Vanderbilt Cup Races

Roosevelt Field - photo taken looking North/Northeast (north at the top of the photo).
5/20/1927
Charles Lindbergh was at the press conference
Lindbergh began his Transatlantic flight there.

From Mystery Foto #49 Solved:A 1957 Aerial of a "Spirit of St. Louis" Press Conference at Roosevelt Field

these photos are of Roosevelt field shopping mall around 1958

From Mystery Foto #49 Solved:A 1957 Aerial of a "Spirit of St. Louis" Press Conference at Roosevelt Field

Not much of a clue as to the press conference but it’s clearly early Roosevelt Field Shopping Center looking SW at the intersection of Glen Cove/Clinton Road and Stewart Avenue.  Macy’s flagship store and Girl Scout HQ.  LILCO gas holder and Curtiss plant across Stewart.  Garden City sewage treatment plant dome, G. C. Toll Lodge and Super’s House this side of Stewart.  Only clue is what appears to be a replica of Lindy’s Ryan N-X-211 in the foreground, so it’s probably one of the three 1956 replicas made for the Warner Bros. film; thus, Lindy (and/or Jimmy Stewart) was probably there.  The picture seems too early for donation of the Cradle’s replica N-159.  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #49 Solved:A 1957 Aerial of a "Spirit of St. Louis" Press Conference at Roosevelt Field

The photo is Roosevelt Field Mall looking south towards Mitchell Field. The tall steel tank looks like the coal bin or gas at Mitchell Field. The date is 1957 the 30 the-anniversary flight of Charles Lindbergh flight to Paris. The movie The Spirit of St Loius was just released. Mr Lindbergh and his wife were in attendance. I think the Garden City toll house is west or right side of the photo.

From Mystery Foto #49 Solved:A 1957 Aerial of a "Spirit of St. Louis" Press Conference at Roosevelt Field

Mystery Foto #49… The photo shows the Roosevelt Field Mall looking northwest. This shot was done in April 1957. Some of the buildings shown are Macy’s, Woolworth, Wallgreens and Food Fair. The rest of my answer will be guessing. There may have been a press conference for the premier of the movie “The Spirit of St Louis”. The plane shown in the middle bottom of the photo is a “Spirit of St Louis” replica as used in the movie. Charles Lindberg and/or Actor Jimmy Stewart may have participated in the conference.
P.S. The reason that I recognized the plane and the pic is that I was there when the plane was on display participating in a L.I.S.C.A. sports car Gymkhana in a nearby parking lot. While I was at the Gymkhana The plane’s engine was started and after a warm up it axied out to the Mall roadway where it promptly took off in a strong head wind. AND SO I am able to brag to those who will listen that I was at Roosevelt Field when the Spirit of St. Louis took off!!!!

From Mystery Foto #49 Solved:A 1957 Aerial of a "Spirit of St. Louis" Press Conference at Roosevelt Field

October 3, 1956 announcement of the opening of the Roosevelt Field Mall.
View looking southwest with the easily identified checkered LILCO gas tank.
Running left to right across top, Stewart Avenue, LIMP, the A&P warehouse
And the old Curtiss Aircraft factory and Commercial Avenue, Clinton Road. She
The press conference probably included developer William Zeckendorf.

From Mystery Foto #49 Solved:A 1957 Aerial of a "Spirit of St. Louis" Press Conference at Roosevelt Field

Another amazing aerial, possibly a Fairchild’s. The scene at first had great resemblance to Green Acres Shopping Mall in Valley Stream looking northwest, former site of Curtiss-Columbia Airfield (1930-1939?), but the outer roadways didn’t match. And then it struck. This is Roosevelt Field Outdoor Shopping Mall looking southwest 1956?, with its outer ring-roadways in full glory. The checkered gas tank also helped determine location. The Motor Parkway structure(s) in the aerial were not visible to me but they’re either/and;  the Clinton Road parkway bridge (a treacherous underpass), the LIMP Manager’s House at Vanderbilt Court (still existing), or the LIMP Garden City Lodge (later moved to 230 7th Street, Garden City as the Garden City Chamber of Commerce). I’ve yet to visit inside but there’s a museum in its basement I’m told. Something definitely worth checking out.  Don’t know the major buildings in the aerial but guessing shopping paraphernalia, Gimbels, Macys? The press conference had to be for the crazy pilot who landed in that micro field out front. Having fun Howard, thank you for sharing a wonderful website.

From Mystery Foto #49 Solved:A 1957 Aerial of a "Spirit of St. Louis" Press Conference at Roosevelt Field

Awesome pictures - Roosevelt Field

From Mystery Foto #49 Solved:A 1957 Aerial of a "Spirit of St. Louis" Press Conference at Roosevelt Field

So who do you think will be purchasing the W.K.V. “cottage” at Idle Hour?

From Cradle of Aviation Archives: William K. Vanderbilt Jr.'s Sikorsky S-43 Seaplane at Roosevelt Field

That’s the Roosevelt Field open-air mall.  Looking SW.  Letting us peak at the remnants of the LIMP as they curve through the southwestern corner of this property, and eventually run concurrent with the south ring road of the mall.  The Garden City toll lodge, and manager’s building are there, just near Clinton Rd.  Macy’s is the large building dominating the view.

From Mystery Foto #49 Solved:A 1957 Aerial of a "Spirit of St. Louis" Press Conference at Roosevelt Field

Looks like Stymus Ave is evident in the 1938 aerial. Definitely worth a trip to check out the original buildings along there.

From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: Building the Long Island Motor Parkway Through the Stymus Farm in Bethpage

My dad was on the Plymouth, talked about this ship and men.Passed away 2014.
_____________________________________________

From Howard Kroplick:

Condolences to your family. Thank you for your his service!

From One of Yachting's Dozen: William K. Vanderbilt Jr.'s Alva

Just to let you know about 1948 Tucker time period, in 1947 the all new Kaiser and the Studebaker came out with modern designs compared to the older post war cars of that time, in 1948 GM came out with the all new large body for Cadillac and Oldsmobile 98 (Buick postpone until 1949), then there’s was the sleek, step down 1948 Hudson, both had 2 piece curve windshield. The Tucker design was somewhat dated at the time.

From The 1948 Tuckers: The Cammack Collection

Darn it,I knew that was the 2nd dead mans curve the minute I saw it,I should have answered,well at least I know that I would have gotten that part right.

From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: Building the Long Island Motor Parkway Through the Stymus Farm in Bethpage

This looks familiar. I’ll give it a try:

Just north of Central Ave in Bethpage, we are looking south in this picture. Stymus family farm - small cemetery is now there.

I’m thinking pic must have been taken in 1909-1910 as this was being built. Strangely the parkway went west first (1909 Courthouse Rd) and then east (1910 Bethpage Restoration). So I’ll guess late 1909 / early 1910.

From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: Building the Long Island Motor Parkway Through the Stymus Farm in Bethpage

Bethpage facing west toward Nibbe’s Farm, probably 1907 just before it was completed in 1908. I think it is section 23, North of the Dead Man’s Curve and east of today’s Seaford Oyster Bay Expressway (looking from the Plainview Road Bridge area). The races were 1908, 1909 and 1910, which dumped off at Round Swamp Road before heading north onto local roads. The tree lines are still there, on the western side of the Seaford Oyster Bay Expressway.

From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: Building the Long Island Motor Parkway Through the Stymus Farm in Bethpage

Thanks for posting.  Seems quite a few major technical details remained to be resolved before it could have been sold.  I recall reading that Tucker had workers trying to recover old Cord parts for use.    With an additional 12 months of testing who knows what might have been.    Any thoughts on how the many Tuckers shown in the movie were obtained? I don’t think it was an illusion. 
____________________________________________________________

From Howard Kroplick:

Ken, according to IMB trivia about the film,  the “Tuckers” used in the film were replicas:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0096316/trivia

However, this 2008 New York Time articles states that several original Tuckers were used in the film:

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/29/automobiles/collectibles/29TUCKER.html

From The 1948 Tuckers: The Cammack Collection

Looks like Bethpage farmer Peter Nibbe’s (1847-1918) place and windmill in the back, late 1908 looking southwest. The LIMP roadway being built was used in the 1908-1910 Vanderbilt Cup and Sweepstake races, and is today located in Bethpage State Park (Central Park) where the bike path meets the curve under the power lines. The men working on the roadway further back after the curve is today’s southbound lanes on route 135. The photographer was standing on top of what’s to become the new Plainview Road bridge’s north abutment (no longer existing). Plainview Road was slightly relocated during Motor Parkway construction.

From Mystery Foto #48 Solved: Building the Long Island Motor Parkway Through the Stymus Farm in Bethpage

I was at the Hershey meet last year (great weather) this year didn’t go - rain, but last year my first stop was the AACA museum where the Tucker’s where, the museum is great, almost forgot to go to the car show that Saturday. Howard thanks for the narration of what I had saw. Mark

From The 1948 Tuckers: The Cammack Collection

From Robert R:
Wonderful stuff on the Tucker, Howard.

I remember seeing my first one on display in the lobby of 30 Rock.

From The 1948 Tuckers: The Cammack Collection