Vanderbilt Cup Races

Yet another photo of a cab by the Yellow Cab manufacturing company.

From Update: Mystery Foto #37 Solved: The Bethpage Lodge Under Construction in September 1908

Regarding the Taxicab photo sent in by Librarian Alene Scobete. You saw my notes earlier regarding this subject BUT NOW I SEE YET ANOTHER POSSIBILITY regarding the manufacturer of those cabs seen in Alene’s library photo.
These cars could very well be manufactured by the Yellow Cab Company which was one of the taxi manufacturers back in the day. See attached. The Rockville Centre cab ad called them Yellow Cabs which I guess is a much a clue as it is a color.

From Update: Mystery Foto #37 Solved: The Bethpage Lodge Under Construction in September 1908

Below more pics regarding the Taxi cab question asked by Alene Scobete. The last pic is a 1920 Willys Limo

From Update: Mystery Foto #37 Solved: The Bethpage Lodge Under Construction in September 1908

Regarding the taxi cab question asked by Alene Scobete… My feeling, based on some research is that the Rockville Centre cabs were the Commonwealth Mogul Taxicabs and not the Willys Knight Limo. Here’s why. When you look at the sepia photo sent by Alene you will see that the cabs had solid disk wheels, not the wooden artillery wheels used on the Willys. And if you look at the ad it should be read in two parts. The top half of the ad mentions 8 yellow cabs for village and station calls. The bottom half of the ad mentions Willys Knight 7 passenger limousines for weddings, beach parties and touring, etc. Two different cars for two different purposes. Also if you look at the clipping showing the Commonwealth Mogul you will see that it matches the cars in library photo in every aspect. The top rear of the Commonwealth roof has a sharp corner whereas the Willys is rounded off. I am attaching pics to help illustrate these differences. I am sending three additional photos in a second comment box.

From Update: Mystery Foto #37 Solved: The Bethpage Lodge Under Construction in September 1908

Location - LIMP Plainview/ Bethpage, Bethpage lodge
            photo looking to the east
Date- September 1908, Survey was done in June 1908 (photo#1)
        Building of lodge July, August 1908
        driveway of lodge (photo #2) taken August 0f 1908, the driveway in the mystery photo was not complete next to the lodge when taken in September of 1908 The entrance to Round Swap Rd appears complete in the August 1908 photo

Auto - Buick, driver and photographer took many photo of the completed LIMP in September 1908 ( Meadowbrook Lodge to Bethpage Lodge) for the 1st race on the new parkway.
For Sale sign - Round Swamp Rd

From Update: Mystery Foto #37 Solved: The Bethpage Lodge Under Construction in September 1908

Mystery Foto #37… This Foto shows the Bethpage Motor Lodge in 1908. The Auto is a 1908 Buick Model 10. Driver unknown.
As for Alene Scobete’s question about the line of taxis… I believe that they are Commonwealth Mogul Taxicabs probably 1918. This Commonwealth company was purchased by Checker Taxi in 1919 after which the cars were named Mogul Checkers. Can’t identify the road near the For Sale sign.

From Update: Mystery Foto #37 Solved: The Bethpage Lodge Under Construction in September 1908

Taking a wild guess on this at 36k feet. Bethpage lodge looking NE around 1910. The bridge over Round Swamp Rd still needs to be built on the curve. Bethpage lodge 1910-1960s. Forgot the photographers name in the Buick. For Sale sign is on Round Swamp Rd. SFO or Bust!

From Update: Mystery Foto #37 Solved: The Bethpage Lodge Under Construction in September 1908

Wow! Nice detective work! And, I might be wrong - but it looks like that tree might still be there?!??

From Documenting the Location of the 1908 Ground-Breaking Ceremony for the Motor Parkway

Identify the Mystery Foto location, the lodge and orientation of the photographer.
Round Swamp Road, Bethpage - Bethpage Lodge, looking west.

What was the approximate date of the Foto? Provide a rationale.
Sept. 1908 - lodge being built (actually I found the digital picture and it was captioned with the date

Identify the automobile and its owner: Buick - Willie K.

The “For Sale” sign behind the automobile was located on what road?
Manetto Hill Road

From Update: Mystery Foto #37 Solved: The Bethpage Lodge Under Construction in September 1908

Thanks, Al. Ahern is familiar, it’ll come to me at some point.

From Updated: From a Family Photo Album: The Central Avenue/LIRR Motor Parkway Bridge

Wish I had been at the Bridge event. I raced on that track in my Porsche Speedster and later in a Formula V King race car. The polished aluminum car seen in your last photo is a Glockler Porsche which I saw racing at the street circuit in Bridgehampton around 1951 or1952 driven that day by none other than Max Hoffman, the man responsible for importing all those wonderful european cars back at the beginnings of the wave of interest here in oh so many cool sports cars ... early ‘50s.

From Highlights From The Bridge IV: 1948 Tucker 1044

I think the photographer was facing approximately north-east when he took this photo of the Bethpage Lodge. Since the lodge looks almost complete, I’m guessing the photo was taken around September, 1908 just prior to the grand opening of the LIMP and October’s Vanderbilt Cup Race. The car is a Buick, seen in several photos taken of the LIMP around this time. I’m guessing it could have been owned by the photographers Spooner & Wells. The “For Sale” sign is on Round Swamp Road.

From Update: Mystery Foto #37 Solved: The Bethpage Lodge Under Construction in September 1908

Very cool images….Thanks for posting them here…

From Updated: From a Family Photo Album: The Central Avenue/LIRR Motor Parkway Bridge

Brian, Patrick’s father Jerry Ahern had a company that sold construction equipment. I knew Jerry as we both dealt with the same construction firms. I seem to recall he was a Caterpillar dealer.

From Updated: From a Family Photo Album: The Central Avenue/LIRR Motor Parkway Bridge

Hi Howard:
Great show at the Bridge, we loved being there. Our Volga was placed at the other side of the field, by the art show. But Tucker had the greatest spot and it look magnificent.

From Highlights From The Bridge IV: 1948 Tucker 1044

Interesting. The auto driving along the LIMP has the steering wheel on the driver’s right hand side while the cabs’ in the Kudos photo are on the left. Were early autos not standardized or was there a switch at a certain time that made the left side the standard in the US?

From Update: Mystery Foto #37 Solved: The Bethpage Lodge Under Construction in September 1908

Looks like the Bethpage Lodge at Round Swamp Road under costruction about 1908 looking east.  The bridge had not yet been built (1910)!so the roadway in front of the lodge is still flat and showing no elevation.  The Auto looks like the official photographer’s Buick.
The sign looks to be on Round Swamp Road.

From Update: Mystery Foto #37 Solved: The Bethpage Lodge Under Construction in September 1908

Mystery photo #37
This is the Bethpage Lodge under construction in 1908, looking east, even though the bridge over Round Swamp Rd. has yet to be built.  The tree line in the background proves it couldn’t be Massapequa Lodge.  The “For Sale” sign was by Round Swamp Rd.  I then checked the VCR Blog of 3/13/2017 which shows this photo with the date of September of 1908. 
Mystery bonus photo
This is a Willys Knight 7-passenger Limousine.  Based on the ads of the RVC Yellow Taxi / Cab Co. probably a 1923 Model 67.  The first ad mentioning all new heated cars was November 1923, and the company was sold in 1928.  This postcard also proves how mistaken we can be in assuming colors based on a B&W photo.  Close examination of the postcard view versus the ad shows the subtle differences which were at first not noticed.

From Update: Mystery Foto #37 Solved: The Bethpage Lodge Under Construction in September 1908

Brings a tear—-Bill at Foxland in the morning —-on his drums….before we would head to 75 E. 77th street School..and have so much fun along the way each day —later, always by end of day,— detention!  Mr. Lenard outside tapping his toe…but..smiling!  A heart is 360 degrees—and Bill has a bunch of it!

From From the Grace Holloway Family Album: Photos of the Old Westbury Home Built by Driver Foxhall Keene

Art Kleiner has added a news clipping about the removal of the bridge.

From Updated: From a Family Photo Album: The Central Avenue/LIRR Motor Parkway Bridge