Chain your dogs and lock up your fowl. So was the phrase that heralded the Long Island Vanderbilt Cup Races in the early 20th century.

The Garden City Historical Society welcomes all interested residents and guests to experience The Races, born from the imagination of William "Willie K" Vanderbilt, Jr., great grandson of millionaire Cornelius Vanderbilt, and a racer in his own right. The Society's spring lecture, The Vanderbilt Cup Races of Long Island, will be presented by Howard Kroplick, who has researched the races, collecting over 13,000 photos and articles and accumulating one of the largest collections of Vanderbilt Cup Race memorabilia in the world.

The lecture takes place on Thursday, June 2, at 7:30 p.m. in the Garden City Public Library's large meeting room on the lower level. The 45-minute to an-hour lecture will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

Mr. Kroplick's lecture brings his audience back to the historic Vanderbilt Cup Races with rarely seen images and film of Long Island, including the Garden City Hotel, the race headquarters. The presentation recalls the days in American history when auto racing had its earliest triumphs and fascination for speed was first satisfied. After the race left the local roadways, the first international auto race held in the United States sped its way along Vanderbilt's Long Island Motor Parkway, passing through Garden City.

Mr. Kroplick is a research volunteer at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, and a member of the Vanderbilt Race Cup Centennial Committee and the Long Island Motor Parkway Panel. He is a proud owner of a 1966 Shelby Mustang GT350H and a Segway. Kroplick is CEO/President and owner of The Impact Group, one of the largest independent medical communication companies in the world.

Prior to the start of the lecture, the Garden City Historical Society will hold its annual meeting, beginning at 7 p.m. in the library meeting room. The agenda includes the installation of officers. All current members are invited to attend.