Vanderbilt Cup Races

Hi Howard
Just wanted you to know that I saw the ratings of your web-site and for the life of me I don’t understand why someone would even think about rating it less than excellent!! I’m shocked !!  I’m wishing you and your entire family a safe & healthy 2021—-we’ve had ENOUGH (Steve has me hooked on the mystery photos)

From Mystery Foto #52 Solved: The Long Island Cloverleaf that destroyed the Hamlet of Jericho

Al, you may be right. The Nassau County website map is indicating the bridge right on top of the house. (https://lrv.nassaucountyny.gov/map/). Neither of the two roadways in the photo collection existed in 1926

From 1958-1967 tours of the Long Island Motor Parkway #3: New Hyde Park & Searingtown

Howard, The photos of the bridge off of I. U. Willits Rd. .... I’ve always thought that the roadway under the bridge became the I. U. Willits Rd. entrance to the Herricks High School. Not so sure now. One of the photos shows what appears to be a roadway on the west side of the bridge. Looking at the two photos with the utility poles, it appears that the house is sitting where the bridge was. Any other photos of this area?

From 1958-1967 tours of the Long Island Motor Parkway #3: New Hyde Park & Searingtown

There also appears two people sitting on a bench under the bridge

From 1958-1967 tours of the Long Island Motor Parkway #1: Queens

The wooden guardrails posts under the GCP bridge appear similar to the posts by the Wantagh Pkwy bridge in Levittown (2017 photo below courtesy of Sam and Dave Russo). Harvey Kidder in 1955 did not include the posts in his painting of the bridge.

From 1958-1967 tours of the Long Island Motor Parkway #1: Queens

Spectacular photos in this collection. OCR bridge sign partially legible. “KEEP RIGHT of _H______. Keep right of Highway?

From 1958-1967 tours of the Long Island Motor Parkway #3: New Hyde Park & Searingtown

The Old Courthouse Bridge photo is viewed east, the signage was fading but visible. Look at the high walls of the pkwy bridge near IU Willets Rd, no need for railings there.

From 1958-1967 tours of the Long Island Motor Parkway #3: New Hyde Park & Searingtown

>> The location and major roads:
Looking down Jericho and Jericho Turnpike and the current 106/107 or Jericho & Oyster Bay Road. South is at the top of the image.

>>  The historic buildings:
On the SE corner (top left) we have the Millerage Inn which was initially constructed in 1672 and had since been expanded several times. Several historic buildings remain at the NE corner (bottom left) as does the cemetery but I do not know much else about them.

>>  A historic cemetery
The area was first settled in 1653. Center left side is the Quaker Cemetery.
(40.794692, -73.536164)

>>Link this location to the Vanderbilt Cup Race(s):
Several of the Cup races ran east on Jericho Turnpike and turned right or south onto Jericho & Oyster Bay Road where this image is taken.

I would appreciate if anyone can share any links to the history of this area.

From Mystery Foto #52 Solved: The Long Island Cloverleaf that destroyed the Hamlet of Jericho

This is a broadly south view of Jericho, NY. The marked aerial below has most of my answers. The 1906, 06 & 08 VCR included Jericho Tpke here. The Malcom House was the home of Dr. William J. Malcolm, who participated as a race official in 1908. Harrison H. Boyce resided in today’s Main Maid Inn. He invented the Boyce Moto Meter, which was a gauge atop the radiator that would warn the driver of overheating before disaster may occur.

From Mystery Foto #52 Solved: The Long Island Cloverleaf that destroyed the Hamlet of Jericho

Howard,

It only took 8 years and 8 months to solve this mystery!

Here’s what I found out:

This picture appeared in the May 1932 issue of The American Magazine, which was a general interest monthly, similar to The Saturday Evening Post” It was one of three illustrations for a fictional story called “Geisha Girl” by Courtney Ryley Cooper (check out his page in Wikipedia, it’s quite interesting).

As one of your readers correctly surmised, it is a story about a faithful little steam engine (derisively referred to as “Geisha Girl”) that “saves the day”.

So the inscription “With Kind Wishes to Cooper” refers to the author of the article.

From Verifying an Original Peter Helck Painting

Howard, the photo captioned “view looking southwest to the approach to the Lakeville Ave. (sic),Motor Parkway Bridge, (circa 1960)”  It appears to me there are buildings in the distance, better defined on the right side center of the photo. If indeed they are some kind of structures,... ????  Also,  think that opening on the right lead to the Great Neck Lodge ?  Another also, the photo of the young lady standing on the Motor Parkway roadway on the west side of Lakeville Rd. clearly shows how much earth was removed on the east side of Lakeville Rd. to bring the Parkway ROW down to the Lakeville Rd level.

From 1958-1967 tours of the Long Island Motor Parkway #2: Lake Success

I felt like marking their locations in this area,and finding current images.Say the 4th image viewing SW in 1960 is behind the Jewish Center.

From 1958-1967 tours of the Long Island Motor Parkway #2: Lake Success

-The location and major roads

North towards the bottom of the photo at the 106/107 split in Jericho. Jericho Tpke horizontal in the center, 106/107 vertical.

-The historic buildings

Maine Maid Inn, Milleridge Inn, many Quaker structures including the Elias Hicks homestead.

-A historic cemetery

The Jericho friends Quaker meeting house cemetery where Elias Hicks is buried is at the left edge of the photo.

-The prominent Long Island family that owned the property on the right corner of the Mystery Foto

Unsure. Was that also all part of the Hicks property?

-Link this location to the Vanderbilt Cup Race(s)

The 1904,05,06 &1908; Races all came through this area on Jericho Tpke.

-Kudos question: Identify the former homes of a Vanderbilt Cup Race official and an automotive inventor

I’ll keep searching, but for now, not coming up with anything.

From Mystery Foto #52 Solved: The Long Island Cloverleaf that destroyed the Hamlet of Jericho

Jericho Tpke.  The new cloverleaf still shows the old Jericho Tpke.  This old Turnpike was part of 2 VCR Courses.

From Mystery Foto #52 Solved: The Long Island Cloverleaf that destroyed the Hamlet of Jericho

Location: the interchange of Jericho Turnpike and Route 106/107 in Jericho. South is at the top. Major roads: Jericho Turnpike, Route 106/107. At the bottom of the picture, Route 106 goes to the left, and Route 107 (Cedar Swamp Road) goes to the bottom.

Historic buildings: The Milleridge Inn, and the Maine Maid Inn. Prominent family: The Hicks family. The Maine Maid Inn was once the Hicks homestead. Also, Maltby’s Garage, aka the Locomobile Headquarters.

Historic cemetery: The Quaker cemetery.

VCR link: The Hicks homestead was a primary grandstand viewing area for the races.

From Mystery Foto #52 Solved: The Long Island Cloverleaf that destroyed the Hamlet of Jericho

Just came across this ad for Playland in Freeport which sounded familiar.  From “The Daily Review”,  June 16, 1923.  Wonder what “The Dodgem” is.

From Mystery Fotos #19 Amost Solved : Eight Amazing 1928 Aerials from the Cradle of Aviation Archives

Tim:

Thanks so much for the comment. Happy holidays to the entire Helck family! Howard

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 1 - The Race that Brought Willie K. "Racing" to America"

Howard,

I wonder if any of your readers are up for a challenge. Can anyone identify the two cars pictured in the above section of my grandfather’s painting? I’ve been trying to figure it out. Here’s what I’ve come up with.

The wrecked grey car:

Bayard-Clements, Lorraine de Dietrichs and Darracqs each had somewhat similar radiators.

It also resembles a Richard-Brasier (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brasier)— but the 3 of those that were entered all finished the race.

As far as I can tell there was no #123 in the race.

The blue car:

Possibly a Panhard de Levassor that Jarrott drove at Ardennes.

Or possibly the de Dietrich #18 that Stead drove.

In the part of the painting that is cropped, the winning Mors is easily identifiable and there is the wreck of a red car too far gone to even try to guess at.

My opinion: this painting was done in 1948 (for True Magazine, article by Ralph Stein), one of the first race car commissions that my grandfather received after the success of the Esquire series. In later years he became extremely conscientious about portraying the details of a race as accurately as possible. But I think in the early stages of his new career as a “history painter” he was willing to allow his artistic freedom full play. So these may not represent any exact cars, just the types of cars that he knew so well.

Also, in 1948 he probably had not amassed the large archive of photos and other historical documents, so his ability to research all of the contestants may have been limited.

However, your audience consist of people who know much more about this stuff than I do. So maybe somebody will come up with some solid identifications.

I hope you and all your readers have a safe and happy holiday. And thank you, once again, for making this material available to the public!

Regards,

Tim Helck

From Kleiner's Korner: Part 1 - The Race that Brought Willie K. "Racing" to America"

No end to the detail we turn up, eh?  Re Mark’s comment, the “other” Eagle Rock Apts., at Carle Place, are the old Fairhaven complex there, just south of the Jericho Pike on Fairhaven Road, directly across Rudolph Drive (the LIMP RoW) from 284 Rudolf Road, the extant Jericho Toll Lodge (the spellings are deliberate).  I’ve always been bemused by the two Fairhavens sitting alongside the RoW.  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #51 Solved: The Garden City Lodge on the move on March 11, 1989

Any Boy Scouts out there?  Here is the press release relating to the above marker at the intersection of the Motor Parkway and Old Country Road.  At one point I researched the scouts that were mentioned but didn’t come with anything.  With additional on-line resources at hand, I might try again.

From Mystery Foto #51 Solved: The Garden City Lodge on the move on March 11, 1989