Mystery Foto #45 Solved: Frederick G. Bourne at the South Side Sportsmen’s Club in a 1901 Winton
Philip Selvaggio challenged you to solve this weekend's Mystery Foto.
Mystery Foto questions:
- Identify the Long Island Motor Parkway director who is sitting in the passenger's seat. See below hint.
Edward G. Bourne, then president of Singer Manufacturing Company.
- Identify the year and make of the automobile
A 1901 Winton runabout.
- Where was this photo taken and the approximate year?
The photo was taken at the South Side Sportsmen's Club located near Bourne's Oakdale home in Great River. Given Bourne's passion for automobiles, it is likely the photo was taken sometime from 1901 to 1902 based on his 1901 Winton.
Congrats to Ariejan Bos, Steve Lucas, Greg O., Art Kleiner (see below Kleiner's Korner) and Dick Gorman for identifying Frederick G. Bourne and the South Side Sportsmen's Club (check out Art's Then & Now).
Kudos to Ariejan Bos of the Netherlands for correctly identifying the 1901 Winton.
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick
Frederick Gilbert Bourne (1851-1919) was an American businessman who would become one of the wealthiest men in the world. In 1889, 32-year old Bourne became the fourth president of the Singer Manufacturing Company. Over 16 years of Bourne's leadership, Singer grew and prospered becoming the world-wide leading manufacturer of sewing machines. In 1905, Bourne retired to pursue his passions: large homes, yachting and automobiles.
Bourne was a friend of the Vanderbilt family- Willie K's father was a nearby Oakdale neighbor. Accordingly, it was not a surprise that Bourne was an early investor in the Long Island Motor Parkway.
Bourne's automobile was a 1901 Winton runabout.
Bourne was a member of the South Side Sportsmen's Club in Great River, located near his Oakdale home.
The main clubhouse of the South Side Sportsmen's Club as it looks today in the Connetquot River State Park Preserve, Great River, New York.
Kleiner's Korner (Submitted by Art Kleiner)
E. Belcher Hyde 1915
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, October 23, 1908
The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, September 8, 1910
Comments
Some parts of this mystery I could solve: the car is a 1901 Winton, standing right in front of the main entrance of the South Side Sportsmen’s Club (Connetquot River State Park Preserve, Oakdale, LI, NY). The person on the passenger’s seat however will be a wild guess: Frederick G. Bourne, president of the Singer Sewing Machine Co. Still, there is some logic in this. Bourne had his residence Indian Neck Hall in Oakdale and had joined the South Side Sportsman’s Club in September 1890. William K. Vanderbilt was one of the founders of this Sportsman’s Club (aimed at fishing and hunting) already in 1866, when he was only 17! And the Vanderbilt family had of course also a residence there, Idle Hour. This house burnt down during Willie K. and Virginia Fair’s honeymoon stay in 1899, but was rebuilt immediately.
That looks like Frederick G. Bourne who, at the time, was the president of the Singer Sewing Machine Company and a member of the South Side Sportsmen’s Club in Oakdale. I believe the photo was taken in front of the main building at the club which is currently on the grounds of the Connetquot River State Park Preserve. I think Bourne had some connection with Mercedes Benz so I’ll guess that’s what the car is. It could be a 1902 or 1903 model which is probably about when the photo was taken. Probably not coincidentally, Bourne and Willie K. were next door neighbors, with Bourne’s estate slightly east of Idlehour.
Hopefully, thanks to a helpful hint given to me by Steve Lucas, I’ll correctly guess this as Frederick G. Bourne in front of the South Side Sportsmans Club in Oakdale.
Looks to be around circa 1900 or so, but further research and looking around is needed for dates and the automobile (Daimler?)
Identify the Long Island Motor Parkway director who is sitting in the passenger’s seat. See below hint.: Frederick Bourne
Identify the year and make of the automobile: (A very big guess here) - 1910 Mercedes
Where was this photo taken and the approximate year?: South Side Sportsman’s Club, Oakdale. 1910-1915
Nice shot and difficult mystery, so Ill test my luck, 1901-1903 based on the earlier model horseless carriage, Harry Payne Whitney passenger in car, Clarence H. Mackay standing left on the porch at the Mackay estate in Roslyn. Looking forward to Areijan’s description of the car
Taking a shot in the dark here… The passenger is Fredrick Gilbert Bourne a president of Singer Manufacturing Corp. And the car may be a 1903 Ford Model A. The first Model A, not the later ones.
Could also be Willy K’s Idelhour residence in Oakdale L.I.
Ugh! Can’t keep up with you guys, you’re too much.
It’s great to see the then and now comparisons, too bad the early photo isn’t clearer.