Vanderbilt Cup Races

Even ten years older, the resemblance is clear.  Familialy, this goes from bad to worse - that little boy stole my father’s hat!  [That’s my grand., great-grand., and Dad., ca. 1904]  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: Marion Spooner Photographed at the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Thanks Howard, this mystery was a first for me. I’ve never seen before any personal images of Spooner, nor Lazarnick, only their remarkable and extensive work - finally both now captured on the other side of the camera! Now, where’s Wells? Great stuff!

From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: Marion Spooner Photographed at the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

I find it fascinating to look back at LI history and realize how HUGE of an impact in culture that horses had. It’s really one of the major reasons why the wealthy sought out space away from the city to have their Gold Coast space. Sure they wanted escape from NYC, gardens, and hunting space, but so many of these people had huge stables (and many of them had full size tracks!) and bred horses for horse racing and polo, which LI was really noted for.

When I look back at the old pics of Roosevelt Raceway and see the place was packed and everyone was dressed up in suits at the races. When I was growing up in the 80’s the place was no longer big, but I heard many stories about it, and just about every one of my friends fathers would often go to Belmont and talk odds and betting (the Italians especially seemed to love it the most!)

The ruins of Roosevelt existed for a long time and I wish I had the explorer bug then that I have now because there was so much to see. We used to ride our bikes past that place (the recently closed Nathans was a popular arcade spot) and take short cuts though the park, but never looked at anything. That huge Roosevelt Raceway sign hung over Merrick Ave for YEARS after it closed! That thing should be in my house right now!

From Memories of Roosevelt Raceway (1936-1988)

I can’t believe this section of LIMP remained until 1995. There is nothing to see now. What a cool little stretch this was. Glad the pics remain. I certainly knew nothing of the LIMP in 1995.

From Mystery Foto #47 Solved: A House Built on the Long Island Motor Parkway Right-Of-Way

Mystery Foto #48… I will go out on a limb here and say the adorable child is Muriel Vanderbilt Willie K’s daughter. She would be about the right age as the child seen in this photo. If it is her the photographer might be Willie K himself.
That’s all I’ve got.

From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: Marion Spooner Photographed at the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Frank - that’s quite different from Lee’s “street” aligning; the house location you describe is not only deep in Officer’s Territory, if it’s the center house on Rice Circle, it was, as I recall, the CO’s house.  Even behind it, on Harmon Avenue, was Top Brass housing.  From this and the the 05 Sep 2018 blog pic, I would guess that Lee’s dad was Dr. George F. Chambers, Pres. of NCCC (and other such - as at U. Pitts.), which would account for the residence.  This is one of those multi-faceted threads I love so dearly.  Sam, III

From Kleiner's Kolumn: The Long Island Motor Parkway in Maps (Part I)

Sam - It does line up. Lee’s house was located in the center of the semi circle where the red line travels through

From Kleiner's Kolumn: The Long Island Motor Parkway in Maps (Part I)

Brian - confirmed - yellow boxes are golf courses.  See attached.  The key to the map also denotes aviation fields, state parks, yacht clubs and cities, towns and places.

From Kleiner's Kolumn: The Long Island Motor Parkway in Maps (Part I)

This is Tucker #1034, formerly owned by Gene and Juanita Cofer of Tucker, GA. I first visited them there in the 80’s and Gene was kind enough to give me my first 100 mph ride in a Tucker. That same day I visited Tucker #1015 in nearby Stone Mountain, GA. Exciting day!

From Update: Mystery Saturday Auto #3 Solved: Tucker 1034 in the News

Lee - no need for GPS - see attached; they basically do NOT line up.  Sam, III

From Kleiner's Kolumn: The Long Island Motor Parkway in Maps (Part I)

Art - a clue re Beau Sejour - “Hicksville 91”.  Four digit numbers (without exchnges) were around by 1935 or so.  Shouldn’t be too hard to find out when the 91 phased out.  Sam, III

From Kleiner's Kolumn: The Long Island Motor Parkway in Maps (Part I)

Hmm.  That is unmistakably my late baby sister (and I certainly should know her) except for one leetle detail - she was only born in 1941!  She drove at an early age, but still - - - .  Uncanny.  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: Marion Spooner Photographed at the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Art, Frank, et al,

Yes it does help.  It’s clear the extension of Commercial Avenue east of Oak Street led to the western entrance to the Base. 

It would appear that Chestnut Street in East Garden City also continued eastward through the Base but likely changed its name after crossing Oak Street, most likely New York Street.  Traveling eastward, that’s the street that bisected the yet to be created Parade Grounds as part of the 1927-1932 Base Reconfiguration with Miller Ave. running parallel to it to the north and Davis Ave. doing the same to the south of NY Street. 

My next visit to LI, I plan on bringing a handheld GPS unit with me to verify which streets in East Garden City align with those on the Base.

From Kleiner's Kolumn: The Long Island Motor Parkway in Maps (Part I)

Hope y’all had a Happy!  Re NH - :“Road guards out!” (military command to deploy traffic stoppers).  Don’t have go up to NH; we see that around here outside Beantown, but without the road guard (and I always thought turkeys were stupid).  Sam, III

From The Twelfth Annual Thanksgiving "Turkeys on the Road"

Could that be Consuelo Vanderbilt, almost 5 years old at the time and daughter of Willie K.? Maybe one of the Spooner and Wells photographers was related? Or maybe the photographer was Gladys Roosevelt? Maybe she was a distant cousin? All guesses and running out of time.

From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: Marion Spooner Photographed at the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

The photographer was her dad, Frank Spooner. Her name is Marian. I’m submitting a 1910 census record below that shows Charles Wells, a friend & coworker of Frank- ‘Spooner & Wells’, resided with the Spooner family in New Jersey. Frank’s occupation is ‘Manager of a Newspaper’, and Charles is ‘Agent’ of the Newspaper’.

From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: Marion Spooner Photographed at the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Is Vince Gardner alive or has he pass on?
———————————- 

Howard Kroplick

Vince Gardner is no longer with us.

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: Vince Gardner Building the Mustang III Concept Show Car

...don’t know, but love the photo!

From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: Marion Spooner Photographed at the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Would this be Rob Ida’s Tucker replica??

From Update: Mystery Saturday Auto #3 Solved: Tucker 1034 in the News

This is a 1948 Tucker 48, chassis number 1034. It will be up for auction at Gooding & Company’s January 2020 auction in Scottsdale, AZ

From Update: Mystery Saturday Auto #3 Solved: Tucker 1034 in the News