Vanderbilt Cup Races

For the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race, William K. Vanderbilt, Jr. commissioned a poster to publicize the race. The watercolor was painted by Jean de Paleologue who used the pseudonyn PAL. His PAL signature can be seen to the right of the front tire.

Jean Paleologue (1860-1942) was born in Bucharest, Romania in 1860. After living in London, he moved to Paris in 1893 and was known for his posters of unique women. In 1900 he moved to the United States and worked in applied graphics including Vanity Fair. Later he developed ads and publicity for the automobile, film and animation industries. He died in Miami at the age of 82.

The above image is the only known existing lithograph of PAL's 1908 watercolor. It was purchased from the estate of a Locomobile executive and currently hangs in the living room of a prominent New England automobilia collector.

The poster was seen during the 1908 Race on the Officials Stand/Press Box located across the Long Island Motor Parkway grandstand in the Hempstead Plains (now Levittown). Click on the image for an enlarged version.

The watercolor was also used on the front cover of the official 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race program guide. Click on the image and you can see the PAL logo with a "08" date.

April 20, 2010 Update: Link to the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race poster

May 31, 2010 Update: Link to a selection of PAL posters.

October 19, 2010 Update: VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: Rare 1908 PAL Race Painting Discovered?