Vanderbilt Cup Races

How did it go?  Truly amazing car, so I’d imagine it was very well received.

From Chrysler's Chrysler to be featured at the Hilton Head Island Concours d'Elegance & Motoring Festival

Nice about the nap, great that they have such a superb actor playing the role of a man who had such a huge affect on so many neighborhoods and people for good or bad.

From Update #3-Behind the Scenes: The Long Island Parkway planning map in David's new play starring Ralph Fiennes as Robert Moses

Always welcome a new perspective Greg. Thanks for sharing this gem!

Bethpage (Central Park) looking north, close to 1920; early bi-plane design flying over a landscape missing many present roadways and dwellings. 

1 Hempstead Tpke
2 Lincoln Blvd
3 Roosevelt Dr
4 Lowell St/Park Ln
5 Rose St
6 Rose St towards the Barnes’ Tract (1908 LIMP Ground Breaking Ceremony Site)
7 Long Island Motor Parkway
8 Hicksville Rd Rt 107 (Massapequa Rd)
9 N Wantagh Av (Jerusalem Av)

LIMP structures:
N Wantagh Ave bridge (Jerusalem Ave) 1908 - 1940s is visible. The Massapequa Toll Lodge and Hicksville Rd bridge (Massapequa Rd) are hidden under the plane’s right wing.

Grumman Airport will eventually occupy the space just above the plane’s propeller, some decades later.

History in the making on early Long Island, great mystery post!

From Mystery Friday Foto #46 Solved: A 1936 Long Island flyover surveying the Hempstead Plains by the Braman-Johnson Flying Service

This plane is flying above Bethpage, NY in a east direction. Photographer in the plane that would be above and to the south snapped this image looking north. The Wantagh Ave LIMP bridge is seen. The Massapequa Lodge and Hicksville Rd LIMP bridge is obscured by the airplane. I’m figuring this is dated 1936 - 1937. Grumman in Bethpage was established in 1937. Property for Grumman looks to be in it’s early stages. Grumman Building is visible on a 1938 aerial, on this image only the footprint. Photographer’s plane and the plane seen might be capturing aerial images of Nassau County. I marked the roads on the map below.

From Mystery Friday Foto #46 Solved: A 1936 Long Island flyover surveying the Hempstead Plains by the Braman-Johnson Flying Service

George Robertson lunched with Fred Wagner and Senator Morgan in Patchogue, as reported in The Suffolk County News, Oct. 8, 1909. Readers could wonder about the next Long Island race because Wagner was a notable promoter of racing events and the previous year, he had started the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race that Robertson won. Robertson chaired the annual picnics Wagner hosted for the auto industry at Wagner’s Sunnybrook Farm in Smithtown, notably the 10th Annual in 1915, when 300 attendees picnicked and played sports, with racing greats taking a day off from the circuit where they were setting records—Bob Burman, Earl Cooper, Ralph De Palma, Hugh Harding, Barney Oldfield, Dario Resta, Harry Stutz, and George Robertson, all drove to Smithtown to Wagner’s place! For a look at Wagner’s [National Register] Sunnybrook home they visited that day, see “Residence of the Starter of Five Vanderbilt Cup Races Rediscovered in Smithtown,” on the Vanderbilt Cup Races at https://www.vanderbiltcupraces.com/blog/article/the_residence_of_the_starter_of_five_vanderbilt_cup_races_rediscovered_in_s

From Profile of George Robertson- Winner of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Nice find! #76 1928 was on eBay and missed reserve twice.

From A large collection of Long Island Motor Parkway License Plates rediscovered

The location of the airplane, which is a Curtiss Fledgling B-37, is over the Hempstead Plains (today’s Levittown) with the photographer looking north. The roads are as follows: 1-Hempstead Tpke, 2-Lincoln Blvd., 3-Roosevelt Dr., 4-Lowell St., 5-Rose St., 6-Motor Lane, 7-the LIMP, 8-Massapequa-Hicksville Rd., 9-Wantagh Ave. The LIMP structures are the Bloomingdale Rd. bridge and the Wantagh Ave. bridge with the Massapequa lodge and nearby bridge hidden by the plane’s wing. The date should be around 1936. The reason for the photo is probably to document topography, land use, and structures, maybe in preparation for the soon to be acquisition of the LIMP by Nassau County in 1938.

From Mystery Friday Foto #46 Solved: A 1936 Long Island flyover surveying the Hempstead Plains by the Braman-Johnson Flying Service

My father was the Philip Rothblum who found and kept the plates.  He was passionate about building on Long Island and would be thrilled and honored to know the plates are now in a good place and valued.  Thank you.
________________________________________________________________

Howard Kroplick

thanks so much for your wonderful feedback! Enjoy, Howard

From A large collection of Long Island Motor Parkway License Plates rediscovered

Happy you acquired them Howard. They will be preserved and in good hands instead of dispersed among multiple owners and perhaps lost at some future date.
You’re website probably saved them by giving the family a place to discover what they are.

From A large collection of Long Island Motor Parkway License Plates rediscovered

Beautifully organized and presented. Fascinating!

From A large collection of Long Island Motor Parkway License Plates rediscovered

Always welcome a new perspective Greg. Thanks for sharing this gem!

Bethpage (Central Park) looking north, close to 1910 (early bi-plane)

1 Hemp Tpke
2 Lincoln Blvd
3 Roosevelt Dr
4 Lowell St/Park Ln
5 Rose St
6 Rose St towards the Barnes’ Tract (1908 LIMP Ground Breaking Ceremony Site)
7 Long Island Motor Parkway
8 Hicksville Rd Rt 107 (Massapequa Rd)
9 N Wantagh Av (Jerusalem Av)

LIMP structures:
N Wantagh Ave bridge (Jerusalem Ave) 1908 - 1940s visible. The Massapequa Toll Lodge and Hicksville Rd bridge (Massapequa Rd) hidden under the plane’s right wing.

Grumman Airport will eventually occupy the space just above the plane’s propeller, decades later.

History in the making. Great photo!

From Mystery Friday Foto #46 Solved: A 1936 Long Island flyover surveying the Hempstead Plains by the Braman-Johnson Flying Service

So far all I got is a guess on the plane.  The “N” may identify this plane as U.S. Navy and the “C” indicates it is of “standard airworthiness”.  This identifier was valid from 1919 to 1950.  But I’ll guess maybe this picture was taken in the early 1930’s.  Brush fires were an issue for a while, so maybe he’s out patrolling for that.  Maybe this pilot is somewhere close to Mitchell field but so far I can’t get my bearings on the roads and landmarks on this picture.  I hope to submit another comment if I can figure more out.

From Mystery Friday Foto #46 Solved: A 1936 Long Island flyover surveying the Hempstead Plains by the Braman-Johnson Flying Service

Over the Hempstead Plain, Island Trees/Levittown.  Plane is heading west.
7 is the Motor Parkway. 
Plane was owned by the Braman-Johnson Flying Service and used to make aerial surveys.

From Mystery Friday Foto #46 Solved: A 1936 Long Island flyover surveying the Hempstead Plains by the Braman-Johnson Flying Service

Congratulations once again Howard! Those Chryslers along side yours are beauties as well. Looks like I missed a great show. Better than the Greenwich show. Hope to be in Hilton Head next year.

From Chrysler's Chrysler awarded "Best in Class- Classics Closed" at the 2022 Hilton Head Island Concours d'Elegance

Congratulations on another stellar performance by one of LI’s favorites!

From Chrysler's Chrysler awarded "Best in Class- Classics Closed" at the 2022 Hilton Head Island Concours d'Elegance

Amazing display of one of the earliest racing automobiles during automotive infancy, now in display at the Savoy Museum, GA

From Alco Black Beast on display on the "Fast Brass" exhibit at Savoy Automobile Museum in Cartersville, Georgia

Austie Clark 1965

From Mystery Friday Foto #45 Solved: Peter Helck and James Melton go for a ride in Old 16

Great to read this profile of George Robertson. He lived in Bellerose Village , Nassau county just south of the village train station and about a 12 minute walk from my house from where I write this. ( there are three Bellerose areas, the Village I mentioned, Bellerose Terrace an area that surrounds the Cross Island Parkway - which cut the Terrace in half when the parkway was built and there is a Bellerose , in Queens County that is north of Jericho Turnpike ( aka the Jericho Road in years of distant past, Rt. 25)
I used to go out to lunch with Crawford Robertson in the early 1970s on almost a monthly basis , he lived in an apartment house on Stewart Avenue opposite the property of the Garden City Hotel on the corner. Austin Clark and I would spend a great lunch time with Crawford who was a really fine outstanding gentleman , very down to earth , kindhearted etc.

From Profile of George Robertson- Winner of the 1908 Vanderbilt Cup Race

I do believe that’s my father, tenor James Melton, at the wheel.  He was a collector of antique cars. He was also a friend of Peter Helck.  As for the date of the photo, I would say it’s from the 1940s or 50s, given my father’s age in the picture.
This is a photo I have never seen before.  What fun!

From Mystery Friday Foto #45 Solved: Peter Helck and James Melton go for a ride in Old 16

That’s James Melton, a popular singer in the 1930’s and 1940’s. He also had some success on the stage, in film, on radio and in opera. He became a well-known antique car collector, opening his own museum in 1948 in Norwalk, CT with his collection numbering over 100 vehicles. Based on the attached photo taken in 1948, I think the mystery photo could have been taken around the same time, maybe a bit earlier.

From Mystery Friday Foto #45 Solved: Peter Helck and James Melton go for a ride in Old 16