Vanderbilt Cup Races

The Incredible Vanderbilt Cup Races of Long Island, from the Collection of Howard Kroplick  

“Chain your dogs and lock up your fowls!” heralded posters throughout Long Island in announcing the first international road race ever to be held in America. From 1904 to 1910, six Vanderbilt Cup Races were held on Long Island. Developed from the imagination of William K. Vanderbilt Jr., great grandson of millionaire Cornelius Vanderbilt, these races were the most prestigious auto races of their day, drawing hundreds of thousands of spectators to Long Island. The exhibit will relive auto racing’s earliest triumphs, including the development of the Long Island Motor Parkway--the first road built exclusively for the automobile. Two displays featuring rare photos and memorabilia have been created for the Suffolk County Historical Society by Howard Kroplick. Mr. Kroplick is the Town Historian of North Hempstead and the author of three books: The Vanderbilt Cup Races of Long Island, The Long Island Motor Parkway, and North Hempstead.

Chariots & Stone Photo Exhibit by John Berhalter  Guest Curator: Loretta Corbisiero.

John Berhalter is a Long Island photographer whose work has been published in automobile collectors' books and local publications. In Chariots & Stone, John turns the ordinary into the extraordinary, emphasizing the beauty of antique cars and historical buildings by drawing attention to their form and composition. The automobile is viewed not merely as a mode of transportation but also as an object of a collector's affection, and old or commonplace buildings are viewed as places of hidden artistry

Location: Suffolk County Historical Society

Address: 300 West Main Street, Riverhead, NY

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