Vanderbilt Cup Races

Three of the 16 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race photos from the Hayden Allen Collection document the first Motor Parkway Bridge encountered by the drivers in the 1908 to 1910 races. I believe these photos are the only known images of the Merrick Avenue Bridge during the races.

For those familiar with Long Island, the bridge went over Merrick Avenue approximately 500 feet north of Stewart Avenue. The current location would cut through the middle of the New York Community Bank building into Eisenhower Park in East Meadow.

The above photo shows the #9 Amplex driven by Walter Jones beginning the climb over the bridge. The Meadow Brook Lodge (built in 1908) is to the left. Note the flagman warning spectators of the car on the course. The Amplex would finish 14th of the 30 entrants during the 1910 race.

In this photo, Al Livingston is driving the #1 National over the Merrick Avenue Bridge. This National would finish just ahead of the Amplex in 13th place.

Here, John Aiken can be seen driving another National. The #10 finished in third place, averaging 64.7 miles per hour.