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The six Vanderbilt Cup Races held on Long Island from 1904 to 1910 were the greatest sporting events of their day, and the first international automobile road races held in the United States. The races had a far-reaching impact on the development of American automobiles and parkways. This site provides comprehensive information on the races, the Long Island Motor Parkway and current Long Island automotive events, car shows and news.
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Co-Founder and Writer: Howard Kroplick
Co-Founder: Dana Kroplick
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Well, I need to re-submit my answer for this week’s mystery photo. With the help of a fellow Motor Parkway enthusiast, I re-thought this picture and found the actual photo with citation. Turns out its a 1926 photo of the Deepdale Country Club in Lake Success with Willie K. seated in the first row, center. Obvious connections to the Motor Parkway and the Cup Races. I’m assuming the building is currently the Lake Success Village Hall.
From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.'s Deepdale Golf Club in Lake Success in 1926
It is a very nice movie indeed, fiction mixed with facts. If the movie shows images of the 1914 Vanderbilt Cup race is questionable. Part of the images come from the American Grand Prize, which was run 2 days later (on February 28th). This is indicated by the famous accident at 19.41, where John Marquis’ Sunbeam (with nr. 14) crashes after taking the bend too fast. This moment is captured in one of those iconic photos of racing accidents.
Interesting also is that Mabel’s car with nr.4 is a 1913 Stutz racer (compare with the Earl Cooper’s Stutz on TheOldMotor.com, link http://theoldmotor.com/?p=69190). The actual nr. 4 during the race was Eddie Pullen’s Mercer. Wasn’t the movie shot during the practice days before the actual races? And then mixed afterwards with images of the real races of course.
From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: Charlie Chaplin and Mabel Normand at the 1914 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Identify the club, year and location of the Mystery Foto. South Side Sportsman’s Club, Oakdale. 1920/30s?
Link the Mystery Foto with the Vanderbilt Cup Races and the Long Island Motor Parkway. Members of the club were directors of the Long Island Motor Motor and officials of the Vanderbilt Cup Races. Notably Willie K., Frederick Bourne, August Belmont and August Heckscher. Not sure if any of these are in the photo, but might be.
What is the current use of the building in the background? The original use was as an annex to the main clubhouse for housing 8 or so members. Today the building is the Nature Center of Connetquot State Park.
From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.'s Deepdale Golf Club in Lake Success in 1926
Please permit me: I unfortunately have no clue but wish my Motor club’s membership would show up in such numbers and dress half as spiffily 😊
From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.'s Deepdale Golf Club in Lake Success in 1926
The man with the walrus mustache in the stands is Chester Conklin, not Ben Turpin. Turpin worked with Chaplin in 1915 at the Essanay Studio. Ben Turpin did not work for Mack Sennett until the mid-1920s. The large man that Chaplin sticks with a pin in the first shot is Mack Swain, another Keystone regular. He was in several of Chaplin’s later films, including “The Gold Rush” in 1925.
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Howard Kroplick
Gregg, great catch! You are 100% correct.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mabel_at_the_Wheel
From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: Charlie Chaplin and Mabel Normand at the 1914 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Great to see this film. Early Chaplin in spats and chin whiskers, too!
From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: Charlie Chaplin and Mabel Normand at the 1914 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Thanks for the early “gift”. According to the information found on page 83 of a certain photo history of North Hempstead, this 1926 photo shows the clubhouse of the Deepdale Golf Club, built by Willie K., Jr. (first row, 6th. from left) on part of his estate in Lake Success. Currently, the address of the building is 15 Vanderbilt Drive and has been incorporated into the Lake Success Village Hall and community center.
From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.'s Deepdale Golf Club in Lake Success in 1926
When I was a youngster I can remember driving down either Old Country Road or was it Stewart Avenue and seeing garages with flags or signs on them representing the various countries involved in what I guess was the Vanderbuit races. Can anyone find a picture of those garages? I guess I was about ten or twelve at the time.
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Howard Kroplick
Dan, how old are you? If you are in your 80s, the flags may be linked to the 1936 and 1937 Vanderbilt Cup Races held in nearby Roosevelt Raceway.
http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/mystery_foto_friday_19_can_you_identify_this_motor_parkway_and_vanderbilt_c
From 1939 Aerial Analysis: East Meadow, Uniondale,Westbury and East Garden City
Howard, Spent the afternoon at the Nassau County Real Estate office looking at deeds. What I found was that Virginia Vanderbilt Jr. purchased the tract of land on the east side of Cedar Swamp Rd. inscribed Mimno on the 1906 Atlas, in May 1913. In September that year she acquired the piece inscribed Mrs. Willett Titus in the same Atlas from a Alfred Ackers in September of 1913. He had purchased the parcel from the Titus family in late 1906. IN Feb of 1914, she purchased the McGunnigle property, abutting the Mimno piece. I could find no property associated with Willie’s wife on the east side of Cedar Swamp Rd. prior to 1913. As an aside. I came across an article in the May 8, 1914 issue of the Suffolk County News stating that Mrs. William K. Vanderbilt Jr. has leased for the year the home of Mrs. James B. Taylor, at Jericho. The rental is $18,000 Al.
From Update: Mystery Foto #47 Solved: Long Island Estate of Virginia "Birdie" Graham Fair Vanderbilt
Howard, Let me revise and clarify some statements I made yesterday. It has been established that Pope designed a country home for Mrs. Wlliam K. Vanderbilt Jr. in 1911. At the time she owned 125 acres of land on the west side of Cedar Swamp Rd.
A 60 plus room “cottage” is completed for her in 1913. In 1914 it is destroyed by fire and burns down the the ground. Articles in both the Brooklyn Daily Eagle and the New York Times clearly state her neighbors at the time were Ellis , Park and Burrill. Two weeks before the fire she purchased a tract of land on the east side of Cedar Swamp Rd. directly across the way from the property on the west side. Its not clear if this included the property with frontage of Rte 106. In 1915 William K Vanderbilt Sr. is now the owner of the 125 acres on the west side of Cedar Swamp Rd. and builds a country home called Stepping Stones. So, I’m inclined to think Pope designed the the building on the west side of Cedar Swamp Rd. in 1911 and her mansion on the east side of that road is of a later date than 1911 and possibly by some one else other than Pope. Al.
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Howard Kroplick
The mansion on the east side of Cedar Swamp Road is described with a photo in the book “John Russell Pope: Architect of Empire “(see above).
From Update: Mystery Foto #47 Solved: Long Island Estate of Virginia "Birdie" Graham Fair Vanderbilt
Steve Beck
I’m not sure if you know of this resource, but Nassau County has a nice mapping tool online. Here’s a link to a present day lot on the former Virginia Graham Fair Vanderbilt Estate:
https://lrv.nassaucountyny.gov/map/?s=16&b=C&l=161
You can clearly see the wall that remains and the pool where the main building used to be to which Dave refers.
Zoom out one click on the partially obscured “-“ in the upper left, then click on Layers in the upper right, and turn on “Nassau County 1926”
Note the “+” magnification button may be obscured on the site, but double clicking gets you the same zoom-in
If you Zoom out, you can clearly trace the LIMP throughout the county. Easy to see where it matches up to the present roadways.
Keep up the good work on the site!
- Steve
From Update: Mystery Foto #47 Solved: Long Island Estate of Virginia "Birdie" Graham Fair Vanderbilt
Howard, Great mystery photo, have some questions though. Yes, all the books said Pope designed the house ca. 1911. However, the Brooklyn Daily Eagle in an extensive article in the Dec. 7, 1913 issue states the structure was only completed that year, 1913. They also quote Mrs. Vanderbilt that she did not hire an architect but pretty much designed it herself. This building was completely destroyed by fire the next year, 1914. Also, the article states her immediate neighbors were Ellis, Park and Burrell. all located on the west side of Rte. 107, In a related article John R. Hill is mentioned as the builder. Remember him? He built one on the Motor Parkway lodges. Let me play the devil’s advocate here, maybe thats not her estate. Al.
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Howard Kroplick
Birdie also owned property on the west side of Route 107. The remains of an abandoned mansion are still there.
From Update: Mystery Foto #47 Solved: Long Island Estate of Virginia "Birdie" Graham Fair Vanderbilt
Nice house on spacious property. Incredible art work on the garden lawns!
From Update: Mystery Foto #47 Solved: Long Island Estate of Virginia "Birdie" Graham Fair Vanderbilt
The estate pictured in the mystery photo is that of Virginia Graham Fair Vanderbilt. She was the wife of Willie K. She stayed at the estate from 1911 until 1927 when she was separated from Willie K. In 1927 she moved to Fairmont in Manhasset.
The architect of the estate was John Russell Pope. Pope was the architect for the many LIMP Toll Lodges and building. He also designed many of the Vanderbilt’s homes and estates.
The location of the estate would be in present Day Brookville between Hemlock Dr (#161) and Quaker Ridge Dr. The photo is taken facing generally north.
Based on the photos from Mynassauproperty.com (1926 and 1950) and a photo from Old Long Island .com (sometime before 1926), I would speculate that photo was taken from around 1934 to 1935.
From Update: Mystery Foto #47 Solved: Long Island Estate of Virginia "Birdie" Graham Fair Vanderbilt
Mystery Friday Foto #47… Virginia Graham Fair Vanderbilt, first wife of William K Vanderbilt Jr., was the owner of this estate. The architect was John Russell Pope who designed six of the LIMP Toll Lodges. The estate was located in Jericho or possibly in Brookville.
From Update: Mystery Foto #47 Solved: Long Island Estate of Virginia "Birdie" Graham Fair Vanderbilt
Happy to see that your Tucker is getting new paint. I’m sure it will look spectacular when it’s done. Instead of putting the pictures and videos on this site before completion I would suggest doing so after an unveiling of the completed work at your garage. That would make for a very fun event don’t you think?
From Update: Tucker will be a Featured Marque at the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
Identify the owner of this estate and the relationship to William K. Vanderbilt Jr.
Estate was the residence of Virginia Graham Fair (Birdie), wife of Willie K. who lived there during their separation between 1910 and 1927, when they were officially divorced. After 1927 Birdie moved elsewhere and the estate changed hands a couple of times before finally being sold to developers in the early 1950s for housing starting at around $50,000.
Link the architect of the estate’s residence to the Long Island Motor Parkway
John Russell Pope was the architect who also built many of the Motor Parkway Lodges.
Identify the location and orientation of the aerial. Brookville, area near today’s Cedar Swamp Road and Hemlock Drive. North, northeast. According to oldlongisland.com, part of a wall of the estate remains on the property of 7 Hemlock Drive (see photos being sent to Howard separately).
What is the approximate date of the aerial? early - mid 1920s.
From Update: Mystery Foto #47 Solved: Long Island Estate of Virginia "Birdie" Graham Fair Vanderbilt
Will you do video episodes of the work being done ?
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Howard Kroplick
Definitely!
From Update: Tucker will be a Featured Marque at the 2018 Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance
What are those circles in the left half?
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Howard Kroplick
I believe these were paths in the original Alley Pond Park
From Mystery Foto #46 Solved: A Spectacular 1940 Aerial of the Rocky Hill Lodge & the Gatekeeper's House
Nice!
From Video of the Week: Car vs. America- The Vanderbilt Cup Race Episode
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