Mystery Foto #10 Solved: A 1909 Long Island Automobile Club Membership Cup
Karen Rose was looking for your assistance in identifying this Long Island racing trophy which she recently purchased at the recent Barrett Jackson auction.
Mystery Foto questions:
- Identify the trophy and its sponsor.
The trophy was the 1909 Long Island Automobile Club's Membership Cup offered by Louis T. Weiss, the incoming vice-president. The silver cup was presented to Allen C. Alderman by Frank G. Webb at the monthly club meeting on December 1, 1909.
- Identify Frank Webb. Link him to the Vanderbilt Cup Races.
Frank G. Webb was the outgoing club president. He was a race official for the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race (Vice-Chairman of the Commission) and 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race (A.A.A. Representative).
- Identify the winner Allen Alderman. Why did he receive the cup?
Allen C. Alderman was the club's incoming president. He received the membership cup for securing 99 new club members in from December 1908 to November 1909. It was the second consecutive year that Alderman won the cup.
- Which race car was engraved on the trophy? Provide a rationale. Note: Answer is currently unknown.
Unknown, but possibly Old 16 Locomobile or the Alco Black Beast.
Comments (10)
Congrats to Greg O., Art Kleiner, Bob Lang, Andrea Fedi, Ariejan Bos, Tim Ivers, Bob Lang and Steve Lucas for correctly identifying the 1909 Long Island Automobile Club cup presented to Alan Alderman for securing the most club members in 1909.
Kudos to Greg O., Art Kleiner, Ariejan Bos, Tim Ivers, Bob Lang, Dave King and Michael Kaplow for submitting Mystery Foto documents and images.
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick
Close-Ups
1909 Membership Cup
The Automobile 11-24-1909
Submitted by Ariejan Bos
Brooklyn Life December 9, 1909
Submitted by Greg O.
Submitted by Tim Ivers
Alan Alderman also won the 1908 membership cup.
Submitted by Bob Lang
Long Island Automobile Club
The New York Times September 29, 2011
Then: 1909
Now: 2011
Alderman was the president of this club in 1910 but doesn’t seem to have been a member in 1913. HAPPY MOTORING, Dave King.
Submitted by Dave King
Frank Webb
Brooklyn Daily Eagle, February 7, 1909
Submitted by Art Kleiner
1908 Automobile Topics
Submitted by Art Kleiner
Brooklyn Daily Eagle May 10, 1909
Submitted by Michael Kaplow
1908 Vanderbilt Cup Commision
Officials of the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race
A.A.A. Representative Frank G. Webb
Comments
Very nice! Just found the Barret-Jackson auction for this.
Feel like I’m just stating the obvious from the inscriptions.
Identify the trophy and its sponsor
In a ceremony in December 1909, The Long Island Automobile Club presented this trophy to Allen C. Alderman for securing 99 new members into the club in 1909.
Identify Frank Webb. Link him to the Vanderbilt Cup Races.
President of the Long Island Automobile Club And Vice-chairman Of The 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Races.
Identify the winner Allen Alderman.
Allen Alderman immediately took over as President Of The LIAC after 1909
Which race car was engraved on the trophy? Provide a rationale. Note: Answer is currently unknown.
Mostly has an Locomobile ‘feel’ to it. Old 16 maybe?
Identify the trophy and its sponsor.
Membership Cup given by the Long Island Automobile Club in 1909
Identify Frank Webb. Link him to the Vanderbilt Cup Races.
President of the Club and Vice-Chairman of the 1909 (maybe others) Vanderbilt Cup Race Commission. A.R. Pardington also was a director of the club.
Identify the winner Allen Alderman. Why did he receive the cup?
Chairman of the 1909 Membership Committee - received the cup for “proposing the greatest number of new members.
Which race car was engraved on the trophy? Provide a rationale. Note: Answer is currently unknown.
Not enough research yet.
This trophy was the Membership Cup, awarded to the member of the Long Island Automobile Club who recruited the most new members during the year. It was sponsored by Louis T. Weiss, who had won a similar award in the past. Frank G. Webb was president of the club at the time. Allen C. Alderman, a wealthy attorney, who was also a past president of the club, had recruited the most new members.
The car could be Vincenzo Lancia’s # Fiat, steering dramatically to avoid Christie, while the mechanician is pointing in the direction of the incoming car.
The membership cup was given to Alderman for “having secured ninety-nine new members” for the New York State Automobile Association, of which he was the incoming President.
Webb was one of the officials of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race. He served as Vice-Chairman of the Vanderbilt Cup Commission.
I think the trophy was sponsored by the Long Island Automobile Club and presented to Allen C. Alderman because he (as membership chairman?) had “secured the greatest number of new members” to join the club. It looks like the year 1909 is on the trophy and Alderman went on to become club president the following year. Frank G. Webb had been the vice chairman of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race Commission (and now president of the L.I.A.C.) so maybe he somehow managed to get the 1909 V.C. R. winner, the Black Beast, engraved onto the trophy.
At the 1909 Long Island Auto Club dinner outgoing president Frank Webb presented this trophy to Allen Alderman for being the top recruiter. Frank Webb was an official at the 1908 LIMP Sweepstakes.
Mystery Foto # 10… The trophy is the Long Island Automobile Club Membership Cup as as presented by Frank Webb. Frank Webb was president of the Long Island Automobile club. Frank’s connection to the Vanderbilt cup races was Vice Chairman of the 1908 race.
As for the cup winner, Allen C. Alderman, based on my research he is “Persona Non Founda” No mention of him in any of my books or the Internet research.
I will go out on a limb and say the race car engraved on the cup is none other than the Black Beast ALCO #8
Florence Ogg:
I found a reference to Frank.G.Webb in the Automobile Journal 1912(Vol.33 p.25)
of a Frank G Webb entering a competition sponsored by the Manufacturers Contest Association.
Hope it helps in your search
Florence