Vanderbilt Cup Races

Dare-Devils in Print

A year prior to the slides being produced an entrepreneur from Indiana (Monte M. Katterjohn) began publishing "(Motor) Topics", having to do with all topics related to the automobile.  Katterjohn authored the article "Dare Devils" which told the story of several well known race car drivers of the time.  I'm not sure if Katterjohn eventually became the developer of the slides for sale but there is certainly reason to believe that to be the case.  More on Katterjohn's interesting career at the end of this post.  (The Boonville Standard Nov. 12, 1909)

Dare-Devils in Slides

The "Dare-Devil Picture Company" produced a series of hand-colored slides of accidents that occurred at various automobile races including the Vanderbilt Cup Race.  Note the flowery descriptions (i.e., "fiend-like racers", "dead and wounded") to attract attention. 

The Vanderbilt Cup Race was featured prominently to promote the slides. 

The company offered exclusive rights to the slides for $75 in the US, $150 in Canada and $200 in Europe or a set of 4 slides for 10 cents each. 

This ad for the slides used a terrifying headline to capture attention - "Human life slaughtered . . .".

Accidents from races in the United States and Europe were captured. 

Captions for each slide further enhanced the seriousness of the photos.  Accidents incurred by Vanderbilt Cup Race drivers William Borque and Charles Merz are shown, but their accidents did not occur during a Vanderbilt race. 

William Borque

Charles Merz

Slides Included in the Series

Anyone care to guess which drivers and races were depicted in these slides?

I'm not aware of these slides ever being licensed or used but due to their sensationalism I would tend to believe they were.   I wonder where the original slides are today!

The Enterprising Monte M. Katterjohn (1891-1949)

The following is a brief introduction to Monte M. Katterjohn who went from local newspaper contributor to screenwriter (and much more in between). 

Katterjohn prepared his "Dare Devils" article after covering several auto races in 1909 for newspapers and magazines. 

An effort was made by Katterjohn to establish a race in Southern Indiana.  Not sure if this ever was successful.  (Evansville Courier and Press Jan. 23, 1910)

Additional information about Katterjohn's magazine, "Topics", which eventually was renamed "Motor Topics" and became the size of "Life" magazine. 

A Brush With the Law

An encounter with the law . . .

Without getting into detail, Katterjohn was charged with an uncomfortable situation involving a female employee. Pertaining to his "Motor Topics" magazine, the article notes that the publication was already out of business - only 6 months after its splashy first edition. 

Throughout his life Katterjohn was an author, newspaper correspondent, politician, working for the US Government producing propaganda films during WWI and as a screenwriter for both silent and talking movies for Universal Pictures, Warner Brothers and Paramount Pictures for movies starring among others Rudolph Valentino ("The Shiek").  Later in his career he continued as a contributing writer, special assignment writer and critic; he eventually relocated back to his home state of Indiana.

Movies in which Katterjohn was screen writer.   

Its always very interesting to me as I research The Vanderbilt Cup Race and the Motor Parkway just where the research leads.   In this case, from an enterprising newspaperman writing about automobile race car dare-devils to movie screenwriter.  Movie buffs can find out much more about Katterjohn's prolific screenwriting career on the internet.