Vanderbilt Cup Races

According to the monumental work by Norbert Steinhauser “Ettore Bugatti - L’artisan de Molsheim” (three tomes published by Bugattibook, Corseaux, Switzerland 2008. French language) the car is a Bugatti T 21 ordered by Stefan Kjelsen, Bugatti agent in New York, for his client Charles W. Fuller of Pawtucker, Rhode Island. The car was entered in the Feb. 27, 1915 American Grand Prix in San Francisco, driven by John Marquis, racing number 27, white body (as compulsory for a German racing car). It was forced out after six lap. On March 6, 1915 the car was entered in the Vanderbilt Cup, driven once again by John Marquis and carrying the same race number 27. The car was forced out at lap 16.
The published photos should have been taken at the American Grand Prix when a huge 150-litre rear tank was used. In the Vanderbilt Cup the normal tank plus an extra 50 lt. tank was used.
The same car was later entered in the California Grand Prix (March 17, 1915), the 1915 Indianapolis 500, and finally in the Narrangansett 100-miler, Cranston (Rhode Island) on Sep. 18, 1915.
All the above is taken from Tome 2 pages 62-69.

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: From the Archives of Mechanician Emilio Jandelli

The airplane is on the left in the air over the Meadowbrook Lodge.

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: Looking North on Merrick Avenue and Stewart Avenue in 1944

Great photo Howard, it was taken from the middle of today’s Merrick Ave., looking north at Stewart Ave., at the entrance to Eisenhower Park. On the left center is the Meadowbrook Lodge. The building on the right is the golf courses starter shack/clubhouse when the park was known as Nassau County Park. The photographer was Joseph Burt. Interestingly he was hired by the Parkway in the opening days to shoot photos for promotional purposes. In the photo featuring the Stewart Ave. signpost are a number of white painted posts. These are from that section of the Parkway r.o.w. that one time ran thru the Park. The County salvaged literally hundreds of the posts when the Park was being developed. Another building I recognized is the one at the very north end of Merrick Rd., It appears at a white blob in the center of the road but the roof configuration gives it away as Felice’s restaurant which was located at the southwest corner of Old Country Rd. and Merrick Ave. until the 1960’s.  It was replaced by a gas station which was later demolished and replaced by Baci’s, the present occupant.  The Parkway bridge over Merrick Avenue is gone so we know the photo was taken after the Parkway closed in 1938. My guess is the late 1940’s when the Park was dedicated. Another item I noticed is in the blow up photo of featuring the back of the white signpost. Look to the left and you will see the viaduct that was built for drainage purposes. Question Howard, how was Burt able to shoot this photo without any vehicles in the picture?

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: Looking North on Merrick Avenue and Stewart Avenue in 1944

Update: Additional close-ups have been posted.

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: Looking North on Merrick Avenue and Stewart Avenue in 1944

Great job making the race come alive! These are such great historic landmarks along the racetrack. I’m wondering if there were designated pit stops or were these arbitrary depending on the race?
_______________________________________________

Howard Kroplick

Sheri, there were “tire” stations throughout the courses. The locations changed every year.

From Femenias Findings: A New Interactive Online Map of the Long Island Motor Parkway

Identify the location of the Mystery Foto and the orientation of the photographer.  intersection of Merrick Avenue and Stewart Avenue, looking north up Merrick Avenue towards Westbury. 

Link the Mystery Foto to the Long Island Motor Parkway and the Vanderbilt Cup Races .  Meadowbrook Lodge upper left part of the photo; ran through Salisbury Links to the right.  Part of the 1908, 1909, 1910 races.

What was the likely purpose for the structure on the right? What is on this location today?  Possible answers - golf shack, train stop - Eisenhower Park. 

What was the approximate date of the Foto? Provide a rationale.  Late 1940s

Who was the photographer?  Local LI photographer, Joseph Burt.

Kudos question: Can you find the airplane in the photo?  Located above what I believe to be the Meadowbrook Lodge (third photo).

My own Kudos question: Identify the structure which can be seen in the close up photo of the Stewart Ave. marker.  Above the marker.  My answer: St. Brigid Catholic Church in Westbury. 

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: Looking North on Merrick Avenue and Stewart Avenue in 1944

Mr. Dunlop was a Veterinarian.

From From the Pau Thesis: The Dunlop Advertising Campaign After the 1905 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Update: Frank Femenias has added a Then & Now photo.

From Mystery Foto #3 Stumper: A Kings Point Callister Brothers Bus Built in Queens Village (Circa 1930s)

Update: A Kudos question has been added.

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: Looking North on Merrick Avenue and Stewart Avenue in 1944

-Identify the location of the Mystery Foto and the orientation of the photographer.

Looking North from the intersection of Stewart Ave and Merrick Ave. I can just about make out ‘STEWART AVE’ vertically on the street post on the right.

-Link the Mystery Foto to the Long Island Motor Parkway and the Vanderbilt Cup Races .

The Meadow Brook Lodge can be seen on the left. This section was used in the 1908/09/10 Cup races. The LIMP bridge over Merrick Ave was taken down around 1940

-What was the likely purpose for the structure on the right? What is on this location today?

Unsure, looks like it could have been a restroom! Nothing there now except for the bottom edge of the Eisenhower Red golf course.

-What was the approximate date of the Foto? Provide a rationale.

Guessing, but I’d say sometime around 1950. Lodge was gone by 1955, LIMP bridge gone by 1940.

-Who was the photographer?
Joseph Burt (1886-1971) commercial photographer from Mineola,

Two interesting observations in the photo; first is a plane captured flying just above the lodge. And second, Maybe I’m seeing things, but is a house being transported down Merrick Ave far off in the distance?

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: Looking North on Merrick Avenue and Stewart Avenue in 1944

Looking north on Merrick Avenue towards Old Country Road about 1940, with Stewart
Avenue on the right leading into today’s Eisenhower Park.
On the left it looks like the Meadowbrook Lodge and the former Merrick Road bridge is gone (1940).  It looks like Felice’s Restaurant, Westbury, at the far end of Merrick Avenue and in the distant right center it looks like the steeple of St. Bridget’s church on Post Avenue.
The building on the right may have been part of the old Salisbury Links Golf Club, maybe the caddy house.  That area today is the golf course.
Photographer: Richard Panchyk ?

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: Looking North on Merrick Avenue and Stewart Avenue in 1944

We are looking north on Merrick Avenue from the intersection with Stewart Avenue. The LIMP Meadowbrook Lodge is near the left side of the photo. The Merrick Avenue LIMP bridge had been torn down when this photo was taken but had been part of the course for the 1908, 1909, and 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Races. The building on the right appears to be some form of restroom / caddy shack for golfers on the Salisbury Links / Salisbury Country Club. Today that property is part of Eisenhower Park. Since the bridge has been torn down and Stewart Avenue west of Merrick Ave. is in good shape (maybe even freshly paved) yet the sign post on the northeast corner still indicates Stewart Ave. and the road on the east side of Merrick Ave. appears to be unpaved (under construction?) as part of the park loop, I’m guessing the date around 1941-1942. I think the photographer could be a Joseph Hunt of Mineola.

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: Looking North on Merrick Avenue and Stewart Avenue in 1944

What a shot!! It took a while but when I got it, it felt really good. Thanks for making my day Bill! Gotta get back to this great shot

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: Looking North on Merrick Avenue and Stewart Avenue in 1944

When I look closer to the right, it appears that there are piles of broken concrete just about where the motor parkway should be.
-joe

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: Looking North on Merrick Avenue and Stewart Avenue in 1944

Village Historian of Garden City?  Almost had me thinking I was seeing Clinton Rd.  But this is clearly Merrick Ave looking north at Stewart Ave.  Today, this is the entrance to Eisenhower Park.  The Meadowbrook Lodge, in all it’s glory, stands to the NW of his intersection.  (By the way, the street sign says Stewart Ave.)  The photographer’s name is on the picture.  I have seen this gentleman’s name on others. 

I do not know what the structure on the right is.  Perhaps it had something do to with the golf links.  The picture is after the LIMP closed, and obviously after the bridge over Merrick Ave was destroyed. 

Wow.  It’s like jumping in a time machine.  I sincerely thank everyone who brings us these photos. 

-joe o

From Mystery Foto #4 Solved: Looking North on Merrick Avenue and Stewart Avenue in 1944

This is definitely an interesting footnote in American racing history. And unfortunately with a sad ending. The photos, though small, are interesting: who has ever seen a Bugatti with wooden wheels? I was especially interested in the first photo after the Chaplin movie. That car is clearly a Brixia-Züst (written on the radiator) and photographed in Italy (Italian registration number). What puzzles is me that the car has one detail, which is very unusual for Brixia-Züst: the curved front axle. Normally this axle is straight, though after a deep search in my archive I could find one 1908 example with a similarly curved front axle. Without holes, but the holes were clearly made for racing purposes. Based on appearance I would date the car (and thus the photo) at 1909 or 1910. It would also be nice to find out the location of the photo, which I couldn’t link directly to the Brixia-Züst factory in Brescia, Italy.

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: From the Archives of Mechanician Emilio Jandelli

Brian - Eagle eyed Brian, great catch! Never noticed those two above before.

Fred -  You’ve just opened a fresh can of worms! If you’re just off this photo, I’m now wondering its origin. Could it have been yours at some point? Do you recall the boy as a childhood friend? Who was the photographer? (likely a grown up supervising the kids) I’m going to try and enhance the photo for clarity and details. I don’t know how to add color to identify the bikes but that would be a big plus.

From Surveyor Clinton Robertson Photo Album: The Jericho Toll Lodge (Kiosk) in Mineola

Oh yeah,  Now I remember, your’e right.  I’m just to the left out of the photo.  Too bad.  But at least my bike has been made famous.  I don’t know who those people are   Fred

From Surveyor Clinton Robertson Photo Album: The Jericho Toll Lodge (Kiosk) in Mineola

I didn’t get it completely right.  The 18 plus acres was where they started. There came a time they moved to Jamaica Ave. ( (1912) ?  The older location became a material storage yard and parking for finished wagons.

From Mystery Foto #3 Stumper: A Kings Point Callister Brothers Bus Built in Queens Village (Circa 1930s)

Bob - Your neighborhood on Chaffee offers a rare and original stretch of Motor Parkway roadway nearby in the backyard of 121 Sigsbee Ave.

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/vanderbiltcupraces.com_exclusive_motor_parkway_pavement_re_discovered_in_al

Sam - Enjoy the map and use at will. It’s accessible to everyone. Supposedly it can be embedded onto a web page.as well. I’ve seen an embed code somewhere.

URL: https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1396j0_672hYkvbcNFJInbc1mXNJspD9f&usp=sharing

On top of the left pane, click the down arrow to expose the map key.
By clicking any item on the left pane or the map reveals details, links, and photos.

The RoW line in Queens, Nassau, and western Suffolk was derived from overlaying old aerials onto Google satellite images. It’s as close as possible using the crude tools of today. Aerial photographs can vary in accuracy as well. From Dix Hills to the lake I just followed Rt 67, except where bridges, toll structures, and other interests were once located. Those areas were overlaid for accuracy as well.

Have fun!

From Updated: Then & Now: Mineola LIRR Motor Parkway Bridge