Vanderbilt Cup Races

The photo was taken in Spring of 1928.

From Mystery Friday Photo #2 Solved: Clinton Road, Curtiss Field and the Curtiss Engineering Corporation

From Bob G.:

“Notwithstanding its Farmingdale address, Bethpage State Park is not located in Farmingdale; it is almost entirely within the boarders of Old Bethpage.  When the park was constructed, Old Bethage was known as Bethpage and Bethpage was known as Central Park.  When the villages successively changed their names, the State did not change the name of the park. “

From Mystery Friday Photo #1 Solved: The Bethpage State Park in Old Bethpage and Farmingdale

From Cyril Smith:

“View is north-northeast in Garden City.  Factory is the Curtiss Engineering Plant, where Glen Curtiss “Father of Naval Aviation” built aircraft, including NC 4, the first plane to cross the Atlantic (May 1919), Just above the plant is Stewart Ave, then the Motor Parkway with its bridge spanning Clinton Road.  LIMP running north-south to left of Clinton Road, the turning east-west.Beyond that is western end of Roosevelt Field / Hazelhurst Field. 
In lower right hand corner is where Camp Mills 1917-19 existed, large deployment and training base of World War I. Some houses starting to appear, the warehouses just opposite Curtiss plant and across railroad, now little used freight spur, were originally for Camp Mills.”

From Mystery Friday Photo #2 Solved: Clinton Road, Curtiss Field and the Curtiss Engineering Corporation

Facing NE along Clinton Rd. in Garden City to Roosevelt Field with the Motor Parkway crossing over Clinton. Curtiss Engineering plant at center right.

From Mystery Friday Photo #2 Solved: Clinton Road, Curtiss Field and the Curtiss Engineering Corporation

howard good morning love the site always read it completely member of the li buick club.  to answer the mystery pic it is a pic of roosevelt field looking north the street running through the pic from lower right to upper left is clinton rd and some of these houses in the pic stand today. the road on the lower left is chestnut st. just north of the tracks is an old train station that still exists but i believe is now used for a fire station, to the right just south of the tracks is comercial ave. and going north just past the large industrial bldg in the center of the pic is stewart ave and of course just north of that is the motor pkwy crossing over clinton, the right of way looks like it still exists today on the right and further north is old country rd with roosevelt field on the right of clinton south of old country rd. say hello to walt godsen for me thanks again for the great website

From Mystery Friday Photo #2 Solved: Clinton Road, Curtiss Field and the Curtiss Engineering Corporation

From Richard W:

” Howard. I wrote you some time ago about a 1922 Marmon Model 34 Speedster that I once owned. The Marmon used by Sperry to test his autopilot looks like a model 34. I know they made that model in 1921 and maybe earlier. Any idea the date of the test on the Motor parkway?

From Updated:The Role of the Motor Parkway in the Development of the Cruise Missile

In the last photo, the car on the left in the fourth rank back is a landaulet or some such closed car, not a touring car.  The Master Nitpicker (a.k.a. Sam, III)

From Watching the 1904 Vanderbilt Cup Race in Floral Park

You doubted ME, Howard?  Perhaps we should add that Lawrence B(urst). Sperry (born 22 Dec 1892; Chicago) was the third son of gyrocompass co-inventor Elmer Ambrose Sperry and his wife Zula, invented the first autopilot and the artificial horizon.  and died on a flight over the English Channel 23 Dec 1923.

From Updated:The Role of the Motor Parkway in the Development of the Cruise Missile

One of these programmable bombs was on display at the Aviation Museum in Garden City some years ago.  Perhaps it’s still in its collection.

Best,
Art

From Updated:The Role of the Motor Parkway in the Development of the Cruise Missile

Mitchel Field (aka Roosevelt Field)  - Looking North
VP crosses East - West over bridge Glen Cove Road
Stewart Avenue East-West
Garden City / Central RR East West

From Mystery Friday Photo #2 Solved: Clinton Road, Curtiss Field and the Curtiss Engineering Corporation

Curtiss Aircraft Factory with Curtiss Field in background?

From Mystery Friday Photo #2 Solved: Clinton Road, Curtiss Field and the Curtiss Engineering Corporation

Cero wire

From Mystery Friday Photo #2 Solved: Clinton Road, Curtiss Field and the Curtiss Engineering Corporation

My Error:
I am sorry about naming the street running left to right across the bottom as “Oak Street”.  It is actually Commercial Avenue.

From Mystery Friday Photo #2 Solved: Clinton Road, Curtiss Field and the Curtiss Engineering Corporation

In addition to Frank Croker, his riding mechanic, Alex Raoul, was killed in the accident.  Raoul was employed by Smith & Mabley Simplex.  He came to the U.S. in 1904, and brought his wife, Margaret, to the U.S. later that year.

Is the car’s number 12, or I2?  I suspect that it is twelve instead of roman numeral I, two.

From Driver Profile: Frank Croker (1878-1905)

I recognize the area,but can’t think of where it.,I’ve seen those buildings many times,don’t know whether it is Queens,Nassau or Suffolk. I’ll give it a try again when there’s some comments about it

From Mystery Friday Photo #2 Solved: Clinton Road, Curtiss Field and the Curtiss Engineering Corporation

Hi Jeff, never heard of this film before. Any chance of making a DVD copy. Please contact me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).?

From Film "The Long Island Automotive Museum"

I have a well-worn old 16mm short subject that includes scenes of the Long Island Automotive Museum.  The buildings are as they looked in the 1950’s clips shown here.  The film runs 10 minutes in black and white.
However, the titles of the film are missing and I have no idea of its true identity or who made it.  Most of the reel deals with bizarre turn-of-the-20th-century driving laws, with re-enactments involving period cars probably from the LIRR.
The film may have been made by an industrial-film outfit, or by a newsreel company like Pathe’ or Movietone.  Anyone know what it is?

From Film "The Long Island Automotive Museum"

I now see the limp bridge passing over Clinton rd in garden city.

From Mystery Friday Photo #2 Solved: Clinton Road, Curtiss Field and the Curtiss Engineering Corporation

Silly question. Is the limp in this photo?

From Mystery Friday Photo #2 Solved: Clinton Road, Curtiss Field and the Curtiss Engineering Corporation

EAST GARDEN CITY CLINTON ROAD ON LEFT, CURTISS AIRCRAFT IN CENTER, CURTISS FILD/ROOSEVELT FIELD AT TOP. NOTE MOTOR PARWAY CROSSING OVER CLINTON SOUTH OF AIRFIELD. DATE OF PIC BETWEEN 1922 AND 1951 PROBABLY AROUND 1940

From Mystery Friday Photo #2 Solved: Clinton Road, Curtiss Field and the Curtiss Engineering Corporation