Vanderbilt Cup Races

Brian - Sigaretes is Italian for Cigarettes according to Google.  Here are a few articles mentioning the brand from 1903 and 1904 editions of “Tobacco World” & “The Smokers Magazine”.

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: The 1904 press box/officials' stand on Jericho Turnpike in Westbury

That sure looks like Willie K. Jr. I think he’s standing in front of his Deepdale estate in Lake Success. The uniform looks like it’s from an auxiliary volunteer fire department; possibly from the Village of Lake Success. Or since he had the recent memory of his father’s estate in Oakdale burning down, he organized a V. F. D. unit on his own property. He looks quite young so I’m going with a date of around 1905.

From Mystery Foto #47 Solved: Willie K in his Vigilant Fire Company uniform at Deepdale (Circa 1905-1906)

Attention Art Kleiner—are any of Robert Edgren’s original pieces available to purchase from a collection? I think they are notable. Thanks.

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 1 - Vanderbilt Cup Race Illustrations of "The NY World" - The Impact on Farmers

Yes, now I see ‘Vigilant’ on the helmet!

From Mystery Foto #47 Solved: Willie K in his Vigilant Fire Company uniform at Deepdale (Circa 1905-1906)

Like so many other kids in the sixties, I grew up playing and riding my bike around Deadman’s Curve, a steeply-banked section of the parkway where it turned north to cross the LIRR tracks and head into Bethpage Stat Park near the picnic area. The ‘Curve’ was located at the north end of Windhorst Ave and Herman Ave, one block north of Wilson Lane, where I lived at #55. What happened to the curve that cut it in half? Some people speculated that it was washed out in a storm, but I disagree. I was there when the new split level houses were levelled and burned in around ‘63 for the construction of NY135 Seaford Oyster Bay Expressway. One person decided they wanted to save their house, so they dug out that section of the parkway and put the house on rollers and dragged it through the fields, right through the cut in Deadman’s Curve, and put it up on a new foundation as the last house on the street just north of Windhorst Ave. I believe it’s still there, and nobody today probably knows where this different-style house came from! I was there the day they pulled it through the Curve’s banked turn. What a shame, to destroy that historic banked curve!

From Bethpage Newsgram & Mid-Island Times: Vanderbilt Cup Races through Bethpage

Great shot Art!
Had we not discussed this photo, you’re right, I would have recognized Willie K at Deepdale (my guess sometime around 1904ish)

Willie K knew to keep the fire departments around his estates well-stocked with the proper equipment. Below is a screen grab from the Centerport FD page describing the emergency vehicle he donated to the department down the road from Eagle’s Nest. They still have the vehicle and a small museum in the firehouse which can be seen by appointment.

From Mystery Foto #47 Solved: Willie K in his Vigilant Fire Company uniform at Deepdale (Circa 1905-1906)

The image below is from one of the many calendars that The Lake Ronkonkoma Historical Society has given The Sachem Library. The calendar book is in Long Island History Room. Great images of Ronkonkomas past, several related to the LIMP. Caption for the image - Horseshoe Curve, Vanderbilt Pkwy

From Film of the Week: A Tour of Historic Lake Ronkonkoma

Noticed the ads for   RIVOLI SIGARETS   I guess at some point ‘cigarettes’ became the preferred spelling. Maybe Cigar used to be SIGAR?

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: The 1904 press box/officials' stand on Jericho Turnpike in Westbury

The north side of Jericho Tpk between Hitchcock and Powell’s lane was, up until very recently, the site of the Hitchcock mansion and huge horse field and track. The mansion was torn down along with most outbuildings and stables and the Catholic Church is making a very large cemetery here. It is actually open now either the first bunch of graves recently put in.

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: The 1904 press box/officials' stand on Jericho Turnpike in Westbury

The other I went to the Americana Mall for the test drive of new Mercedes EQ luxury EV car, the EQ580 (all wheel drive, 2 motors). The car’s dash display lit up the whole width of the dash, WOW! Driving in a residential area across the mall. The car’s is quite, no motor sound, brake felt a bit strange, regenerative braking? Nice. I’ll take my 2018 Honda Accord EX sedan, accelerate very good, normal brake feel, and it’s PAID FOR!!

From Test drive the Mercedes EQ this Sunday

The photo with Willie K. and Al Reeves was the cover story.  And true to its word the publication did a very comprehensive report of the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race.

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: The 1904 press box/officials' stand on Jericho Turnpike in Westbury

Additional documentation to my earlier answers.  Using clues from the advertisements on the press box, I was able to locate digital copies of the publication “Motoring and Boating” which was prominently advertised on the front of the press box.  These photos are from its Oct. 13, 1904 edition:  the first is the actual mystery photo with the caption and the second is the press box this time shown with Willie K. and Al Reeves!

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: The 1904 press box/officials' stand on Jericho Turnpike in Westbury

If they had just worn their seat belts none of these injuries would have happened.

From Kleiner's Korner: Three Accidents Involving Motor Parkway Celebrities

Press Box
Looking north - the press box is on the north side of Jericho Turnpike between Hitchcock Lane and Powells Lane.
Reporters
October 8, 1904
Movie taken from the top of the press box.

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: The 1904 press box/officials' stand on Jericho Turnpike in Westbury

They did a nice job on the first section, I rode it last week. Thanks to all involved.

From Queens Motor Parkway Renovation Update: Oldest road in country to be as good as new

Howdy, where there any personalized plates for distinguished families of the time?  Specifically for the motor parkway

From Updated: My Long Island Motor Parkway License Plate Collection (11/7/2025)

That’s the press box / officials stand located on the north side of Jericho Turnpike in Westbury between Powells Lane and Hitchcock Lane. The photographer would have been facing north. The occupants were either press reporters or race officials / timekeepers. The date is probably October 8, 1904, the day of the first Vanderbilt Cup Race. The American Mutoscope and Biograph Company was on the roof taking movies making the race one of the earliest filmed sporting events.

From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: The 1904 press box/officials' stand on Jericho Turnpike in Westbury

I live about 1000 feet from the “western terminus” and am so glad this is happening. Thanks for keeping us Queens Motor Parkway fans posted!

From Queens Motor Parkway Renovation Update: Oldest road in country to be as good as new

The White Ghost caused quite a stir in upper Manhattan (The Motor World, April, 1901)!  And the next owner after Willie K. and ER Thomas - John A. Drake of Chicago (The Mail & Express Illustrated Saturday Magazine, April 12, 1902)

From Mystery Foto #13 Solved: 1900 Daimler Phoenix previously owned by Willie K.

I see now Greg, thanks. That’s just one of the domes, pretty sure this tomb building dwarfs my house. My screenshot below shows the entrance to High Rock Park Greenbelt Trails at the north end of Nevada Ave, small parking lot too. One maybe able to see the Vanderbilt Tomb from one of the trails even though it’s fenced and private.

From Mystery Foto #45 Solved: The Vanderbilt Family Cemetery and Mausoleum in Staten Island