Vanderbilt Cup Races

Among the many racing fans who turned out at St. Patrick's Car Show last Sunday were the Kicks of Albertson. They asked me for information on their photograph of the official poster for the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race. Here's the follow-up:

The official 1910 poster for the Vanderbilt Cup Race was created by Jean Paleologue who used the pseudonyn PAL .(Note: see correction below.) It is likely that the car depicted on the poster was the #8 Alco, winner of the previous year's race. A similar painting used for the 1909 Program Guide depicted the 1908 winner the #16 Locomobile. Note the poster also promoted the planned Grand Prize Race which was cancelled due to two fatalities and poor crowd control associated with the Vanderbilt Cup Race.

Similar to PAL's 1908 poster, the artwork was displayed on the official's stand/press box at the start-finish line in the Hempstead Plains (now Levittown).

A close-up of the poster.

The #6 Simplex can be seen passing the press box and the poster.

A great photo of the #14 Corbin being serviced in front of the press box. Five posters are visible.

The Kicks duplicate the poster's driver and mechanician in the #8 car.

May 17, 2010 Update: This is a copy of the 1910 poster currently in the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum. A close-up of the poster indicates that the PAL signature is missing from the painting. Moreover, in comparison with PAL's 1908 poster (see below) the faces, landscapes and strokes of the artist are significantly different.

Accordingly, it is likely that Jean Paleologue did not paint the 1910 poster but an unnamed artist who copied PAL's style.

May 23, 2010 Update: The original painting for the 1908 poster has been discovered at the Heritage Museums & Gardens in Sandwich, Massachusetts.