Sunday, November 29, 2009

1905 Automobile Racing Images, Chicago, Harlem Park, now Forest Park



Automobile racing, Harlem Race Track, racing cars at the starting line]


Automobile racing, Harlem racetrack, racing cars leaving starting line]

1904.

SUMMARY
Image of
racing cars leaving starting line at Harlem Race Track (formerly Harlem Jockey Club) located near Roosevelt Road and Hannah Avenue in Forest Park (formerly the Village of Harlem), Illinois.


[Automobile racing, spectators gathered along a wooden fence lining a drive at Harlem Race Track].

1905.

Image of spectators standing on the ground and sitting on a fence at the automobile races at Harlem Race Track (formerly Harlem Jockey Club) located near Roosevelt Road and Hannah Avenue in Forest Park (formerly the Village of Harlem), Illinois. To the far right of the image, a driver is standing at the rear of an automobile that two men appear to be fixing.

NOTES
This photonegative taken by a Chicago Daily News photographer may have been published in the newspaper.

Cite as: SDN-004005, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago History Museum.


[Automobile racing, drivers and their teams lining up to begin a race at Harlem Race Track].
1905.

Image of
automobile drivers and their teams lining up to begin a race on the track at Harlem Race Track (formerly Harlem Jockey Club) located near Roosevelt Road and Hannah Avenue in Forest Park (formerly the Village of Harlem), Illinois. Spectators in the stands are visible in the background. (View from behind)

NOTES
This photonegative taken by a Chicago Daily News photographer may have been published in the newspaper.

Cite as: SDN-004259, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago History Museum


[Automobile racing, two drivers racing their automobiles at Harlem Race Track].

SUMMARY
Image of two automobiles and drivers
racing on the track at Harlem Race Track (formerly Harlem Jockey Club) located near Roosevelt Road and Hannah Avenue in Forest Park (formerly the Village of Harlem), Illinois. Spectators standing behind the fence on the inside of the track are visible in the foreground. Spectators along the fence, buildings and trees are visible in the background.

NOTES
This photonegative taken by a Chicago Daily News photographer may have been published in the newspaper.

Cite as: SDN-004262, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago History Museum.



The Harlem Race Track (originally called the Harlem Jockey Club) was a race track located in Harlem Park (currently Forest Park near the 12th st. and Hannah. The track was opened in 1894 by George Hankins and John Condon and operated until 1904.

From 1899 to 1904 the Lake St. "L" line offered express excursion service to the track.

3 comments:

  1. According to Harry Endicott's obituary, his first race was at the Harlem track in 1904 driving a Columbia. Any info on that? Do you suppose he's in any of these pictures? Also am a bit confused by the photo dates. If the track closed in 1904 why are some of these pictures dated 1905?

    ReplyDelete
  2. The track did not close in 1904. Here is a link to an article reporting on one of the races at Harlem in June 1905: http://firstsuperspeedway.com/articles/chicago

    ReplyDelete