The 1948 Press Release Announcing “The Opening of the New Long Island Automotive Museum”
Gary Hammond has forwarded the official press release announcing the opening of the Henry Austin Clark, Jr.'s Long Island Automotive Museum in Southampton. The release included a description of Clark's car collection featuring the 1908 Thomas Flyer.
Photos and film courtesy of Walter McCarthy.
Enjoy,
Howard Kroplick
Release August 28, 1948
There are 34 cars in the exhibit, the models ranging from 1902 to 1920, highlighted by the famous "Thomas Flyer", winner of an around the world competition in 1908.
Mr. Clark will keep his museum open to the public through the Fall until the cold weather. Admission is 50 cents for adults and 25 cents for children, tax included.
Cars in the Collection of Henry Austin Clark, Jr.
1902 Curved Dash Oldsmobile
Thomas Flyer
This amazing 5-minute film documents the opening of the museum on August 27, 1948 and a typical day at the museum in the early 1950s. The film was provided from the archives of the Long Island Old Car Club by Walter McCarthy and is being shown to the public for the very first time. Edited by me in 2009, the film has over 13,300 views.
Comments
The future ahead was so bright…
In the Auto Museum film, it shows Joe Tracy driving the Locomobile type I truck. This was made from a touring car by the Ardmore Garage in Ardmore, Pa. that was the Locomobile dealer there and used as a service truck for newer Locomobiles in the 1920s. I bought that truck/car from Austin and along with Walter McCarthy made new front fenders that were identical to the fenders it would have been fitted with when new in 1907, I also made a new dashboard and found an bought the proper brass headlamps and restored those as well. I sold the Locomobile before any further work was accomplished and it is my understanding that today the car is now fitted with a replica touring car body like it had when it was new.
Thanks for this Howard. Hopefully the new owner’s commitment to keep the building standing will hold true. If only for the memory of what once was.