Vanderbilt Cup Races

Thanks Frank and Richard - Frank, are there bridges towards the right as I’ve circled here? 

Richard - the painting was not a Fortune cover but in the actual issue of August, 1937.  Unless it was used at another time as a cover.

From Mystery Foto #39 Solved: The Long Island Aviation Country Club (Circa 1940-1945)

Someone was nice enough to send me a nice reproduction of that artwork used on a Fortune cover. It is fairly accurate, too. Seems to have been based upon the LIFE photog’s pictures of a picnic held there.  I don’t know which issue of Fortune it was used in, but it wasn’t the Aug., 1937 issue. ( I just checked eBay, and it wasn’t on the cover of ANY of its 1937 issues.) Does anyone know which year’s issue it was?

From Mystery Foto #39 Solved: The Long Island Aviation Country Club (Circa 1940-1945)

The Old Country Rd bridge/underpass can be seen in the Roosevelt School photo above, along the left edge of the photo. A small section of Motor Parkway can be seen more to the right as it begins its decent towards the bridge. Great shot Art!

From Mystery Foto #39 Solved: The Long Island Aviation Country Club (Circa 1940-1945)

Here’s a picture from the same issue of Fortune.  Can anyone identify the cars lined up on the pier?

From Mystery Foto #39 Solved: The Long Island Aviation Country Club (Circa 1940-1945)

Kleiner’s Korner provides the following:

Here’s a neat painting of my favorite “swank” airfield found in “Fortune” magazine of August, 1937.  Artist was Hardie Gramatky, named as one of America’s top 20 watercolorists. 

https://www.californiawatercolor.com/pages/hardie-gramatky-biography 

The photo was in an article titled “Private Flying” which also contained other photos of the time.  The insignia could be bought for $15 from “The Sportsman Pilot” a magazine devoted to private flying - the idea was to suggest the pilot’s principal interest.  Wonder if any exist for the Motor Parkway! 

From Mystery Foto #39 Solved: The Long Island Aviation Country Club (Circa 1940-1945)

I keep forgetting Peck Av was proposed in the topo. The roadway came after the Bike Enclosure. Time for coffee!

From Updated: Mystery Foto #40 Solved: A Historic 1938 Ground-Level View of the Western Terminus in Fresh Meadows

Update: I found the sole hydrant on the curbside

From Updated: Mystery Foto #40 Solved: A Historic 1938 Ground-Level View of the Western Terminus in Fresh Meadows

It makes sense. The lamp is directly over Peck Av, but I see no hydrants anywhere in this topo.

I know they were renting bicycles at one point, but why would they put a 47ft Bike Enclosure in the middle of the street, entirely blocking Peck Av?? Perhaps permissible while the Fresh Meadows Grove apartments nearby were being constructed? I dunno! :D

From Updated: Mystery Foto #40 Solved: A Historic 1938 Ground-Level View of the Western Terminus in Fresh Meadows

Sam - The “sun” symbol looked electrical but had to look them up. That one is a ceiling mounted light (street light). The other linear circles, with numbers inside I believe, resemble the welded receptacle symbol for electric. The fire hydrant is below

From Updated: Mystery Foto #40 Solved: A Historic 1938 Ground-Level View of the Western Terminus in Fresh Meadows

Fab Fair facts, Frank!  Blew it up and look at all the ribbon wire fencing in concrete posts!  Bravo!  Don’t have my arch./civil eng. handbook handy; what are the symbols along the south side of HHB-cum-WFB - is the fire hydrant one of them?  Sam, III

From Updated: Mystery Foto #40 Solved: A Historic 1938 Ground-Level View of the Western Terminus in Fresh Meadows

Amazing topographic map Howard! Also including 160 ft wide World’s Fair Blvd as Al posted!! And revealing proposed Peck Av just south of existing Motor Parkway!!! Bases are loaded here. Who’s up to bat? Great stuff!

From Updated: Mystery Foto #40 Solved: A Historic 1938 Ground-Level View of the Western Terminus in Fresh Meadows

Playing the winning hand (to compete in the Vanderbilt Cup Race)! Note the grandstand.  From “The Automobile”, Sept. 27, 1906.

From Starting Lineup: The 1906 American Elimination Trial

A May 10, 1939 survey of the Bike Path at the Western Terminus was added to the post

From Updated: Mystery Foto #40 Solved: A Historic 1938 Ground-Level View of the Western Terminus in Fresh Meadows

Richard - thanks for confirming Earhart and Rickenbacker’s attendance at the club, and congrats to you on the TOH’s approval for the historic signs. Because they installed another sign just a few weeks ago looks promising for the LIACC sign(s), as they’re still in operation during this Covid pandemic. I’ve heard these requests take considerable time to fulfill. Was the new sign installed a few weeks ago also in Levittown?

From Mystery Foto #39 Solved: The Long Island Aviation Country Club (Circa 1940-1945)

Thanks Al! I didn’t realize the red marks above were highlighting the sign’s dimensions. Now, to locate a photo of that sign. Perhaps in the Queens Borough President’s online library

From Updated: Mystery Foto #40 Solved: A Historic 1938 Ground-Level View of the Western Terminus in Fresh Meadows

Frank. The sign on the north side of HHB west of the Parkway entrance was billboard size measuring 12’ x 42’

From Updated: Mystery Foto #40 Solved: A Historic 1938 Ground-Level View of the Western Terminus in Fresh Meadows

Courtesy of this site, matching images for B) & C)

From Updated: Mystery Foto #40 Solved: A Historic 1938 Ground-Level View of the Western Terminus in Fresh Meadows

Sorry Brian, I missed your earlier input

From Updated: Mystery Foto #40 Solved: A Historic 1938 Ground-Level View of the Western Terminus in Fresh Meadows

First impression of this iconic mystery photo of the Motor Parkway’s western terminus was the lack of signage. Little did I know there was additional signage on the NORTH side of HHB (Nassau Blvd) behind the photo, 500 ft west of the entrance. This sign must have been billboard sized to capture the attention of all eastbound travelers on busy HHB. Someone has this photo. Al’s intricate documentation continues to provide a clearer path of what was back then. Great documentation here by all!

From Updated: Mystery Foto #40 Solved: A Historic 1938 Ground-Level View of the Western Terminus in Fresh Meadows

Sam’s dad and I were friends for too short a period of time. Then Sammy and I met at Hershey, and he was so respectful of his dad and the rest of us old brass car guys. We will miss him so much. Gone from us far, far too soon. A rare person. Loved his family & old cars.

From Sad News: We Lost a Good Friend and Master Mechanic