Mystery Friday Foto #26 Solved: Previously unpublished Fotos of the Clinton Road Motor Parkway Bridge in Garden City
Did you solve this weekend's holiday Mystery Foto?
Answers to the Mystery Foto questions:
Identify:
- The Motor Parkway Bridge and orientation of the photographer. Provide a rationale.
The Clinton Road Motor Parkway Bridge looking north. Rationale: The tow middle columns and the concrete siding of the bridge
- Kudos: Based on the automobiles, what is the estimated date of the Fotos?
1920s or early 1930s.
Comments (4)
Congrats to Steve Lucas, Frank Femenias and Brian McCarthy for correctly identifying the Clinto Road Motor Parkway Bridge.
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick and Greg O.
Close-Ups
Greg O. Mystery Foto Analysis
Clinton Road Motor Parkway Bridge
North looking view of the Clinton bridge shows a black background with white lettering, while southward views are white background with black lettering. The known North looking Clinton bridge photo shows additional signage stating, 'shortest route to New York', 'For motor cars only 50 [cents]' & 'Private Right of Way' which was most likely added later in the 30's after this weekend's mystery photo was taken and toll pricing changed. This may place the date of the new mystery photo around 1920s ore early 1930s.
This photo shows the Clinton bridge possibly without the additional three painted signs as denoted by the red and green arrows, but photo resolution is not good enough for definite confirmation.
Despite the lack of definite photographic evidence, and the lack of identifying the 'telephone' pole in other photos, the best assumption to make for this mystery photo is tit is a North looking view of the Clinton Bridge in the 1920s or early 1930s.
North Hempstead Turnpike Motor Parkway Bridge
The North Hempstead Turnpike Motor Parkway Bridge, like most 1920's Queens bridges has three openings. But as noted by the green arrow within the N. Hempstead bridge photo, the center columns are different and there is a solid center section of road railing on those bridges which eliminate their possibility of being the mystery photo bridge.
Other Multiple Column Motor Parkway Bridges
Other multi-opening bridges include Creedmoor, Central Ave., Broad Hollow Rd. and Westbury Ave bridges. None are a match to the mystery photo as those either have two openings, are farmway/pedestrian bridges, have steel columns or are railroad trestle bridges.
Central Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge
Westbury Avenue Bridge
Broad Hollow Motor Parkway Bridge
Creedmoor Pedestrian Bridge
Comments
I’ll say this is the North Hempstead turnpike bridge in Fresh Meadows Queens. The bridge was built in 1926 so this picture was take some time shortly after that. The cars crossing over look like Ford Model A’s but that’s just a guess. Kind of a tough angle to judge an absolute true direction the photographer might be facing because the length of the bridge lines up northwest to southeast and North Hempstead turnpike is pretty much dead straight west to east. I’ll just say the photographer is facing more or less due north. Stay well Howard.
That sure looks like the Clinton Road bridge in Garden City. Since the entrance arrow is pointing to the right, I believe the photographer is facing mostly north or slightly northwest. Because I see only open touring type cars, I’m guessing the date around 1922.
How exciting! Resembles the Clinton Rd bridge but it may not be it. Foto is looking NW, sunshine on the bridge and arrow on sign pointing towards the entrance on Vanderbilt Court via Garden City lodge. Could to be a drive-through event after Parkway’s closing, late ‘30’s. Motor Parkway was never that busy during operation unless there is a disabled vehicle up ahead
Kudos for beating Covid, Howard! Hope you’re feeling better.
I want to say this is LIMP Bridge over Clinton Rd in Garden City, viewed in a northwest direction, because of the images seen on this website. Sign is pointed east to the Garden City Lodge. An accident image shows a similar sign in 1935. This image appears older, maybe around 1925.
My other thought is this could be the LIMP Bridge over the Trolley Line and eventually Westbury Ave in Mineola, viewed in a southwest direction. Believe the Trolley service was abandoned by 1925, soon after Westbury Ave was extended west from Guinea Woods Rd., then through the bridge. The entrance sign would be pointed north to the Mineola Lodge.
Both bridges had 2 pillars. Pillars for the Clinton Rd bridge were concreted over, one blurry 1938 image of the Westbury Ave bridge, the pillars appear to be concreted over.
Maybe its the angle the mystery photo was taken, but why does it seem like the two side tunnels are a lot narrower in the mystery photo than they are in the known example pictures of the Clinton ave bridge? If this is the Clinton ave bridge, then maybe it was remodeled a bit.
Addendum: Disabled vehicle up ahead, or more likely the waiting line for the slow process of vehicles exiting Motor Parkway through the busy Garden City lodge.
David, my thoughts were the same regarding tunnel widths. Likely caused by the photo angle from primitive camera lenses back then.
Unlikely the bridge was ever remodeled, except for that overhead sign!
See more on this bridge here:
https://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/do_not_post_kleiners_kolrner_the_removal_of_the_clinton_road_motor_parkway_bridge