Vanderbilt Cup Races

My favorite type. of mystery photo, old aerial views. Photo is facing south, with the LIMP running from the bottom left, then west across Round Swamp Rd (Overpass and Bethpage Toll Lodge just N/O the LIMP) LIMP continues south a bit, then running in a S/W direction eventually thru BSP. Mid 1930’ s. There’s probably other landmarks that I don’t know to point out.

From Mystery Foto #60 Solved :Motor Parkway Near Round Swamp Road in Bethpage, Old Bethpage & Farmingdale

I think the photo shows the Bethpage area looking north with the LIMP crossing left to right (west to east) in the foreground. Looks like Round Swamp Road going from south to north with the LIMP bridge over it at the bottom center. Just to the right of the bridge would be the Bethpage Lodge and its entrance ramp. I would date the photo around 1935. 

From Mystery Foto #60 Solved :Motor Parkway Near Round Swamp Road in Bethpage, Old Bethpage & Farmingdale

Old Beth facing south, 1935? LIMP winding along the bottom edge and passing over Round Swamp Rd via the Parkway bridge. The Bethpage Lodge (1910-1960’s) and access road just west of the bridge. One of the original 3 Motor Pkwy tollhouses built by John Russell Pope, stood vacant and dilapidated for years before demolition. Bethpage Golf top right (those same sand traps are there today), Battle Row, I think I see LIRR along the top edge of the photo and looks like an aircraft hangar on the top left, possibly an airport.

From Mystery Foto #60 Solved :Motor Parkway Near Round Swamp Road in Bethpage, Old Bethpage & Farmingdale

This 1935 photo shows The Motor Parkway at the bottom of the photo going left-right and is in Bethpage.  It is going over Round Swamp Road.  Since this photo is looking south the Bethpage Lodge is directly north of the Parkway (beneath it on the photo) and west of Round Swamp Road (to the right).  The clubhouse of the Bethpage Golf Course, which was dedicated around the same year, is at the very top of the photo in the middle, directly to the right of Round Swamp Road, above a clearing.  The orientation of the picture, i.e., looking south, confused me as I naturally think all pictures face north (don’t ask me why).  After realizing this, the fact Round Swamp Road is curving to the left and the golf course was not where I expected it to be made much more sense.

From Mystery Foto #60 Solved :Motor Parkway Near Round Swamp Road in Bethpage, Old Bethpage & Farmingdale

Guessing from the Google Maps LIMP I would say we’re looking south, parkway is on bottom of frame going left to right before turning south. Bridge is over Lakeview Road.

The other significant structures are the Great Neck Lodge (I cannot ID it on the pic)

I couldn’t set the time closer then between ‘10 (when the parkway ended at this local) and ‘31 (when the Northern State PW came thru).

From Mystery Foto #60 Solved :Motor Parkway Near Round Swamp Road in Bethpage, Old Bethpage & Farmingdale

Old Bethpage, looking south towards Bethpage State Park.  The parkway crosses Round Swamp Road in the foreground.  Photo taken October 16, 1935.

From Mystery Foto #60 Solved :Motor Parkway Near Round Swamp Road in Bethpage, Old Bethpage & Farmingdale

Looks very familiar.  The Old Bethpage area.  Looking south. Running left to right across the bottom is the Motor Parkway, with the bridge over Round Swamp Road (running top to bottom).  The Bethpage toll lodge is visible on the right (west) side of Round Swamp and on the north side of the parkway.  Further south on Round Swamp, on the left (east) side is the Nassau Brick Company.  At the top center, west side of Round Swamp, are visible the fairly new (1935 photo) Black Golf Course holes.

From Mystery Foto #60 Solved :Motor Parkway Near Round Swamp Road in Bethpage, Old Bethpage & Farmingdale

Guess what Howard? I have to leave this one for the experts. I see structures at the top, that might be something, there are others too. Any one of those roads could be Motor Parkway. Maybe if I had some sort of a hint, it would help. I see things, but can’t identify them, even when I zoomed in on it

From Mystery Foto #60 Solved :Motor Parkway Near Round Swamp Road in Bethpage, Old Bethpage & Farmingdale

Love the Fairchild aerials, and this is one of the best ones! (along with the Beacon Towers, Deepdale and Harbor Hill aerials)

-Identify the Motor Parkway and its location

The view is looking South at Round Swamp Road with the LIMP going over at the Battle Row campgrounds.

-What other significant structures are seen in the aerial?

The RSR bridge, the Bethpage Lodge and a glimpse of the Bethpage golf course.

-What is the date of the aerial?

1935

From Mystery Foto #60 Solved :Motor Parkway Near Round Swamp Road in Bethpage, Old Bethpage & Farmingdale

Round Swamp Rd, looking South.  Bethpage Toll Lodge.  Bethpage golf course can also be seen.  I think fairchild did many of their aerial photos in the early 1940’s.
-joe

From Mystery Foto #60 Solved :Motor Parkway Near Round Swamp Road in Bethpage, Old Bethpage & Farmingdale

What a great film, the excitement and the experience you had, that you would never dream you would have, but you thought it was a dream at one point

From Video: "Black Beast Wins INDY 500...100 Years Later!"

This car was included in a Jay Leno segment in 2012, when it won its class at Pebble Beach.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f_vUbzh5l8

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From Howard Kroplick:

Thanks, I have added the YouTube above.

From Hemmings Blog (2010) "Sand Special Riding: Ralph Hamlin's 1911 Franklin Special desert racer"

My favorite pic is the one with the Socony filling station.  Are you sure it’s from 1936?  The cars make it more like 1932 or ‘33.  But than again, it could be older cars at the time the photo was taken.

From Mystery Foto #58 Solved: The White Steamer at Bulls Head Corner in Greenvale in 1905

Boy was I way off track on this one

From Mystery Foto #59 Solved: The Van Ausdall's Hotel in Cold Spring Harbor, NY Circa 1914

Howard , what top speed can the Black Beast hit these days?
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From Howard Kroplick:

The Black Beast reached 70 miles per hour during Legends’ Day laps at the 2012 Indy 500 Race:
http://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/videothe_alco_black_beast_at_legends_day_at_the_2012_indy_500

From Alco-6 Racer at the 2011 Lime Rock Historic Festival

Well deserved award . Well done Howard .....

From Alco-6 Racer at the 2011 Lime Rock Historic Festival

The cars are photographed in front of Van Ausdall’s Hotel (now Harbor Mist Restaurant) in Cold Spring Harbor, LI. The cars are not easy to determine. The two cars on the left carry 1914 NY dealer plates (M6145). The left car seems to be a circa 1909 Speedwell, the other car a 1913 Thomas. The light racing cars could be self-made and used in a local amateur race. I can’t find anything about it, but the date must be somewhere in 1914 or little later. It could be helpful to trace the dealer of these license plates, but that is too local history for me.

From Mystery Foto #59 Solved: The Van Ausdall's Hotel in Cold Spring Harbor, NY Circa 1914

  i have absolutely no idea on any of the quetions but it sure looks like an inviting place. 
Would love to stop in and try an Interoboro on draught.

From Mystery Foto #59 Solved: The Van Ausdall's Hotel in Cold Spring Harbor, NY Circa 1914

-Identify the hotel and its location (known)

Van Ausdall Hotel. Now the Harbor Mist Restaurant on Harbor Road in Cold Spring Harbor.

-What year was the photo taken? (known)

The license plates look to be 1914 NY dealer plates -1914

-Identify the autos in the photo?(unknown)
-What race were the #5 and #23 cars preparing for? (unknown)

The two touring cars appear to be manufacturer or dealer cars indicated by the identical dealer plates. I would assume this is the manufacturer’s garage to prep for the race. The two race cars are very small and would look like they would be suited for the 1909 Massapequa Sweepstakes, but neither the 5 or the 23 match ANY VCR cars from any years. Zooming in tight on the 23 car reveals an ‘M13’ below the radiator, but that doesn’t match anything either. My guess for the year also doesn’t correspond with any VC races either. Maybe they were being prepped for a local hillclimb race?

After researching and discovering about hauntings, murders and accidental deaths at the Van Ausdall for most of the weekend, I’m officially stumped!

From Mystery Foto #59 Solved: The Van Ausdall's Hotel in Cold Spring Harbor, NY Circa 1914

The cars, The first 3, I don’t think were in a race, they were just driving by looking at the other 2 cars

From Mystery Foto #59 Solved: The Van Ausdall's Hotel in Cold Spring Harbor, NY Circa 1914