Kleiner’s Korner: Part 1 - Vanderbilt Cup Race Illustrations of “The NY World” - The Impact on Farmers
The above 1904 cartoon appeared in The New York Herald Tribune on Dec. 30, 1934, 30 years after the first Vanderbilt Cup Race. While not drawn by the illustrator which this post details, the farmer's position of the race is very similarly expressed. Note the front car's faceplate!
An editorial about the race read: "this first Vanderbilt Cup race proved only that so speedy an automobile was impracticable, a ""terror and a juggernaut for the common people . . . The spirit which approves such an abuse of the highway is that which led the nobility into the excesses which precipitated the French Revolution.""
The New York (Evening) World employed artists to tell its stories in pictures and captions. In this new series of posts, illustrations will portray the World's view of the Vanderbilt Cup Races and automobiling in general. Note that some of the graphics are not the best quality due to the original size of each illustration but they definitely tell the story.
Art Kleiner
The NY Evening World Illustrator: Robert Edgren
Hired by The Evening World in 1904 as Sports Editor, Robert Edgren (1874-1939) previously worked at The San Francisco Examiner and the New York Evening Journal as sports and political cartoonist. He attended the Univ. of California at Berkely as a member of the track team and eventually attended the Mark Hopkins Art Institute. (wingedfist.com and wikipedia)
When William Randolph Hearst himself told Edgren, "Don't exaggerate so much," an angered Edgren produced 500 photographs to prove the accuracy of his drawings. The images were eventually displayed before the United States Congress, causing a sensation. Ironically, after illustrating the dangers of automobile racing early in his career, he was involved in a serious auto accident in the early 1930s and was hospitalized for several weeks. Recovering from the accident he would need to resign from work in 1932 due to illness and died in 1939 at the Monterey Peninsula Country Club in California. (wikipedia)
The View of the 1904 Race from the Farming Community
In this first part of the series, Edgren and The World portray the first Vanderbilt Cup Race as a dangerous intrusion on the residents and farming community of Nassau County. (The Evening World, Oct. 5, 1904)
"Farmers coming home from Wallabout Market and Turning in on the Jericho Road". "Motor turning into Queens".
"This is the Jericho Turnpike. Each day from seventy to a hundred farm wagons pass over this road". "One of the Motorists, two woman, a child and driver, horses running away".
"Doctor's buggy, farm wagons returning from city markets, farmers compelled to take 'round-about roads to the Wallabout Market and Flushing. And Mrs. Clarence Mackay Lives Here."
"Motor coming along at 60 miles an hour." "Farm wagons swerving to the side and horses running away."
The "Dangerous Turn" at Bethpage or Plainedge and where the road "is only 15 feet wide".
The railroad crossing at Hicksville where a "special officer" was paid $3!
And another special officer at East Williston also being paid $3 by the Auto Association.
The Hempstead railroad crossing needed 2 special officers. Note the Meadow Brook Hunt Club.
Town of Oyster Bay and Nassau County Supervisor William Jones discussing the merits of the race with Sol Townsend, Clerk to the Nassau Co. Board of Supervisors.
Foreseeing an unfortunate accident at the first turn!
A French racer doing 90 miles an hour!
And the possible result!
Following the race The World published its views which very pointedly did not see much benefit accruing to Nassau County or its residents. (South Side Signal, Oct. 15, 1904)
South Side Signal, Oct. 15, 1904
Comments
In the cartoon with Jones and Townsend - a correction - Solomon S. Townsend was not the Nassau County Clerk, he was the Clerk to the Nassau Co. Board of Supervisors. The Nassau Co. Clerk was Thomas S. Cheshire, who served from 1901-1934.
Gary - correction made in the post. Thanks for keeping me honest!
Art, great post, thanks for sharing. Farmers were not alone in objecting to the Race being held on public roads. The Post Office and local Fire Departments also had concerns about being able to carry out their duties.
Soon after the first running of the Cup race, the attitudes of farmers on Long Island had changed due to the economic impact and usefulness of the automobile in transporting their goods to market. Arthur Pardington reinforced this attitude in this article first appearing in “The Automobile” and then reprinted in “Motor Talk” in May of 1907.
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Attention Art Kleiner—are any of Robert Edgren’s original pieces available to purchase from a collection? I think they are notable. Thanks.