VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive Part I: From the Hall/Kraft Family Album-Previously unpublished photos of the 1909 Vanderbilt Cup Race
Professor Robert A. Kraft has forwarded photos of the 1909 Vanderbilt Cup Race discovered in his grandmother's family photo.
Below are the initial photos in the series which I believe have never been published before.
Enjoy Father's Day,
Howard Kroplick
Professor Robert A. Kraft: The pictures came from an album that my mother inherited from her mother, which is indexed on my home page (where I will add your information when I re-edit that material). As you will see, my grandmother was Margaret Miller Northrop Hall, from Wolcott CT, daughter of Charles Somers Miller (whose Journals are also online, but he mentions nothing about the race in his October 1909 entries and mother of my mother, Marian Northrop Kraft.
I have no independent knowledge of the excursion to the Long Island event, except that it does not surprise me -- they were adventurous folk. Other pix in the same album page may offer some clues, although I don't see what, yet. They are mostly "family stuff" or otherwise unrevealing.
Margaret Miller Northrup Hall (1899-1987)
Professor Robert A. Kraft: Here is one that shows my grandmother and her husband (left side, second row up), which followed the race photos on the same page -- I'm not sure where that one was taken or who all the others are! Sorry that g'ma didn't label these -- she sometimes did. It may have no relationship to the race stuff, although possibly there were friends or relatives in the LI area???
The 1909 Grandstand and Officials/Press Box
View looking southwest toward the 1909 grandstand, officials/press box and scoreboard.
The aerial advertising kites seen in front of the grandstand.
#10 National
The #10 National was driven by Johnny Aitken in the 1909 race. As seen here, the racer lost a wheel during lap 5.
#7 Chalmers-Detroit passing the Carman Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge
As identified by Ariejan Bos, this is the #7 Chalmers-Detroit driven by Willy Knipper
#15 Buick
Driven by Louis Chevrolet
Comments
Hi all
Happy Father’s Day day, have a great day.
These are wonderful photos. It is like stepping into a time machine, and traveling back to 1909!
Great picture and perspective on how big the grandstand was. Today the person who took this picture would be pretty much standing on the west side of Crocus lane, (Levittown) maybe about 100 feet south of Blacksmith road facing west/southwest.
It is always nice to see new photos of these racing events. The photo of the National of Aitken (not Aiken) with the lost wheel is rather unique, never seen one before. Johnny Aitken had made it until round five (out of 22). The mystery racer is Willy Knipper on a Chalmers-Detroit with nr. 7. He had replaced Dingley, who had an accident during practice the day before, and he would end surprisingly on 3rd place. Another photo of his car from the Detroit Public Library archive, though from a slightly different angle, shows the same contours and details.
Never realize how big the grand stand was. Big time race!
Enjoyed seeing Professor Kraft’s collection of unique rare photos of early motoring here in Levittown, Long Island. Amazing that this set has been preserved all these years and now available for all to access at anytime.
Happy Father’s Day Ted, and to all the Dads out there!