Vanderbilt Cup Races

WOW Gary, where did you find this gem? I instantly knew the answer then spent the next 30 min analyzing every inch of this photo. Never thought I’d ever see what this room actually looked like. Thank you for presenting this. Fantastic!

Petit Trianon’s Dining/Dance room looking South, with the garden balcony hanging overhead (Bob DeStefani was right on!). Visible are the stairs in the reception room through the doorway that is SW of the Dining area. The stairs are South.

Never mind the $1.50 lobster ($35.00 today), after that 45 mile first class drive, I want the En Casserole aux Primeurs for $2.75 ($65.00). WAITER!! 

Fantastic Foto Howard! All you guys made my day. THANK YOU!!!

This is the best time machine to date, and provided by the best available.

From Mystery Foto #14 Solved: The Dining Room of the Petit Trianon in Lake Ronkonkoma

Petit Trianon dining room. Balcony on the right, photographer is standing on North side of the room looking South.
As per the 1914 menu, Lobster was outrageously priced at $1.50! I’d have to go with the bargain filet mignon for $1.

From Mystery Foto #14 Solved: The Dining Room of the Petit Trianon in Lake Ronkonkoma

Always wanted to see Poison Lil.A lot of history in that car.I have a nice photo from Dayton Speedway of Rex Mays driving the car.I got the photo from John"shorty"Miller who was a AAA flagman for years.When I bought the photo he told me where it was taken and about the car.It is autographed “Thanks to Dayton area Firestone dealers,Rex Mays"I will try and send the photo to your website when I get a chance.

From The Maserati V8RI Vanderbilt Cup Racer at the Saratoga Automobile Museum

Petit Trianon

From Mystery Foto #14 Solved: The Dining Room of the Petit Trianon in Lake Ronkonkoma

looks like the bavarian inn in ronkonkoma after ww2 but missing the long tables that i remember in early 70s

From Mystery Foto #14 Solved: The Dining Room of the Petit Trianon in Lake Ronkonkoma

The photo was taken inside the dining room of the Petit Trianon.
the photo was taken from the north end looking to the south.
The price was $1.50 per person,but it was a starred item which meant it varied

From Mystery Foto #14 Solved: The Dining Room of the Petit Trianon in Lake Ronkonkoma

Next year when I go out to the Peconic Swap Meet on L.I., I’ll keep an eye open for memorabilia for both the Black Beast and and the Tucker. That’s where I found your birthday book. Last Sunday in February. You might like this show, a lot of old nostalgia.
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Howard Kroplick

Bob, thanks again!

From Thursday's Treasures: Krug's Hotel, a Tucker Dealership Banner, 2 Met Fans & "My Hunt" Presentations

in the view with the transparent roof, that was to show how the third floor was much shorter from north to south then the first and second floors.  In the last view I removed the north side roof showing the ladder location.  The front cutaway sketch is another view of the ladder location.

Bob
____________________________________________________________
Howard Kroplick

Bob, on behalf of all Motor Parkway fans, thanks so much!

From An Insider’s Look into the Petit Trianon Part IV: The Floor Layouts

Thanks Bruce - always happy to do some research for a fellow enthusiast, and heir!

From Mystery Foto #13 Solved: The Record-Breaking Run from Chicago to New York in October 1904

what a shame that the tucker automobiles never made it to the showrooms as it would of been a successful business.

From Documenting 1947 New York Region Tucker Sales and Dealerships

Thanks to all who responded to this photo!  I sent it to Howard in hopes of getting more info about it since it was at the Vanderbilt course but did not run in the race.  You guys helped a lot, and I learned a few new facts about my grandfather and his adventures in the Columbia Car.  Check out my site… there are over 80 webpages about the Columbia cars from 1895-1913.  The full index is here…  http://www.kcstudio.com/colindex.html  Any further info is always appreciated.  BD
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Howard Kroplick

Bruce, thanks for documenting the historic run of your grandfather!
Howard

From Mystery Foto #13 Solved: The Record-Breaking Run from Chicago to New York in October 1904

From Ariejan Bos:

Hi Howard,
Here is the solution of the Friday-mystery. Although I suppose it was not too difficult and maybe lots of material is already available,  above is extra documentation! Thanks and best wishes,
Ariejan

The car is a 1904 Columbia 30-35 hp with stripped body, which brought the Chicago-New York record down to 58 hours and 45 minutes.

The car was driven by Bert Holcomb, Lawrence Duffie and Eddie Bald, who joined the other two in Cleveland. The start of the record run was on Tuesday, October 4th 1904 at 2 am and the run ended on 39th Street in New York on Thursday, Oct. 6th at 0.45 pm (the text on the banner reads 58 hours 35 minutes, but that was the time only until Weehawken ferry).

Although the record run itself was written a lot in the magazines, the fact that the car was present on the Vanderbilt race track there was almost nothing. A small article in the New York Times reported that the crew and car drove on to Garden City ‘after a brief rest’.

The Columbia is standing at the Vanderbilt course in the photo near the start/finish line with the timers’ and judges’ stand in the background. I assume that the photo was taken on Friday, October 7th, the day before the race: it is still very quiet and clean!

From Mystery Foto #13 Solved: The Record-Breaking Run from Chicago to New York in October 1904

From Ariejan Bos

Hi Howard,
Below is the solution of the Friday-mystery. Although I suppose it was not too difficult and maybe lots of material is already available, I attached for sure some extra documentation!
Thanks and best wishes,
Ariejan

The car is a 1904 Columbia 30-35 hp with stripped body, which brought the Chicago-New York record down to 58 hours and 45 minutes. The car was driven by Bert Holcomb, Lawrence Duffie and Eddie Bald, who joined the other two in Cleveland.

The start of the record run was on Tuesday, October 4th 1904 at 2 am and the run ended on 39th Street in New York on Thursday, Oct. 6th at 0.45 pm (the text on the banner reads 58 hours 35 minutes, but that was the time only until Weehawken ferry).

Although the record run itself a lot was written in the magazines, about the fact that the car was present on the Vanderbilt race track almost nothing. A small article in the New York Times reported that the crew and car drove on to Garden City ‘after a brief rest’. On the photo the Columbia is standing at the Vanderbilt course near the start/finish line with the timers’ and judges’ stand in the background. I assume that the photo was taken on Friday, October 7th, the day before the race: it is still very quiet and clean!

From Mystery Foto #12 Unsolved:Possible Options for this Long Island Motor Parkway Curve- Ca.1928 Update

The fact that a Tucker dealership was in Williston Park, NY is flabbergasting.  It was, and still is, a small hamlet just north of Mineola, NY.  It is also amazing that that address was also a Studebaker dealership.  Two small makes that decided to be in a small, developing community,  Amazing.  Bob Andreocci

From Documenting 1947 New York Region Tucker Sales and Dealerships

Howard….. Correct me if I’m wrong, but I think this blog has more comments than any of your past blogs?

From Mystery Foto #12 Unsolved:Possible Options for this Long Island Motor Parkway Curve- Ca.1928 Update

Very interesting to see how the Tucker story actually played out at the regional level.

From Documenting 1947 New York Region Tucker Sales and Dealerships

wonderful information Howard Thank you

From Documenting 1947 New York Region Tucker Sales and Dealerships

Looks like a 1904 Columbia with Eddie Bald, Larry Duffie and Bert Holcomb in it.
This car broke the time record between Chicago and New York that year.
The location looks like it might be the Westbury grandstand area before the start
of the Vanderbilt Cup race of 1904.

From Mystery Foto #13 Solved: The Record-Breaking Run from Chicago to New York in October 1904

That’s the 1903 Columbia that had just broken the record time for driving from Chicago to New York. That’s probably Bert Holcomb (real name=Burton Beckwith Holcomb) and Lawrence Duffie in the front with possibly Eddie Bald or Harry Sandell in the back. Their time of 58 hours & 35 minutes (as referenced on the banner on the car) had broken the previous time of 72 hours & 46 minutes which had been set by Ellis and Schnitt only a month prior. The photo was taken on Jericho Tpke. in Westbury in front of the grandstand that was set up for the first Vanderbilt Cup Race. Since Holcomb and the Columbia only arrived in New York on October 6, 1904, the photo was probably taken either on the 6th., 7th., or 8th., the date of the race.

From Mystery Foto #13 Solved: The Record-Breaking Run from Chicago to New York in October 1904

Howard,
I remember the Tucker dealership building at 46 Fulton St. in Hempstead.  It was south of the Hempstead business district.  To my knowledge, they never even had a car to show.  I can still imagine the neon TUCKER sign on the facade of the building.  I’m amazed at the documentation that you’ve been able to secure.  The whole story is fascinating.
Rog

From Documenting 1947 New York Region Tucker Sales and Dealerships