Vanderbilt Cup Races

Excellent photos, Sam III !

From Mystery Foto #31 Solved: The Grave's Garage on Searing Avenue in Mineola

Once upon a time (1960?), I bought a whole bunch of saplings (now 40’ high) at Hicks, not in Westbury but up on the east side of 107/Cedar Swamp Road, just south of Glen Cove/Head, where their tree ops were then HQ’d.  They had a huge collection of old photos on the walls; some of the trees they moved dwarfed the middle one in Art’s WKV pic.  They developed all sorts of specialized equipment for the task.  I remember that one giant shipment went across the Sound on a barge (possibly for Austin Corbin’s Newport, NH, estate).  Haven’t seen the book but here are three random Hicks images from the Net.  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #31 Solved: The Grave's Garage on Searing Avenue in Mineola

Thanks for the extra bit of info Al! I had heard about tunnels, but thought they just connected buildings.

From Mystery Friday Foto #33 Solved: Louis C. Tiffany's Laurelton Hall Estate in Laurel Hollow

Greg,  We are looking at “Laurelton Hall”, the Louis C. Tiffany estate at Cold Spring Harbor. His firm created the Vanderbilt Cup. The complex had at least two unusual features. The square tower had a spiral staircase that went to the top and besides spectacular views of Long Island Sound, one could also see the Atlantic Ocean. The other unique feature was that he built a tunnel from the main road to the mansion for tradesmen and workers. He didn’t want anyone but family and guests to use the drives and roads he built thru out the 500 plus acre estate. Tiffany, the supreme egotist, did not hire an architect, he designed it all, built ca 1903-1905.

From Mystery Friday Foto #33 Solved: Louis C. Tiffany's Laurelton Hall Estate in Laurel Hollow

One more Hick’s pic!

From The Amazing Roslyn Estate of a 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race Spectator

The Mackay estate contained numerous trees transplanted by Hicks Nursery.  These photos are from the firm’s promotional booklets published in 1907 and 1910.

From The Amazing Roslyn Estate of a 1906 Vanderbilt Cup Race Spectator

Followup to my previous comment, I believe this is correct because of the location shown in the photos…it’s near the shore, however there is land on the otherside nearby. That land is probably Bluff Point.

From Mystery Friday Foto #33 Solved: Louis C. Tiffany's Laurelton Hall Estate in Laurel Hollow

As Howard pointed out above, Hick’s Nurseries often transplanted large, mature trees onto the grounds of wealthy Long Island estate owners.  Our own Willie Jr. was no exception.  The trees in this 1907 photo are probably headed to Willie’s estate, Deepdale, in Lake Success.  From the book “Trees for Long Island” by Hicks Nursery.

From Mystery Foto #31 Solved: The Grave's Garage on Searing Avenue in Mineola

Taking a wild guess here, but what is now the Vanderbilt Museum and Planetarium? It was owned by Vanderbilt and was known as the Eagle’s Nest, and now it functions as a museum for the public.

From Mystery Friday Foto #33 Solved: Louis C. Tiffany's Laurelton Hall Estate in Laurel Hollow

Thanks for the encomia, Frank.  Perpendicular holes for twist wire?  Not likely.  Perp. holes held bolts that secured horizontal planks (guard rails).  Start with <http://sbiii.com/limposts.html> and <http://sbiii.com/limpkwy6.html#qnsvgnts> (attached).  There are pix of these with planks somewhere on my site but I can’t find where.  Lots more posts on <http://sbiii.com/limpkwy3.html>, as well.  Sam, III

From Then & Now: A Return to the Long Island Motor Parkway in Garden City

Great pics Sam, thanks for the link! Your contributions over the years exposing the hidden and iconic Motor Parkway has always been great and informative. What happened to the upright posts in the 1999 photo over the years? Trees falling and/or deviant attitudes. My best guess is the latter. Guessing for concrete post holes perpendicular to the roadway was intended for increased spiral wire rigidity through a particular section on the Motor Parkway, maybe the GC entrance/exit ramp area)? This is all during early crude road safety in 1909. What are your thoughts

From Then & Now: A Return to the Long Island Motor Parkway in Garden City

It’s ‘Laurelton Hall’ of Louis Comfort Tiffany that was sadly destroyed by horrific fire in the mid 1960’s. Certainly Willie K and Louis lived famously at the same time and in the same locale on the waters of Li’s North Shore (Laurelton Hall in Oyster Bay/Laurel Hollow). All that remains of the Vast estate is the water tower and some of the more distant stable buildings (individual residences, now) in the area. This place could have been the East’s version of Hearst’s San Simeon!

From Mystery Friday Foto #33 Solved: Louis C. Tiffany's Laurelton Hall Estate in Laurel Hollow

The picture is the estate called Laurelton Hall” and was built for Louis C. Tiffany Estate in Laurel Hollow, New York. The original 65-room mansion, and 600 acre estate was completed in 1905. Designed by Louis C. Tiffany himself. The estate burned in 1957 and some parts were saved. The majority of windows and other surviving architectural pieces were salvaged by Hugh McKean and Jeannette Genius McKean of the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art and shipped to Winter Park, Florida, after the fire. A major retrospective of Laurelton Hall opened at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art in November, 2006. Additionally, Louis Comfort Tiffany created the Vanderbilt Cup Trophy!

From Mystery Friday Foto #33 Solved: Louis C. Tiffany's Laurelton Hall Estate in Laurel Hollow

Oh, c’mon!  Louis Comfort Tiffany’s Laurelton Hall out the end of Laurel Hollow Road in Laurel Hollow.  Burned down in 1958.  Salvaged portions at the Morse Museum in Winter Park FL, and at the MMA.  Some of the glass covered bridge (orig. attached) supposedly remains at Ridge Road.  Tiffany & Co. made the V. Cup.  Sam, III

From Mystery Friday Foto #33 Solved: Louis C. Tiffany's Laurelton Hall Estate in Laurel Hollow

I have seen and heard the Napier-Railton in person at the Brooklands race track in Weybridge, Surrey, England. It is a car that you “experience” from the sight, and sound it makes. The Brooklands Society has an annual reunion and for many years a number of drivers and mechanics who worked and used the race track ( 1939 and earlier) would attend. Brooklands was a banked track ! as early as the teens and twenties.

From Hotcars.com: These Cars All Have Aircraft Engines

Re the Napier-Railton, Stan Mott, the famed auto cartoonist (and creator of the Cyclops), captured it perfectly:  <http://sbiii.com/cyclops/stmott-2.html> and <http://sbiii.com/smottpix/s1ngle17.jpg> (attached - please observe copyright notice on my site).  Sam, III

From Hotcars.com: These Cars All Have Aircraft Engines

“Then and Now” - “then” - in case anyone missed it (and gives a hoot), per the 29 Jul post on this subject, “My Raymond Court pix (from 16 Feb 1999) - - - at <http://sbiii.com/limpkwy2.html#today> - - - “.  Sam, III

From Then & Now: A Return to the Long Island Motor Parkway in Garden City

Great pics on the Motor Parkway! A rare opportunity to have walked the cleared parkway that day. Remembered the spectacular elevated view of the manager’s house while descending from the Clinton Rd bridge. 
Curious of Raymond Ct’s fate and its 18 homes. Will the narrow 25 ft roadway be used as access to both ball field parking and proposed townhouses to the east?

From Then & Now: A Return to the Long Island Motor Parkway in Garden City

Yes Art, you are correct. We went over there after looking at the Mayan Ruins.

From Then & Now: A Return to the Long Island Motor Parkway in Garden City

Yes - had a good time that day.  I might be mistaken but was that the day we explored the Mayan Ruins first?  I do remember one of those places giving me a case of poison ivy!  But worth it, I think.

From Then & Now: A Return to the Long Island Motor Parkway in Garden City