About
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.
All Content © 2026 VanderbiltCupRaces.com
Co-Founder and Writer: Howard Kroplick
Co-Founder: Dana Kroplick
Website by Eric Miller Design
Site maintained by Hop Studios
Recent Comments
Wow! All over the map! My hunch was SS Sportsman’s but unsure so I kept my big yap shut. Willie is SIXTH from left (center), not fifth, as Steve and others noted. Still, no one has explained the barred windows in such a private, affluent setting. Research project, Howard? Sam, III
From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.'s Deepdale Golf Club in Lake Success in 1926
Great question Sam! What gives with those window bars on Willie K’s private property? I recall seeing a photo once, showing a lengthy ‘No Trespassing’ sign outside the iron fence that once secured the Deepdale property. It’s possible theft was an issue within the estate back in the day.
From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.'s Deepdale Golf Club in Lake Success in 1926
Sylvia Sama
Deepdale Country Club in Lake Success in 1926. Willie K. in front row, 6th from the left.
From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.'s Deepdale Golf Club in Lake Success in 1926
This one was difficult. I MAY have some correct answers:
*ID Club/Year/Location… Couldn’t pinpoint this club. Thinking it may ( and still ? ) is a Golf/Polo Club building. This location may have originally been part of a Hunting Club. Early 1930"s/Nassau County.
*Foto link to VCR’s & LIMP…I believe Willy K is the 6th gentleman seated from the left ( no mustache ). To Willys right, the gentleman ( hatless ) looks like John P Morgan Jr. Okay, Top Row…I think the 8th gentleman from the left is Otto Kahn ( passed away in 1934 ). The gentleman to Ottos right sort of looks like Foxhall Keene ( other photos of him display very black hair. It appears quite grey here ). Forgive me if I’m wrong, but the gentleman ( end right/standing ) is screaming Henry Ford at me.
*Present use of Building: If it’s in relation to a Golf/Polo Club, perhaps it became part of a larger present clubhouse. Or utilized in some other way.
I’m not going to scroll down and view recent comments today ( don’t want to know anything until Tuesday ). Good Luck To All!
From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.'s Deepdale Golf Club in Lake Success in 1926
I believe this is The Links Club in Roslyn. I can say with almost certainty that C.B. Macdonald is in the first row, six from the right. Isn’t it currently being used as a clubhouse for The Links Gated Community? Sadly, I’m not sure how it ties into the Motor Parkway or Vanderbilt Cup Races.
From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.'s Deepdale Golf Club in Lake Success in 1926
Those two sconce lanterns by the doorway are also reminiscent to modern-day police stations.
From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.'s Deepdale Golf Club in Lake Success in 1926
No time to investigate but that looks like Willie K sitting at center bottom. This building doesn’t qualify in style for a golf clubhouse in Lake Success, especially with those bars on the windows. This may have been the former police station in Deepdale (if there was one). Being that it has survived all these years through the test of time, I’ll bet it is now Lake Success’ Village Hall. Testing my luck and looking forward to the mystery answer.
From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.'s Deepdale Golf Club in Lake Success in 1926
Looks like the Southside Sportsman’s Club in Oakdale/North Great River
William K. Vanderbilt was a member
About 1900
From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.'s Deepdale Golf Club in Lake Success in 1926
I haven’t a clue but I’ll add a question - check out how the windows are all BARRED! Wonder why? Sam, III
From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: William K. Vanderbilt, Jr.'s Deepdale Golf Club in Lake Success in 1926
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.
____________________________________________________________
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.
_________________________________
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.
_________________________________________________
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
Page 585 of 1021 pages ‹ First < 583 584 585 586 587 > Last ›