Vanderbilt Cup Races

Fascinating Howard. With Consuelo in mind, Ariejan may have a point about Virginia Fair. I too can’t envision Virginia ever actually smiling in Vanderbilt’s public domain, especially during a turbulent marriage. It’s also possible it could have been a rare moment at a rare point in time.

From Mystery Foto #45 Solved (Maybe?): Virginia Fair Vanderbilt in her 1910 Detroit Electric

I really must share my doubts about the solution of this quiz, regarding the lady as well as the dating of the car. As I understand now, this photo was published before in the book “Esquire’s American Autos and their makers” by David Wilkie (1963) with this info, and maybe elsewhere.
Regarding the Detroit electric: in 1909 the side lights had the curved support like on the mystery photo, in 1910 the side light supports were straight. The 1910 Detroit from the Bonham’s auction isn’t a very good example, because the side lights of this car are in my opinion not the original ones and seem to be added later (although they have the straight supports!).
Regarding the lady: of course I studied the facial features of both Virginia Fair and Consuelo Vanderbilt. My conclusion was that the lady cannot be Virginia Fair: she has a more elongated face with rather prononced cheek bones, whereas the lady on the mystery photo has a more rounded face. And than there is the attitude: I cannot believe that the always rather reserved looking Virginia Fair would be photographed in this pose at a racing track this short after her divorce. But I could easily believe this in the case of Consuelo Vanderbilt!

From Mystery Foto #45 Solved (Maybe?): Virginia Fair Vanderbilt in her 1910 Detroit Electric

i live near commack rd and vanderbilt pkwy but for the life of me i can not figure out
how the parkway and commack rd crossed paths without any overpass or underpass, and the locations of the toll houses do not give a clue as to how anyone entered the
parkway without interference from busy (for then) commack rd…....any clues anyone
thanks….kevin

From Vanderbilia Postcard Series #1: The Locomobile Postcards of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

I’m back!!  Still no computer,need a new one,trying to keep up with what’s going on here. Didn’t miss too much,luckily. The mystery Fridays have been pretty good.

From Vanderbilia Postcard Series #1: The Locomobile Postcards of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Pretty unruly crowds….. Pretty annoying to say the least…

From Chaos at the Finish of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Excellent & enjoyable pictures….

From Vanderbilia Postcard Series #1: The Locomobile Postcards of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Have no idea who the woman is but believe the car is a Baker

From Mystery Foto #45 Solved (Maybe?): Virginia Fair Vanderbilt in her 1910 Detroit Electric

Could the little girl on the side of the lodge be Ann Grego who died at an old age about 1990? She was the daughter of a worker for Vanderbilt who bought the lodge in 1938. She had 2 daughters who I believe live on Long Island.
Jack Binder

From A New View of the Great Neck Lodge in Lakeville (Lake Success) Circa 1911

Howard - Thanks so much for the info!  You’ve made our visitor from New Orleans soooo happy.  He says he’s been dreaming about this house for 20 years!
Alice

From Then & Now: William K. Vanderbilt Jr's Deepdale Gate Lodge in Lake Success

From Rutger Booy, Rotterdam, Netherlands:

“An easy one this time! The beautiful lady is Mrs. W.K. Vanderbilt, wife of the Commodore William K. Vanderbilt. The automobile she’s driving is a 1910 Detroit Electric.

All the best”

From Mystery Foto #45 Solved (Maybe?): Virginia Fair Vanderbilt in her 1910 Detroit Electric

I’m not sure if you allow 2 guesses but I think the young lady might really be Elsie Janis, who starred in the 1906 Broadway production of “The Vanderbilt Cup”. I still believe the car is a 1909 Baker Electric.

From Mystery Foto #45 Solved (Maybe?): Virginia Fair Vanderbilt in her 1910 Detroit Electric

Could that be Consuelo Vanderbilt, Willie K. Jr.‘s sister, sitting in a 1909 Baker Electric?

From Mystery Foto #45 Solved (Maybe?): Virginia Fair Vanderbilt in her 1910 Detroit Electric

Cool shots- Hey can we buy reprints of the cards ? Great work on this website !

From Vanderbilia Postcard Series #1: The Locomobile Postcards of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Great photos!

From Vanderbilia Postcard Series #1: The Locomobile Postcards of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

The car would appear to be a 1909 Baker electric.

My guess on the woman in the photo would be Clara Ford, Henry Ford’s wife, since it was known she had a Baker. Henry Ford was on the board for the Motor Parkway.

From Mystery Foto #45 Solved (Maybe?): Virginia Fair Vanderbilt in her 1910 Detroit Electric

The car is a 1909 Detroit electric brougham. The woman could very well be the Duchess of Marlborough, better known as Consuela Vanderbilt, William K.‘s sister. Probably already in 1902 (on her 25th birthday?) she received an electric car, a Columbia Mark XXXI Elberon victoria, as a present from her mother Alva Vanderbilt-Belmont. She separated from her husband in 1906 (though the divorce came only in 1921), which may explain her being on her own in this characteristic women’s car.

From Mystery Foto #45 Solved (Maybe?): Virginia Fair Vanderbilt in her 1910 Detroit Electric

Hi David,

Regarding the photo above with the team posing in the shaft driven Alco, in my opinion we see Lee and his mechanician Schoonmaker here. Hartman and Finn are the two men with the cow on the group photo (Hartman on the right) and have quite different features.

Ariejan

From Mystery Foto #44 Solved: The #7 Alco Shaft Drive 6- Cylinder Racer in Elgin, Illinois

While I was visiting a relative in Sarasota,they know of a place where we could go to see a collection of 55 or more farm tractors,unrestored and restored,not open to the public,has his own shop to restore them.He let us take pictures. Would you want me to send you some,so that you can post them? He doesn’t have a website or does’nt want to give out any information about it,he keeps it to himself. They where tractors that I have never seen before. I was amazed when I saw them.Let me know if you want them

From Video of the Week: The First Self-Propelled Vehicle: The 1769 Fardier du Cugnot

It would be interesting if there was remnants of this overpass in r/o Satelitte La? In the last 1947 aerial, there appears to be an uprise over the central lirr row. This uprise may have became Neptune La

From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series #41: The Bloomingdale Road Bridge in Hempstead Plains

I got to go to the Museum,what a collection of cars,as Joe,Ron and Frank said and it is well worth going to visit.

From Video of the Week: The First Self-Propelled Vehicle: The 1769 Fardier du Cugnot