Vanderbilt Cup Races

Me, again.  If the exact date of the pic is indeed 03 Oct 1956, readers may then wish to see the same features from the air only three years later on my LIMP Central Nassau page at: http://sbiii.com/limpcnas.html#roosvfld.  Immediately following that on the same page is Howard’s 1938 USAAC aerial photo of the same area, with enlarged details.  Did anyone note the Transverse Road bridge abutments?  You can’t make them out but they’re there!  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto #34 Solved: Newly Opened Roosevelt Field Shopping Center on October 3, 1956

Great century+ old photographs and excellent quality to boot. These images are impossible to come by today and wonderful to view early history of the auto. Thank you gentlemen for sharing these gems

From VanderbiltCupRaces.com Exclusive: From the Helck Family Collection- Driver Louis Wagner

Nice shot! Roosevelt Field (Mall), Garden City looking NW. Lots of stuff here including the South Street LIMP ROW and is that the ice skating rink once located on the mall parking lot? Also can’t see the Managers office but I know it’s there. Hope to return to this later for more. Summertime is calling for me once again :D

From Mystery Foto #34 Solved: Newly Opened Roosevelt Field Shopping Center on October 3, 1956

From John N:
Congratulations Mr. Kroplick, it is refreshing to see that there still exists someone of your caliber! Great story.

From Newsday:On the trail of LI's lost history A grand statue,vintage cars-he's saving them from oblivion

1955 Aerial looking north west at the Roosevelt Shopping Center (not quite the mall yet). The Meadowbrook Parkway has no cars yet so it is new and not yet used. The old Motor Parkway Turn still pronounced at Clinton Ave. It looks like the underpass at Old Country Road is still there and the Overpass at the LIRR is still intact. Too small to see north of that if the Westbury Ave Bridge is still in the picture. Sorry i dont know the car in the other photo but it looks nice and sleek.

From Mystery Foto #34 Solved: Newly Opened Roosevelt Field Shopping Center on October 3, 1956

Identify the location and orientation of the aerial:  Roosevelt Field, Garden City area, looking northeast

Identify the significant buildings and structures:  Roosevelt Field Shopping Mall (Macy’s), Nassau County Courthouse, Mineola Fairgrounds,  Garden City Hotel (obscured I believe), Meadowbrook Polo Fields remains, Mitchell Field buildings, Garden City water tower, Meadowbrook Parkway (unopened) and from a 1954 Hagstrom Atlas - General Bronze Corporation on Stewart Avenue and Equitable Life Assurance Society and LILCO across the street.

Based on clues in the photo, what was the approximate date of the aerial? Provide your rationale.: Prior to finding the exact date on a previous blog post, I theorized Sept. or Oct. of 1956 since Roosevelt Field opened in August of that year and there are cars in the parking lot and the Meadowbrook Parkways looks just about ready to be opened (no cars on it yet) and that opened in Oct. of 1956.  Exact date of the photo later found to be Oct. 3, 1956. 

What Long Island Motor Parkway structures in the aerial were still intact on this date? Garden City Lodge and General Managers house, Roslyn Lodge (possibly remains of the Motor Parkway Roosevelt Field Bridge).

Bonus: Gary Monti and Bill Barto need your help in identifying the below unique automobile.:  Alfa Romeo at the McCall’s 25th Anniversary Motorworks Revival held last week at the Montery Jet Center.

From Mystery Foto #34 Solved: Newly Opened Roosevelt Field Shopping Center on October 3, 1956

1955 Aerial looking north west at the Roosevelt Shopping Center (not quite the mall yet). The Meadowbrook Parkway has no cars yet so it is new and not yet used. The old Motor Parkway Turn still pronunced at Clinton Ave. It looks like the underpass at Old Country Road is still there and the Overpass at the LIRR is still intact. Too small to see north of that if the Westbury Ave Bridge is still in the picture. Sorry i dont know the car in the other photo but it looks nice and sleek.

From Mystery Foto #34 Solved: Newly Opened Roosevelt Field Shopping Center on October 3, 1956

This article is well deserved recognition for the excellent work you do Howard. Your contributions to Long Island history are greatly appreciated by those of us that have known what you do. I’m happy to see that you are getting more credit for the important role you play in preserving our local history.

From Newsday:On the trail of LI's lost history A grand statue,vintage cars-he's saving them from oblivion

I’m back to clarify my previous comment. The road that runs north from Stewart Ave and deadened at the LIMP ( located on the aerial photo, lower right corner; left of the shadow).If there was going to be a bridge built here, it would have been a parkway type; based on how the road appears to sort of tunnel under the LIMP.

From Mystery Foto #34 Solved: Newly Opened Roosevelt Field Shopping Center on October 3, 1956

From Susan B:

What a great article!
It’s really interesting to see all of your interests and achievements written about in one place.
Congratulations

From Newsday:On the trail of LI's lost history A grand statue,vintage cars-he's saving them from oblivion

From John H.

Nice piece by Bill Bleyer today, congrats!

From Newsday:On the trail of LI's lost history A grand statue,vintage cars-he's saving them from oblivion

From Rich C.

What a great story in today’s Newsday.

From Newsday:On the trail of LI's lost history A grand statue,vintage cars-he's saving them from oblivion

Tom C:

Congratulations on your well-deserved profile in Sunday’s Newsday. You certainly have many irons in the fire and I’m inspired as I continue working on my first Arcadia book.

From Newsday:On the trail of LI's lost history A grand statue,vintage cars-he's saving them from oblivion

From Ed L.:

Great Newsday article about you, still does not do you justice to a very giving person.

My son still talks about the your taking him for a ride in the1909 when you hosted the Jaguar club two years ago.  Ed.

From Newsday:On the trail of LI's lost history A grand statue,vintage cars-he's saving them from oblivion

From Anne C.

Nice story in today’s Newsday.
Congratulations and thanks Howard for all you do!
Anne

From Newsday:On the trail of LI's lost history A grand statue,vintage cars-he's saving them from oblivion

From Michael K.

Great article in Newsday !!

From Newsday:On the trail of LI's lost history A grand statue,vintage cars-he's saving them from oblivion

From Phil K
Growing up on a farm located off Vanderbilt Parkway in Hauppauge I’ve long appreciated the rich feeling for the land and it’s cultural history.          Thank you, from an appreciative native Long Islander, car enthusiast and history buff .
              Devoted enthusiast and Ford V-8 owner
                                       

From Newsday:On the trail of LI's lost history A grand statue,vintage cars-he's saving them from oblivion

From Toby G:

What a tremendous article. Mazel tov and thank you for all you are doing to save the history of our island. Best regards, Toby

From Newsday:On the trail of LI's lost history A grand statue,vintage cars-he's saving them from oblivion

Between my bifocals and a real bad case of dry eyes, I’m not officially participating in this mystery foto. In short, I located this aerial within the 3/28/13 blog LIMP Bridge Series #33 “The Roosevelt Field Highway Bridge”. The aerial is dated 10/3/1956, with the former location of the Roosevelt Field and Meadowbrook Club Highway Bridges circled in red. ( They were just W/O Quentin Roosevelt Blvd, and the abandoned LIRR sidings look to follow both of these roads from Stewart Ave north to the LIMP. It’s a great aerial because it displays both the past and present. In the lower right corner of this aerial, to the left of the “shadow”; there’s a road that is runs north from Stewart Ave to the still visible LIMP. Where it deadends at the LIMP, it appears to sort of tunnel under the LIMP. This brings to mind the recent blog of bridges that were planned to be built, but some never came to be for financial reasons. A total of 4 bridges were to be built between Clinton Rd and Merrick Ave ( Sta# 267,320,331,341 all Highway type. Maybe this was a bridge that was in the process of becoming one? That automobile is a beauty, but my eyes need a long break. Good luck to all!

From Mystery Foto #34 Solved: Newly Opened Roosevelt Field Shopping Center on October 3, 1956

The photographer was over East Garden City looking northwest towards Mineola. In the center is the Roosevelt Field Shopping Center with the recently completed Meadowbrook Parkway to its right. Other points of interest are: remnants of the Meadow Brook Club polo fields; freight cars along the LIRR Central Branch; various Mitchel Field structures south of Stewart Avenue; possible remnants of the old golf course along Clinton Road; and maybe a few hangars left over from Roosevelt Field (airport) along Old Country Road. Since Meadowbrook Parkway looks completed but there are no cars on it and it officially opened on October 13, 1956 and Macy’s (grand opening August 22, 1956) appears to have customers’ cars parked in its lot, the date of the photo is probably between those two dates. LIMP structures still intact at this time were the bridge over the LIRR Mainline, the Old Country Road bridge, Garden City Lodge & adjacent office building, several roadway segments and possibly the Roosevelt Field access bridge from Stewart Ave. As to the mystery car, I’m not sure but it could be a 1938 or 1939 Delahaye type 165 (replica?). I do know where the photo was taken: at McCall’s Motorworks Revival 25th. anniversary exhibit at the Monterey Jet Center in California, probably last Wednesday or Thursday (partial credit?).

From Mystery Foto #34 Solved: Newly Opened Roosevelt Field Shopping Center on October 3, 1956