Mystery Friday Foto #20 Solved: Willie K’s ‘Hard Boiled Egg’ on the Hudson
Did you identify the Hard Boiled Egg and Willie K.?
Identify;
- The boat and its owner
William K. Vanderbilt Jr.'s 'Hard Boiled Egg' autoboat
- The name of the boat and why so named
Virginia "Birdie" Vanderbilt, Willie K.'s wife, named the auto boat "Hard Boiled Egg" - because "it could not be beat".
- The men in the boat
Willie K. with builder Robert Jacob and a chauffer as passengers
- Location and year
The photo was taken in 1904 on the Hudson River near the Columbia Yacht Club.
Comments (3)
Congrats to Steve Lucas, George Philippides, and Art Kleiner for completely solving this mystery photo. Kudos to Art for supporting newspaper articles.
Greg O.
Closeup
The Columbia Yacht Club on the Hudson River as it looked during the 1904 regatta.. The Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, unveiled in 1902, can be seen in the background.
Auto Boat Races on the Hudson
Copyright: Thomas A. Edison, Inc.; June 18,1904
Cameraman: G. W. Bitzer
Filmed June 11, 1904 at the Columbia Yacht Club in Hudson River, New York City
The single camera position was from the point of view of the judge of the course. The films shows a boat race between small, motor-driven speed boats, which were approximately twenty feet long with the inboard engine decked over. Many boats of various designs and spectators can be seen as if the locale were a yacht club basin or yacht mooring. Participants in the race were W. K. Vanderbilt, Jr.'s Hard Boiled Egg; The Standard, which won the championship and had never been beaten; the Vingt et Un; the F.I.A.T.; the Shooting Star; the Japansky, the Kotic, and the Nada.
Comments
That’s an “auto boat” or early speedboat owned by William K. Vanderbilt II. Reportedly, it was powered by the engine from his 1902 Mors automobile. It was given the name of “Hard Boiled Egg” by Willie K.‘s wife Virginia because it “couldn’t be beaten”. The men in the boat are: Willie K.; Robert Jacob (the boat’s builder); and Willie K.‘s chauffer. The photo was taken in 1904 on the Hudson River near the Columbia Yacht Club.
The boat is the “Hard Boiled Egg” the owner is Willie K Vanderbilt.
I believe Vanderbilt is on the boat, on the left.Guessing that one of the other passengers is builder Robert Jacobs.
The boat was named “Hard Boiled Egg” by Willlies wife BIrdie, because ” it could not be beat.
Location is the Columbia Yacht Club on the Hudson river, circa 1904
Willie K’s. speed boat bought in 1904.
The Hard Boiled Egg - because according to Willie’s wife, Virginia “Birdie” Vanderbilt who named it - “It could not be beat”. Birdie also took the helm of the speedboat during races.
On the speedboat are Willie K., boat builder Robert Jacob and its engineer.
Columbia Yacht Club Basin, Hudson River, NY, 1904.
Not performing to Willie’s expectation, the Hard Boiled Egg was sold in August 1904 and an order for a new speedboat, the Merecedes VI, was placed. This boat appears to have performed better and won several challenge races.
These comments back up the newspaper articles that I sent to Anderson Cooper about the Hard Boiled Egg!! And the races.
I just found another article: “Fast Launch For A. G. Vanderbilt” To Run on Narragansett Bay Between Wickford Landing and Middletown.
I have also found Real Estate Agency news with a William Vanderbilt signature.
Found another newspaper article: “FAST LAUNCH FOR A.G. VANDERBILT” To Run on Narragansett Bay Between Wickford Landing and Middlebown.”
“The Charles L. Seabury Company, Consolidated, are building at Morris Heights, on the Harlem River, a high speed cabin launch for Alfred G. Vanderbilt of the New York Yacht Club, who will use the boat for service on Narraganset Bay and for trips as a passenger boat between Wickford Landing and Middletown.
Then the article gives information about the size of the boat, the engine, speed, etc.