for me, as there is a fascinating story behind the timeframe this photo was taken by Al Satterwhite. In particular as I lived in San Francisco, in 1979 and personally knew Ansel Adams when this photo was taken. My father's mother, who was my paternal grandmother, whose name was Marjorie Ehrlich, was close friends with Ansel Adams, and they used to go for long walks on Stinson Beach, in Marin County, California, which is just past the Golden Gate Bridge on the Marin side. They used to walk barefoot in the sand while looking for highly worn colored glass rocks to collect that were the result of long ago broken glass bottles that were worn smooth by the ocean over many decades.
Auntie Mame
"Live! That's the message! Life is a banquet and most poor suckers are starving to death. Live, child - LIVE!"
—Auntie Mame, 1958
My grandmother's daughter, who was my father's sister raised me from the time I was 11 years old until I was 18. Her name was Dora Jane, and I simply called her 'Auntie'. For all intents and purposes, she was my Auntie Mame, and we had a grand time together. I am pictured below with my Aunt, Dora Jane in 1982 when I was 16 years old. This was right around the time I purchased my first Rolex Submariner! Seven years earlier, in the mid 1970s, my Aunt, Dora Jane worked for a photography company in San Francisco, California named ReproGraphics. Ironically, Ansel Adams also worked at the same company with my Aunt.
If you are wondering what the most iconic photographer of the 20th Century was doing working for a photography printing company, it's a strange, but interesting backstory. Even though Ansel was famous back in the late 1970s, he didn't make that much money from his photographs as collectible signed photos were nascent to the world. Ansel loved working in the dark room, and his specialty was working on making enlargements.
One day, Ansel Adams and my Aunt, Dora Jane were having a conversation, and she said, "You know, it really is a shame that more people aren't exposed to your brilliant photography, along with all the work product of all these talented professional photographers we work with." So they came up with an idea to start the first professional photography gallery in San Francisco, and they decided to name it The Whiteside Gallery.
My Aunt had a photography show in her Whiteside Gallery with an amazing photographer named, Ruffin Cooper Jr. I spent a bunch of time with Ruffin, and man was he creative!!! Ruffin took the photo collage below of the interior of The Whiteside Gallery, which he took in separate photos, then stitched them together in the collage seen below. The original layout was all in one row, which is seen on the third line below, and the first two lines are split up. In the last frame we see Ruffin Cooper standing up at his show in a selfie. Unfortunately Ruffin passed away many years ago, but he was a magnificently talented photographer.
The Whiteside Gallery was located at the end of a short alley in San Francisco that dead-ended off of Union Street, in Cow Hollow, named Charleston Court... I included the photo of me taken in 1997 standing in front of the Whiteside Gallery, which was located at 6 Charleston Court in San Francisco.
When I came to live with my Aunt in 1977, I was 11 years old, and she had recently opened her Whiteside Gallery with Ansel Adams, and his photography was featured exclusively in her first gallery show. Of course, I knew and spent time around Ansel Adams, but to me he was just another boring old dude that took photos, and as an 11 years old, I just didn't have much in common with a 76 year old photographer, but I did spend a bunch of time studying his black and white photos of Yosemite as well as other famous American natural landmarks he beautifully capture. I also remember Ansel was kind of shy and awkward, at least toward me, but I remember him sitting in the Whiteside Gallery, chatting it up pretty hard with my Aunt. You know, the whole Peanuts parents talking in the background saying, 'Wa, wa, wa, wa, wa, wa, wa wa!'
Al Satterwhite also knew Ansel Adams, so I shared my story with him about growing up in The Whiteside Galley. I mentioned how, another photographer who had a show in her gallery, named Jim Marshall had taken a liking to me and took it upon himself to teach me how to shoot a 35MM camera—which was a crazy experience in-and-of-itself. The long-and-short of my photography experience as a young boy, is it basically turned me into a photography fanatic, not just as an accomplished professional photographer myself, but as a collector, and as a publisher.
If you think about it, Jake's Rolex World at its most fundamental level, is a highly photo-centric editorial publication. I would argue one of the great details that has really always set Jake's Rolex World apart is my approach to how I proactively have chosen to showcase all imagery. I just love photography, and as Elon Musk once brilliantly quipped, "High resolution photography is high bandwidth to the brain!"
In other words, we as human beings are typically highly visual creatures that like to spectate and inspect things we find to be interesting, in the sense we are always curious to see things and people that fascinate us. Some would refer to this as a form of voyeurism, and I have even heard people fascinatingly refer to the exhibition of beautiful watches and timepieces as being "watch porn." You get the idea...and that is what I always strive for, is tweak and showcase images that are so immersive, readers get lost in them, like they have traveled to a different world. Kind of like a Disneyland, for adults and fellow watch nuts...
Arnold
Venice Beach, California 1976
Arnold Schwarzenegger is pictured below is an amazing photo Al Satterwhite captured. Al told me a bunch of fascinating stories about hanging out with Arnold, and Ali, and how down to earth they both were.
Jack Nicklaus
1977
Al Satterwhite has shot a lot of sports photography during the course of his career, including images that graced the cover of Sports Illustrated. In this photo we see a great photo from 1977 of legendary golfer, Jack Nicklaus, who has long been a Rolex brand ambassador.
New York
Return to New York, Early 1980s
In 1980, Al Satterwhite moved to New York City to launch his own advertising production company. For the next 12 years he was known for his national and international advertising campaign work for renowned clients including, American Express, Coca Cola, Dole, DuPont, Eastman Kodak, Nikon, Porsche, Sony and Universal Studios.
Al took the photo below of the Chrysler Building in New York City, in downtown Manhattan, while shooting on an assignment on the roof of the PanAm Building for Fortune Magazine on November 5, 1981. He took this photo late in the day with a 300MM Nikkor lens which he shot on Kodachrome 25.
Al is pictured below on top of the Rockefeller Center Building in 1981, as he was working on a story for Fortune Magazine.
Al took the amazing photo below of El Castillo from Temple of the Warriors.
Al's image below of El Castillo take my breath away as its just so immersive and amazing!!!
Al took the photo below of the Statue of Liberty in front of the World Trade Center in August of 1982 which is a stunningly magnificent image!!! Al took this with a 1200MM Nikkor lens with Kodachrome 25 from over a mile away!
Al took this amazing arial photograph of the Statue of Liberty on June 4, 1986 one month before it officially reopened after its restoration. Al LOVES New York, and said he has many friends who live there, as well as his printers, and he knows it like the back of his hands. He said, "New York is the capital of the world". Also he loves the fact he doesn't have to drive as the subway system works so well and everything he could ever want is available in The Big Apple...
Hurley Haywood
1985 24 Hours of Daytona Race
1985 Hurley Haywood at the 24 Hours of Daytona race rocking his two-tone GMT-Master. Al Satterwhite made a special version of this photo which was originally shot in color, where he made everything black and white, expect for Hurley Haywood's two-tone Rolex GMT-Master on a Jubilee bracelet, which is really cool.
Al Satterwhite shared a great story about Hurley Haywood.
"Hurley, won Le Mans driving Porsche 3 times, as well as the Daytona 24-Hour 5 times (as Rolex always awarded a Rolex watch, he has a huge chest full of Rolex watches).
When Hurley & Peter Gregg won in '73 driving a factory Porsche 911 RS (photo below), several hours before the finish he was cruising down the backstraight at 200mph when he hit a seagull, which cracked the windshield and there were seagull parts all over the indeed—he was leading by a huge number of laps—Peter told him to keep circulating as they had no replacement windscreen—so they went looking.
Hurley driving with Peter Gregg leaning in talking to him - Jack Atkinson/Crew Chief at far left
I think they 'liberated' one from a 911 parked in the infield—leaving a note. Hurley pitted, they changed the glass and off they went. They were also offered $10,000 (which was a pretty decent amount of change in ’73) by an auto wax company to pit, let them completely clean & wax the car before they crossed the finish line. They had a seriously huge lead at the time. Peter was afraid (rightly so) that they wouldn’t be able to restart the car & thus loose (when you pitted you had to turn off the engine).
Everglades
Shooting from a Helicopter in Florida
Al Satterwhite is used to hanging out in all kinds of strange places, as we see with these cool images of him shooting from a helicopter for an ad series for Tuborg beer in Germany in 1989.
Roger Penske
Marlboro Formula One, 1990
In the photo below we see racing legend, Roger Penske head of the Marlboro Formula One Team of Emerson Fittipaldi in 1990, and we see Roger rocking his Rolex Day-Date.
Los Angeles
City of Angels in California
In 1992, Al Satterwhite moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue filmmaking as a Director of Photography. Over the course of the following 20 years he produced numerous short films, commercials, music videos and a few independent films. His short films won Best Picture awards.
Satterwhite is renowned for his signature stark black and white photographic style, as well as his signature style of color and design which are represented in the permanent collections at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery, as well as many more photographic institutions.
Al primarily shot with Nikon and Leica on film for 50 years, and today he shoots only digital exclusively shooting with Leica M11's & SL3's.
The photo below shows Al Satterwhite shooting a video for Nikon in Saint Barts. Saint Barts is a French speaking Caribbean Island known for its white-sand beaches and high-end designer shops.
Al is pictured below in 1992 shooting at Fort Benning, near Columbus, Georgia an ad campaign for the U.S. Army, shooting paratroopers jumping out of planes.
The funny photo of Al Satterwhite below was taken in 1993 and shows Al shooting another video for Nikon in Boothbay Harbor, Maine.
This next photo was also taken in 1993 and shows Al Satterwhite shooting jet dragsters for ActionSports adventure in North Carolina. In this photo we see how he travels with his gear.
In this next photo taken in 1995 we see Al Satterwhite directing and shooting at a sporting event.
These next two photos show Al Satterwhite shooting a commercial for Levi's in the California desert.
Al pictured below in 2012 with his beautiful wife, Valery, and friend, Peter Wilson as the Fetterman Gallery in Los Angeles in front of his photo of Hunter Thompson.
Comedian, and car collector and enthusiast Jay Leno is pictured below at a book signing for Al Satterwhite's book titled 'the Racers' in 2020.
The more recent photo below was taken in 2022 at the Opening night for his Paul Newman show at Morrison Gallery in New York City, with gallerists, Marcelle Murdock and Breanne Palmieri. Al ended up moving back to New York, which he calls home today, as he loves the vibe and energy of city life.
This might sound kind of strange, but when I interview people, I commonly ask people what their favorite bands are in order to get a better frame-of-reference for understanding how their mind and tastes work. Al said, "Brothers in Arms by Dire Straits". He also said he loves "Cortez, Cortez by Neil Young, which his friend and roommate Bob Ellison in college turned him on to all of Bob Dylan's music. He also said he likes Van Morrison, Tom Petty, Talking Heads, Stevie Wonder, Jackson Browne, Bob Seger, The Eagles, Dixie Chicks, Christopher Cross, Bob Skaggs and The Cate Brothers.
Al Satterwhite has an great Instagramaccount where he shares incredible historical images and most importantly shares insight and the fascinating backstories on them.
I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed putting it together, and I would like to thank Al Satterwhite for sharing not only his amazing photos, but also his invaluable insight and stories. Al is a really interesting man, who is VERY decisive, which I respect as he knowns exactly what he likes, and doesn't. In the future, I look forward to perhaps doing a part 2 to this story, or a second story on Al Satterwhite's photography as he is so prolific and has such an AMAZING portfolio and incredible images...The photo below shows Al Satterwhite on the beach enjoying a cup of java in Eleuthera, Bahamas.
Al Satterwhite photo by Bruce Wodder
He has owned and worn only two different Rolex sports Rolex models over the past 54 years, and today he rocks a vintage all stainless steel GMT-Master on an Oyster Bracelet as seen two photos above.
Al Satterwhite is pictured below driving a friends Shelby Cobra. Al said "He used to let me borrow his Cobra for early morning rides in the California mountains—a much better ride than my original 1964 Cobra". In my mind, this image best epitomizes Al Satterwhite, who is a visual storyteller, of the age old timeless story of man and his machines...
You Can Call Me AL
A Most Amazing Lifetime of Achievement
Al is 81 years old today, (pictured below Key West, Florida in July 2024) and is still going full speed ahead! He has lived a most outstanding life and been witness to so many amazing people and events. I would like to personally thank Al Satterwhite for all his amazing contributions to this story, which I could have not done with his insight and background stories. Al is as sharp as a tack and, is one organized man. I would ask him a questions about dates or photos, and if he didn't know the answer off the top of his head, he would get back to me in minutes with precise answers.
Historically Rolex has always been extremely secretive and discreet, and no journalists in the past have ever been invited "INSIDE ROLEX" to explore and report on all four Rolex Manufacturing faclities in Switzerland.
In November 2013, this changed when Rolex invited Jake to take an unprecdented journey into the heart of Rolex to learn and report on everything he witnessed and learned.
This Super-Detailed 3 Part Story is a "MUST READ" story for anybody who wants to understand what really makes Rolex tick.