Lawson, Julius & Lawson

 

John "Terrible Swede" Lawson (although, honestly, he hardly looks very terrible; heck, he doesn't even have a mustache) driving, and Oscar Julius sitting up high to provide as much wind break as possible, pacing Gustav Lawson, the youngest of three racing Lawson brothers. Lawson, Julius and Lawson were three-quarters of the so-called Swedish contingent (Iver Lawson was the fourth) who raced at the Los Angeles Velodrome and Riverside's athletic park in 1899 to 1900 (the Lawsons returned for the 1900 to 1901 season as well). This photo could have been taken at either of those places, or neither. All three came from, and raced principally in, the east. Each was enticed to race in Los Angeles with the promise that the new indoor track was state of the art, with record-setting rides possible for anyone willing to put in the effort. They were.