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Another Friday Lady mystery motor
This photograph comes from the digital collection of the New York Public Library and, as so often happens, is supplied with hardly any information. It is supposedly taken in 1907 and the car is described as a ‘sport model roadster’. A French car? That was our first thought, but we’d be happy to be corrected if you know better.
The most prolific photographer of early automobile racing
There is one more thing, though, as the picture is attributed to one N. Lazarnick of New York. When we typed his name into our computer we were in for a pleasant surprise. Nathan Lazarnick (1879-1955), a Russian emigrant to the US, is described as ‘The most prolific photographer of early automobile racing’.
In his early twenties, Lazarnick had become a photographer's apprentice in New York and then a freelance photographer for a great number of newspapers and motoring magazines, covering a wide range of events from the presidential campaigns of Taft, McKinley and Roosevelt to the Vanderbilt Cup races. He was once quoted as saying: “The automobile hypnotized me and I became intensely interested in the ‘horseless carriage’ following all of its activities closely, also the developments of the automobile as a mechanical invention, a sport, a travelling medium, and as a wonderful industry, which developed what I believe to be the most interesting group of men in the last quarter of a century."
That still doesn’t bring us any closer to identifying today’s Friday Lady and her sporting vehicle, but it may help you in cracking this nut.
(Words: Jeroen Booij; picture: Nathan Lazarnick, New York Public Library)
Published:
Friday October 14th, 2022
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Rachel Harris-Gardiner
22 October 2022, 00:51
Her name is Maude Le Roy. She was an actress. The picture comes from the motoring section of Brooklyn Life from the 30th of May, 1908, although frustratingly, there is only a picture and a caption.
Read more
David Grimstead
24 October 2022, 21:12
Probably four years before this photo was taken, the April 1904 edition of Good Housekeeping magazine, carried an article by M. E. Taft under the “Good Housekeeping Daughters” banner, entitled “The Girl and the Automobile”, in which this was written about a certain Miss Maude Le Roy:
“Women of the stage have long found in the automobile a chance for air and exercise, and in its mishaps a useful aid to the press agent. […] Miss Maude Le Roy of Weber and Fields runs a high-power car, often quite alone, and says the only terrors for her are the policeman. While still a beginner Miss Le Roy had an experience one day in Central Park. Coming suddenly upon a man on horseback, she tried to pass him on the right. The horse shied in the same direction. The young lady tried the other side of the road, whereupon the horse promptly followed and shied to the left. Several times this occurred, and when it was becoming embarrassing the horse took the more direct-appearing route of straight over the motor of the car. There was no great damage, except to Miss Le Roy's feelings when a policeman arrested her for reckless driving. Then her nerves became a little unstrung, hints about a ride in a “hurryup” and a day in jail not serving to calm them, and finally there was a tearful telephoning and a happy rescue by answering members of the family.”
Maude and this car have appeared before on PreWarCar, on Saturday April 30th, 2016 ( American Coal Scuttle Hoods after 1905 - PreWarCar ) The piece by Ariejan Bos includes a Palmer-Singer advert with her in the car, face on. It appears that same car was photographed in the same place at the same time with Charles A. Singer Jr. at the wheel.
One of Maude Le Roy’s theatrical employers was Weber and Fields who ran a Broadway music hall and coincidentally, Palmer and Singer’s showroom was at 1620-24 Broadway, where the Skimabout was put on show in spring 1908... Did Maude fall for the Skimabout in their showroom window and Singer see in her a photo opportunity?
After showing the first example there, interest in the Skimabout was so great that P-S had to increase the intended 1908 production run of only 25 cars five-fold. For 1909, the Renault/C.G.V.-style bonnet/radiator was replaced with a standard front-mounted flat item and a run of 250 Skimabouts planned.
Read more
“Women of the stage have long found in the automobile a chance for air and exercise, and in its mishaps a useful aid to the press agent. […] Miss Maude Le Roy of Weber and Fields runs a high-power car, often quite alone, and says the only terrors for her are the policeman. While still a beginner Miss Le Roy had an experience one day in Central Park. Coming suddenly upon a man on horseback, she tried to pass him on the right. The horse shied in the same direction. The young lady tried the other side of the road, whereupon the horse promptly followed and shied to the left. Several times this occurred, and when it was becoming embarrassing the horse took the more direct-appearing route of straight over the motor of the car. There was no great damage, except to Miss Le Roy's feelings when a policeman arrested her for reckless driving. Then her nerves became a little unstrung, hints about a ride in a “hurryup” and a day in jail not serving to calm them, and finally there was a tearful telephoning and a happy rescue by answering members of the family.”
Maude and this car have appeared before on PreWarCar, on Saturday April 30th, 2016 ( American Coal Scuttle Hoods after 1905 - PreWarCar ) The piece by Ariejan Bos includes a Palmer-Singer advert with her in the car, face on. It appears that same car was photographed in the same place at the same time with Charles A. Singer Jr. at the wheel.
One of Maude Le Roy’s theatrical employers was Weber and Fields who ran a Broadway music hall and coincidentally, Palmer and Singer’s showroom was at 1620-24 Broadway, where the Skimabout was put on show in spring 1908... Did Maude fall for the Skimabout in their showroom window and Singer see in her a photo opportunity?
After showing the first example there, interest in the Skimabout was so great that P-S had to increase the intended 1908 production run of only 25 cars five-fold. For 1909, the Renault/C.G.V.-style bonnet/radiator was replaced with a standard front-mounted flat item and a run of 250 Skimabouts planned.
David Grimstead
23 October 2022, 21:25
Probably four years before this photo was taken, the April 1904 edition of Good Housekeeping magazine, carried an article by M. E. Taft under the “Good Housekeeping Daughters” banner, entitled “The Girl and the Automobile”, in which this was written about a certain Miss Maude Le Roy:
“Women of the stage have long found in the automobile a chance for air and exercise, and in its mishaps a useful aid to the press agent. […] Miss Maude Le Roy of Weber and Fields runs a high-power car, often quite alone, and says the only terrors for her are the policeman. While still a beginner Miss Le Roy had an experience one day in Central Park. Coming suddenly upon a man on horseback, she tried to pass him on the right. The horse shied in the same direction. The young lady tried the other side of the road, whereupon the horse promptly followed and shied to the left. Several times this occurred, and when it was becoming embarrassing the horse took the more direct-appearing route of straight over the motor of the car. There was no great damage, except to Miss Le Roy's feelings when a policeman arrested her for reckless driving. Then her nerves became a little unstrung, hints about a ride in a “hurryup” and a day in jail not serving to calm them, and finally there was a tearful telephoning and a happy rescue by answering members of the family.”
Maude and this car have appeared before on PreWarCar, on Saturday April 30th, 2016 ( American Coal Scuttle Hoods after 1905 - PreWarCar ) The piece by Ariejan Bos includes a Palmer-Singer advert with her in the car, face on. It appears that same car was photographed in the same place at the same time with Charles A. Singer Jr. at the wheel.
One of Maude Le Roy’s theatrical employers was Weber and Fields who ran a Broadway music hall and coincidentally, Palmer and Singer’s showroom was at 1620-24 Broadway, where the Skimabout was put on show in spring 1908... Did Maude fall for the Skimabout in their showroom window and Singer see in her a photo opportunity?
After showing the first example there, interest in the Skimabout was so great that P-S had to increase the intended 1908 production run of only 25 cars five-fold. For 1909, the Renault/C.G.V.-style bonnet/radiator was replaced with a standard front-mounted flat item and a run of 250 Skimabouts planned.
Read more
“Women of the stage have long found in the automobile a chance for air and exercise, and in its mishaps a useful aid to the press agent. […] Miss Maude Le Roy of Weber and Fields runs a high-power car, often quite alone, and says the only terrors for her are the policeman. While still a beginner Miss Le Roy had an experience one day in Central Park. Coming suddenly upon a man on horseback, she tried to pass him on the right. The horse shied in the same direction. The young lady tried the other side of the road, whereupon the horse promptly followed and shied to the left. Several times this occurred, and when it was becoming embarrassing the horse took the more direct-appearing route of straight over the motor of the car. There was no great damage, except to Miss Le Roy's feelings when a policeman arrested her for reckless driving. Then her nerves became a little unstrung, hints about a ride in a “hurryup” and a day in jail not serving to calm them, and finally there was a tearful telephoning and a happy rescue by answering members of the family.”
Maude and this car have appeared before on PreWarCar, on Saturday April 30th, 2016 ( American Coal Scuttle Hoods after 1905 - PreWarCar ) The piece by Ariejan Bos includes a Palmer-Singer advert with her in the car, face on. It appears that same car was photographed in the same place at the same time with Charles A. Singer Jr. at the wheel.
One of Maude Le Roy’s theatrical employers was Weber and Fields who ran a Broadway music hall and coincidentally, Palmer and Singer’s showroom was at 1620-24 Broadway, where the Skimabout was put on show in spring 1908... Did Maude fall for the Skimabout in their showroom window and Singer see in her a photo opportunity?
After showing the first example there, interest in the Skimabout was so great that P-S had to increase the intended 1908 production run of only 25 cars five-fold. For 1909, the Renault/C.G.V.-style bonnet/radiator was replaced with a standard front-mounted flat item and a run of 250 Skimabouts planned.