Mystery Friday Foto #13 Solved: The 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race winner #7 Panhard driven by George Heath stopped at a Control
Jeanne Booth, an archivist at the Hicksville Public Library, was seeking your assistance in identifying this Mystery Foto found in the library's collection.
Answers to the Mystery Foto questions:
Identify:
- The location of the Mystery Foto. Provide a rationale.
A Control for the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race either Hicksville or Hempstead. It is most likely Hicksville given where the photo was found.
What is happening in the photo? Provide evidence.
The racer is stopped by a race official wearing the armband at one of the two Controls for the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race.
- The race car's year and manufacturer, driver and mechanician.
The winning 1904 #7 Panhard driven by George Heath and his mechanician Eugene Lajunie.
- The date of the Mystery Foto.
October 8, 1904
Comments (7)
Congrats to Art Kleiner, Steve Lucas, Dick Gorman, Ken Parrotte and Brian McCarthy for identifying George Heath's 1904 Panhard.
Kudos to Art Kleiner, Steve Lucas, Dick Gorman and Brian McCarthy for identifying a 1904 Control as the location.
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick
Close-Ups
Comments
Broadway, Hicksville. Car getting checked in at the control station by race officials.
Car is the 1904 Panhard that won the race driven by George Heath and mechanician Eugene Lajunie.
October 8, 1904.
Let’s start with the car first. I think it’s the #7 Panhard driven by George Heath with Eugene Lajune as mechanician. That would make the date of this photo October 8, 1904 during the first Vanderbilt Cup race which Heath eventually won. Since the driver is apparently talking with someone wearing a white armband who I assume is a race official, I think this photo was taken during one of the 3 minute control stops at the service station on Broadway in Hicksville. The car is being inspected and the driver questioned. The fact that the photo was found in the Hicksville Library adds to the evidence.
Mystery Foto#13…The location of the Mystery Foto is at the Hicksville Control Stop during the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race. The race cars were also stopped at a control in Hempstead but I chose the Hicksville control because this photo belongs to the Hicksville Public Library. Racers had to stop at the controls once every lap. At this stop the officials (see arm bands) seem to be checking in the racer. This car is the 1904 Panhard, winner of the first Vanderbilt Cup race in 1904. The driver is George Heath, the mechanician is Eugene Lajunie.
And the date of the photo is October 8, 1904.
I think (based on period magazine and newspaper articles) this is the Saturday October 8, 1904 first Vanderbilt Cup race. If it is, the location is near the start line in the Village of Westbury prior to the start, “waiting their turn in any old place near the starting point.” The number 7 1904 90 Horsepower Panhard & Levassor is driven by George Heath with mechanician Eugene Lejeunie. American born, living in France, George Heath won the first Vanderbilt Cup race.
I believe this is driver George Heath & mechanician Eugene Lajunie in the #7 Panhard Racer ( France ) during the 10/8/1904 VCR. Believe their stopped at one of the control areas on the course, don’t know which control area. They won in 1st place. Screenshot below is of them at The Hempstead Control, courtesy of Howard Kroplicks 10 min film of this race.
I’m back. Figuring they are at the Hicksville Control, north or south of the LIRR.
I’m agree with Brian that Heath is at the Hicksville Control station. The wooded background is not conducive with the Hempstead Control station.
Brian, The Hicksville Control Station was entered on the north side of the LIRR. That year, and only that year, the race was run in a clockwise direction.