SlimAarons
Boats
Boating
The Riva’s heyday came in the 50’s and 60’s when Pietro Riva’s grandson, Carlos, turned Riva boats into luxury icons with his focus on craftsmanship and attention to detail The Riva was the epitome of style and sophistication, thus becoming a popular leisure activity for society’s elite and the perfect subject for Slim’s photographs. When Italy opened its borders to foreign visitors in 1948, Life magazine opened a bureau in Rome, and Slim jumped at the opportunity to relocate. It was here that he photographed the superbly crafted Riva boats and their famous occupants.
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French Riviera
Slim Aarons also immortalized the living proof of the golden era of the French Riviera beaches between 1960 and 1980. The period was defined by newfound sexual liberation, the economic boom and a carefree jet-set, the beaches of St Tropez, the boats mooring in the harbor in Monaco and the speedboats flying full speed in front of Hotel Eden Roc in cap d´Antibes.
Slim Aarons’ photographs are appealing on so many levels. His photographs take people on a journey into the past, a lost era of style, grace and simplicity, a time before technology took hold. His images captivate our imagination and our desire to travel to exotic destinations.
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Riva Tritone
The Riva Tritone was founded in 1842, Riva first became associated with glamour in the 1920s, moving from transportation into the far sexier realm of speedboats, winning national and international competitions throughout the 20s and 30s. Carlo Riva took over the family firm in the 1950s, kicking off a golden age of boat design that established the distinctive polished hull, lithe lines and chrome detailing that has become as synonymous with the Venice waterways as the gondola. From 1950 until 1964, the Tritone was the most prestigious boat in Riva’s line-up, with twin engines and tanks large enough for it to be a serious sea-cruiser, respected and coveted throughout the Mediterranean.
The long timbered aft deck over the engines was ideal for sunbathing; and together with the two rows of seats and small bow cabin, whole languorous days could be spent at sea. Its final iteration – the Super Tritone – had a highly impressive top speed of over 50mph. By the end of its run, 257 had been built. Carlo Riva has been praised by many for inventing, developing, drawing and creating Italian Style motorboats. Throughout the 1950s Riva became widely known for the elegance of form, excellent safety features and mahogany racing boats.
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The Legend
But, it was in November 1962 that the real legend behind Riva was born: the Aquarama. Presented at the third International Nautical Fair in Milan, the yacht quickly became a symbol of Riva’s excellence. The name of the vessel was inspired by the Cinerama system, the American experimental wide screens and its slogan featured keywords like: “Sun, sea, joie de vivre!” Aquarama’s prototype was the Lipicar no.1, the successor to the Tritone, measuring 8.02 metres in length and 2.62 metres wide, powered by twin 185 hp Chris-Craft engines, with a speed of 73 km/h.
he long timbered aft-deck over the engines was ideal for sunbathing; and together with the two rows of seats and small bow cabin, whole languorous days could be spent at sea. Its final iteration – the Super Tritone – had a highly impressive top speed of over 50mph. By the end of its run, 257 had been built. The Tritone epoch drew to a close in the early 1960s, with its direct descendant, the Aquarama, growing to overshadow its parent, dominating the high-glamour speedboat world for another three decades, until the 769th Aquarama left the Riva boatyard in Sarnico in 1996.
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