Walt Gosden Special Article: Proper attire for the hired help to wear when motoring on the Long Island Motor Parkway
My friend automotive historian Walt Gosden has provided this special article on the Dornan Company and their chauffers' uniform business.
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick
The Dornan Company was located at 206 West 59th Street (Central Park South) in Manhattan, just west of the lower end of Central parl. They had a prolific business in the sale of "Chauffeurs’ Uniforms and Butlers’ Liveries”. I have a 36 page "New York Green Guide" they issued in 1933. It is a slim publication with a few fold-out pages that was given to chauffeurs as a courtesy to make their job a bit easier.
It has 30 topics listed and numerous addresses of the locations a chauffeur that worked in the metropolitan area would possibly be requested by their employer to drive them to. All were in fine print to include as many as possible and most also listed the locations and phone numbers. It was slim enough to fit in the top pocket of a uniform with no noticeable bulge to the pressed suit. Among the listings were baseball fields (8), aviation fields (18!!), steamship piers (58!), ferries (24), telegraph offices – five were Western Union and seven were at U.S. Post offices. Also listed are golf and country clubs, restaurants, night clubs, NY Stores, hotels, banks, cemeteries, churches, private ambulance service.
The inside cover listed the private chauffeur's clubs - 25% were specific for chauffeurs from a specific country of origin: Swedish, Irish, and German.
The booklet is an amazing journal; of what was important in 1933 that the upper crust would deem important to visit that the savvy chauffeur had to be aware of and not get lost driving to. It lists cross town street numbers for both lower and upper Manhattan and a chart /key of NY City street and avenue locations. I found it fascinating to read and recognize many of the names listed but also of places that although of significance in 1933 disappeared before or immediately after WWII.
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The Long Island Motor Parkway became an amazing path to and from New York City in the first few decades of the 20th century when William K. Vanderbilt Jr. had the foresight that motorized carriages needed a more modern road to access " the city" beyond the state roads available that followed trails used by horse and wagons for over a century. With the progress and addition of so many motor cars the need by financially successful people who owned them required help to drive them. Like their horse drawn carriages a "driver" was now titled as a chauffeur. The chauffeur required proper attire and thus there were specific clothing stores to supply the suits, caps, gloves, chaps to compliment the motor car they would be the pilot for. Dornan Company was one of the more well-known suppliers
Comments
Interesting reflection of the times. 1933? This was literally the height of the Depression. A few comments: 1. 206 Central Park South, at least today, would have been located just west of the southwest corner of CPS’s intersection w/7th Ave. I assume it was the same in 1933. 2. I’m Jewish and took note that the index indicated “Churches and Synagogues.” 3. Reference was made to the “key” for addresses. Upon being discharged from the Marines and then starting law school, I became a “hack” in the City. At the time, the industry was unionized (Local 4046 Taxi Drivers Union). I learned about the “key” at that time. It makes it easy to know the location of any street or avenue address north of Houston St., except for street addresses in Greenwich Village, which is not part of the grid, except for avenue addresses.
Interesting publication Walter, thank you. Due to my Irish looks ( and name ), I may haven’t needed proof of ethnicity to apply as a chauffeur with the Irish American Automobile Operators Club : )