Vanderbilt Cup Races

This view. Is looking northerly. Creedmore Hospital is to the. south,  with   Union. Tpke just. north. of. the. hospital,  running east. and west.  Winchester. Blvd.  is present. in. the. left. of. the. photo. LIMP. ROW is. just. north of. Union. Tpke,  heading. east (  The. light. colored. area. just. west. of. the. Cross. Island. Pkwy. is. the. pedestrian. bridge,  I. think. )  The LIMP. bridge. over. Commonwealth. Blvd. Is. evident. in. the. middle. right. of. the. photo. Douglaston. Golf course. is. north. of. Grand. Central. Pkwy.

From Mystery Foto #5 Solved: Creedmore Hospital and Commonwealth Boulevard Motor Parkway Bridge in 1941

Northward, looking at where Creedmoor is going to be just on the North side of Union Tpke along the bottom. There’s the Cross Island/Grand Central interchange middle left. The Commonwelth LIMP bridge is still up…

From Mystery Foto #5 Solved: Creedmore Hospital and Commonwealth Boulevard Motor Parkway Bridge in 1941

This photo is near present Day Creedmoore Hospital in Queens. The smoke stacks near the the bottom are recognizable.

From Mystery Foto #5 Solved: Creedmore Hospital and Commonwealth Boulevard Motor Parkway Bridge in 1941

Creedmore

From Mystery Foto #5 Solved: Creedmore Hospital and Commonwealth Boulevard Motor Parkway Bridge in 1941

I believe that is one of the Cliff Durant MILLERS, the one drvien by Frank Elliot in the 1923 Indy 500. The louvers in the radiator shell are unique, so is the shape of the tail compaired to other MILLER race cars of that era.

From From the Barney Oldfield Collection: Four Classic Photos and One Mystery

From Darby Mack:
“George Arents was my Great grandfather good stuff.”

From Film "The Greatest Vintage Automobile Event Ever Held on Long Island"

WooHoo! My third correct map guess also! Keep ‘em coming!

Also, Howard, awesome presentation by Robert Miller the other night. It was great seeing his personal photos since most of them have never been seen before! After seeing thousands of photos from either 100 years ago, or today, It’s nice to have seen them from the 60’s or from time periods when there aren’t many photographs.

From Mystery Photo #4 Solved: A 1928 Aerial of Old Bethpage and Melville Looking North

I am so pleased that this car is in your hands and the decision has been made to restore it!  I fell in love with this car when I first got into the hobby in 1982 with my ‘39 Plymouth sedan and bought Dammann’s book, 70 Years of Chrysler.  I kept watching out for the car for years hoping it had survived - and survive it did!  There is a ‘38 Custom Imperial LeBaron currently for sale at the Hyman Ltd site.  Interesting to compare the interior shots of the two cars.  I will be watching with great interest.  Congratulations and best of luck to you.

From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle I: Restoration Begins

Robert Miller away puts on a great slide show, I’m glad he showed the surve map of eastern suffork between wading river and riverhead. Remember I showed photo’s I took many year ago of the markers (telephone poles) where the road would of gone to riverhead Keep up the great job Joseph(motorpky)DeBono Keep the momory alive

From Mystery Photo #4 Solved: A 1928 Aerial of Old Bethpage and Melville Looking North

In the W.C. Fieds Movie, Is that the door or the big window on the building, Because I can not make it out from that picture and it will make a differents in north and south east and west and I don’t see a little piece of the port-cochere sticking out when he crashes threw the fence also.  Keep up the good work   Joseph(motorpky)DeBono

From Mystery Photo #4 Solved: A 1928 Aerial of Old Bethpage and Melville Looking North

Tough one! My best guess for #4 mystery photo is Old Bethpage Village in the center and under construction. Not sure which year that happened. Photo is facing NW. The road at the bottom if correct would be the original Spagnoli Rd. Broad Hollow Rd 110 would be off the photo at the bottom right and the Melville sand pits at bottom right. I can’t see the motor pkwy bridge but would have to be Old Bethpage parkway br that was wonderfully restored by Howard and the LIMPPS and others. What is that structure in the center?

From Mystery Photo #4 Solved: A 1928 Aerial of Old Bethpage and Melville Looking North

Watching the film again and looking at the pictures I noticed alot more than what I did’nt see the first time and agree to what you all are saying. You guys are great,and thanks for letting us all know about it

From Documenting W.C. Fields on the Long Island Motor Parkway in 1925

Not surprising that W.C. Fields was in a movie on the LIMP, as L.I. at the time was a film producing mecca, with Studios located in Astoria, “on location” filming all over the island, and W.C. Fields living on L.I. (I believe Bayside at the time).  California would later become the filming industry’s headquarters due to the weather, allowing year round filming.

From Documenting W.C. Fields on the Long Island Motor Parkway in 1925

I’m glad that you created photo stills of the car   vs.    Fence scene, Howard.  I guess at that point,  the car was traveling. East on the limp; with. h the Lakeville Rd bridge in the background.  Seeing the car bounce all over the farm. Field. Was comical.

From Documenting W.C. Fields on the Long Island Motor Parkway in 1925

It clearly does not match other 1928 & 1950 aerials of the Melville area you’ve posted, but I keep going back to it possibly being the Melville sand pits. Even Spagnoli Rd has a similar bend in the road, but again, other landmarks, dates for the pits and other things in the photo are wrong for that area. Darn it! I’m stumped!

From Mystery Photo #4 Solved: A 1928 Aerial of Old Bethpage and Melville Looking North

Howard, Great detective work on the Motor Parkway’s part in the W. C. Fields movie, especially regarding the Great Neck Lodge. With regard to the bridge in question in Queens, it is the bridge over Commonwealth Blvd., not the Marcus Ave,, bridge. Keep up the great work. Al.

From Documenting W.C. Fields on the Long Island Motor Parkway in 1925

James, I believe that segment was filmed at a different location. Note the posters on the fence before and after the crash do not line up. Moreover, the fence near the lodge was likely a movie prop.

From Documenting W.C. Fields on the Long Island Motor Parkway in 1925

I waited with bated breath to see when an if and to what extent restoration would be done to this piece of art. Now I’m just as anxious to follow the progress.
Personally I think your decision to restore is the right way to go.
Thank you.

From Chrysler’s Chrysler Chronicle I: Restoration Begins

Thanks Robert Miller for all of your efforts and thanks Howard for providing this video on your site !!

From "Champion of the Parkway" Presented at the Long Island Motor Parkway Preservation Society Meeting

someone asked back awhile where there was a 1905 curved dash olds,it is in the riverhead historical museum, in the basement on west main st.the curator told me it is going to be restored in the future,when??? This is a great place to see if your interested in Long Island history

From Documenting W.C. Fields on the Long Island Motor Parkway in 1925