Vanderbilt Cup Races

Looking southeast across Merrick Avenue, East Meadow with the large building resembling the remodeled (1930s) Meadowbrook Golf clubhouse (a large dome was a latter feature behind this building).  The smaller building looks like the old Salisbury Plains rail station with the rail line running across Merrick Avenue into what is today’s Eisenhower Park.  The LIMP crossed Merrick Avenue just a little north (left) in the picture.

From Mystery Foto #11 Revealed & Updated: Barbot's Flying Flivver Over Merrick Avenue in 1923

Stumped, but possibly Herricks/Searingtown, at Searingtown Rd. South/Shelter Rock Rd. and Moore St. tree-lined Herricks High School at bottom left corner, facing SE. towards Roosevelt Field, plane is heading SW to align with runway. LIMP parkway bridge out of view, crossed over Old Searingtown Rd. 1940’s.

From Mystery Foto #11 Revealed & Updated: Barbot's Flying Flivver Over Merrick Avenue in 1923

Ditto SamIII!

From The Motor Way 1906: "How the Vanderbilt Cup Was Won By a French Car'

I’m throwing in the towel on this one after a few days!

The only thing I have on this one is the location is looking South West at the where the Central RailRoad and Merrick Ave intersect. I don’t have any info on the plane to answer the rest of the questions, but the building that appears to be under constuction near the intersection would be the clubhouse for the Meadowbrook Club. I’ll guess early/mid-1920’s since I can’t find an exact build date.

From Mystery Foto #11 Revealed & Updated: Barbot's Flying Flivver Over Merrick Avenue in 1923

Location….Overlooking Salisbury and Meadowbrook Golf Links in a southeast direction. Buildings and roads…. Lannin Hotel and Salisbury RR Station west of Merrick Ave, hotel south of the Central RR row; the station on the north side of the Central RR row. Within the Salisbury Golf links, pretty sure I can see a RR siding spuring on the northside of the Central RR row. I think there’s a culvert or underpass at this point. There’s a small building on the southside of this area, associated with the Salisbury links. Airplane/Pilot….It does’nt look likethe Spirit of St Louis. Other than that, I don’t know. Significance of plane….Don’t know. Year….Early 1940’s ?. Link with VCR and LIMP….Don’t know. I do know that the LIMP isn’t seen in this photo. And JJ Lannin was once owner of the Roosevelt Airfield. He set aside a room in his hotel nearby for Mr. Lindbergh, and walked Charles Lindbergh across the tarmac in his airfield to watch his historic takeoff on 5/20/1927. I know there’s a lot of gentlemen here who know the vintage planes like the back of their hand, I just don’t have the knowledge.

From Mystery Foto #11 Revealed & Updated: Barbot's Flying Flivver Over Merrick Avenue in 1923

The folks in the apartment complex to the north pressed really hard to have the bridge demolished ca. 1999; it took a lot of effort to prevent that!  I just realized that my LIMP Page 4 was never restored; it is now and has my 13 and 14 Oct 1999 photos of the bridge and surrounds.  Go to <http://sbiii.com/limpkwy4.html#oldcthrd>.  The thumbnails are poor for the nonce (I’ll get to them one of these days) but the linked images are sharp.  Sam, III

From Historic Landmarks Preservation Commission Recommends Landmarking of a Motor Parkway Bridge

LOVE those caricatures!  You have the Exha(u)st and Inlet side pix of the Darraq motor swapped.  Sam, III

From The Motor Way 1906: "How the Vanderbilt Cup Was Won By a French Car'

I sure will try to come to support the landmark of this historic site
_______________________________________
From Howard Kroplick

Ted, thanks. It is likely there will be some people opposing the landmarking.

From Historic Landmarks Preservation Commission Recommends Landmarking of a Motor Parkway Bridge

Enjoyed the photo history. Glad to see another landmark preserved.

From Historic Landmarks Preservation Commission Recommends Landmarking of a Motor Parkway Bridge

Hi Howard:

  The best on this venture and I certainly there in spirit for all of our LIMP people !!!

                Cheers and Best !!!!!  Ron

From Historic Landmarks Preservation Commission Recommends Landmarking of a Motor Parkway Bridge

This was the 1919 landing of the British R34 rigid airship after its cross-Atlantic voyage from England.  It was a copy of a German design, the L33 class.
Landing was at Roosevelt Field, adjacent to the Motor Parkway.

From Mystery Foto #10 Solved: Mural of the British Dirigible R34 Landing in Roosevelt Field in 1919

British dirigible R34 landed at the Mineola flying field (near the LIMP) on 06 July 1919 after first west-east Atlantic crossing and left on the 10th to return to England for first two-way crossing.  George Dade built a gigantic model of R34 in his Glem Head basement which should be at the Cradle of Aviation Museum (also near the LIMP RoW).  First I knew of the mural.  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #10 Solved: Mural of the British Dirigible R34 Landing in Roosevelt Field in 1919

Something’s very wrong with that color postcard; there was no “boulevard” to the left (north) of the hotel!  Even if the image (not the text) was reversed, Shore Road-cum-Prospect Avenue doesn’t curve east uphill until some ½-mile north and Glenwood Road-cum-Kissam Lane weren’t adjacent to the cottage.  Better ask Sally.  Sam, III
_______________________________________________________

From Howard Kroplick I

Sam III, a small section of Karatsonyi’s Hotel bordered on Kissam Lane. The hotel’s overlook is still there.

From Mystery Foto #9 B Solved:The 1905 Darracq Team Headquartered at the Hotel Glenwood, Glenwood Landing

Out of context, a link to a superb 4-part video of another great historic event at the field, Lindbergh’s take-off and Paris arrival.

http://www.airportappraisals.com/contact/

From Mystery Foto #10 Solved: Mural of the British Dirigible R34 Landing in Roosevelt Field in 1919

Hadn’t a clue. This is 1 of 2 murals painted by Peppino Mangravite in 1937 located at the Hempstead post office at 200 Fulton Ave, depicting the British Army’s 643ft dirigible R-34 in a WWI scene with soldiers and ammo, including postal truck indicating aircraft’s airmail capabilities, is a rendering of the airship’s historic arrival at Roosevelt Field, Mineola from Scotland on July 1919 after a 4.5 day journey, the first airship to cross the Atlantic and first airmail delivery. It was one of nearby Motor Pkwy’s busiest days yet. Sending pics Howard.

http://livingnewdeal.org/projects/post-office-murals-hempstead-ny/

http://wasahockey.github.io/Mangravite/pages/hempstead.html

http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/sunday_january_31_2010_views_of_roosevelt_field_and_the_motor_parkway

From Mystery Foto #10 Solved: Mural of the British Dirigible R34 Landing in Roosevelt Field in 1919

From Wayne Marr:

The WPA mural is in the Hempstead Post Office on Fulton Ave, across the street from the Verizon Building. The picture was of Mitchell Field?  The mural on the other side of the post office shows early settlers, Indians and corn.. The post office should keep better care of these treasures.
Thanks

From Mystery Foto #10 Solved: Mural of the British Dirigible R34 Landing in Roosevelt Field in 1919

Very interesting mystery photo this time.  Enjoyed researching it and finding out much more about Long Island’s history.

-What was the historic event depicted in the mural?
Great Britain’s Dirigible R34 on Roosevelt Field, Long Island in early July of 1919.  The dirigible took off from Scotland and landed on the island on or around July 4.  It is known as the first transport of airmail. 

-Where is this mural currently located?
Hempstead, NY Post Office.  I took a field trip there yesterday and saw the majestic mural in the lobby, unfortunately I believe almost no one there would know the significance of what the mural represents, or even that its Roosevelt Field. Then again, most people probably wouldn’t think of Roosevelt Field as being anything but a place to shop!  Perhaps a historical plaque would be most appropriate.

-Who was the artist?
Peppino Mangravite, who was commissioned by the Treasury Department’s Section of Fine Arts (created in 1934) to create murals in conjunction with the section’s goal of selecting art of high quality to decorate public buildings if the funding was available.  In this way art would be made accessible to the general public.

-How was the Long Island Motor Parkway linked to this event?
The section of land between the Motor Parkway and Stewart Avenue was designated by officials for use by the general public for viewing the dirigible. 

More to be submitted to Howard for Kleiner’s Korner.

From Mystery Foto #10 Solved: Mural of the British Dirigible R34 Landing in Roosevelt Field in 1919

A note about Cantrell’s production. One of the reason for their survival rate is that all the wooden parts were dipped in a chemical something like ‘Woodlife’ before assembly. They bought it in 55 gal. drums, and could be smelled in the plant. Many of they woodies were the work of a single craftsman from start to finish.

From From the Hugh Nutting Collection: Insight into the Woodies of Huntington's J.T. Cantrell and Company

Great image! It sent me researching… What a great story!

Seems to be a WPA era mural by peppino mangravite in 1936/1937 that was placed in the Hempstead post office in 1937, commemorating the first east to west transatlantic flight. The flight landed in Mineola in july 1919, and according to a comment in 2012 on the venerable vanderbiltraces.com lol the r34 was visible from one of the limp overpasses.

The r34 carried special mail both ways.

An article in the july 2 1919 brooklyn daily eagle compared the expected crowds for the r34. and excitement with what they would see with crowds at vanderbilt cup races.

Other reports i’ve found indicate there were several festive dinners at the garden city hotel after the r34 british airship landed in mineola, with lots of important people there honoring the event and the crew.  Would love it if willy k was there, but haven’t found any indication of that yet. Will keep looking…

Airship flew over times square before it headed home a few days later.

From Mystery Foto #10 Solved: Mural of the British Dirigible R34 Landing in Roosevelt Field in 1919

Howard,
It’s about time that Cantrell is given the recognition that it deserves.  Thanks for putting Cantrell into the antique auto spotlight.
Roger

From From the Hugh Nutting Collection: Insight into the Woodies of Huntington's J.T. Cantrell and Company