Vanderbilt Cup Races

I should’ve added the below images of Bloomingdale Rd Hwy Bridge with my above comment. So the main image, then I zoomed in on each side to see the wire fencing along the LIMP to the bridge face. I don’t see wire fencing on either of bridge slopes, just safety rails along the top.

From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location

I tapped the link for the Poll a few times, just took to me to the poll results so far. Tried tapping my choice, but nothing happened. My answer is the LIMP bridge over Clinton Rd, viewing northwest. Or viewing southeast with the image flipped.

On the poll, I see the Bloomingdale Rd Hwy Bridge at the highest vote. Know the curve looks right and distant structures look convincing. But another thing I realized is about the Cedar Posts & Wire Fencing. The fencing is obvious on both sides of the parkway to the bridge. The image of the Bloomingdale Rd Hwy Bridge with all the spectators - Cedar Posts & Wire Fencing on both sides of the parkway, ending at the face of the bridge. I don’t see any Cedar Posts & Wire Fencing along the slopes of the Hwy Bridge ( only the railings along the top for safety ) Those are my latest thoughts.

From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location

Greg, Regarding the mystery photo, note that the cedar posts fencing is much narrower than the normal 100 foot wide Motor Parkway. There is only two, maybe three instances where the overall Motor Parkway ROW is less than 100 feet wide.

From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location

Photo is looking mostly Southwest based on the shadows (photo below). Note the Motor Pkwy curve maintains all the way to the parkway bridge. Possibilities: Clinton Rd bridge, the illusive Old Searingtown Rd bridge, and the Little Neck Pkwy bridge. The background scene should solve this mystery bridge but it’s difficult indeed! If the image was flipped (unlikely), all above is incorrect

From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location

I wrote a series of articles for the Knox club newsletter a number of years ago detailing the 1909 accident at Indianapolis involving “Billy” Bourque (driver) and Harry Holcomb (mechanician). They were the first casualties at the speedway. Harry was my great grandfather’s cousin and they both grew up in Granville, Massachusetts. The article is at this link: https://knoxracing.blogspot.com/p/1909-indy-crash.html  Charlie Merz is also mentioned in the above post; coincidentally my mother worked for him at Merz Engineering in Indianapolis.

From Kleiner's Korner: Vanderbilt "Dare-Devils" Caught on 1910 Film

The flat countryside void of trees makes me believe this is either Wantagh Avenue or Massapequa-Hicksville Rd bridges.  Except those have no curve.  NHP, Shelter Rock, IU Willets, Searingtown, Willis Avenue, Roslyn Rd, Hillside Ave all, I suspect, would have trees in the picture.  Westbury Avenue, for me is a possibility.

From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location

I remember this mystery, and it may never be truly solved. Originally Mystery Foto #45   11/11/2019 My guess back then remains the same. LIMP Bridge over Clinton Rd, Garden City. Viewed northwest Circa 1910 -11 Even the flipped image ( good thinking Steve Lucas ) still strikes as the Bridge over Clinton, just viewing southeast. LIMP is an arc curve in both directions, east and north. There are other possible locations, but my guess makes sense to me.

From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location

I was there! A COLD WINDY DAY! In the second photo, I was doing my show and tell of the Black Beast that I know well by now. The group I was talking to were amuse of my coment about the Motor Parkway plate on the radiator as the first E-PASS of its day. After the quick walkarount I liked that ‘29-‘30 LaSalle.

From The Alco Black Beast Attends the Tobay Beach Car Show

Maybe its the Newbridge ave / Bellmore rd bridge in East Meadow.

From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location

After staring at this photo for far too long and not being able to place it, I thought maybe there’s something wrong with the photo. It’s possible the photographer flipped the negative before printing so I reversed it (see attached) and I think we may have the answer: looking east at the Clinton Road bridge.

From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location

Another stumper. My guess, based on the curve, being a LIMP overpass, and the general pattern of fencing both on the bridge and surrounding area, would be the Newbridge Avenue / Bellmore Road overpass, looking east.

From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location

So sorry Howard to read about your injury while in Dominica(I love that island country, but can be challenging walkwise!)
Wishing you steady progress in your recovery.
Richard

From Update Sunday, 6/29/2025: Rehab Update: Rehab at 90% Healing

Could be any of a dozen spots, but my guess is the North Hempstead Turnpike overpass in what is now Fresh Meadows, Queens. That would probably be around 1927. If true, it would be a great photo.

From Update 5/6/2025: Now open for further discussion and a new poll- Mystery Friday Foto #18: An Unknown Motor Parkway Location

Great show with great cars. It was good to see the Black Beast up close, even though I have seen it before. The Canadian Ford (the Meteor) was a surprise.

From The Alco Black Beast Attends the Tobay Beach Car Show

George Thayer’s father, Captain Seth Thayer, raced against Commodore Vanderbilt’s steam yacht on the Hudson River.  Very famous painting about the race now at the NY historical Society.  My great great great grandfather Seth won the race.

From Update: From the Thayer Family Album: Four Photos of the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race

The Thayer car is in front of Robinhurst, George and Jane Jones Thayer’s house overlooking Hemstead Harbor on Long Island.  Any more information wanted, just let me know.  These were my great great grandparents

From Update: From the Thayer Family Album: Four Photos of the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race

Thanks for sharing photos of the Beast and the other cars. Looks like a fine day!

From The Alco Black Beast Attends the Tobay Beach Car Show

Great photos! Looks like it was a fun time!

From The Alco Black Beast Attends the Tobay Beach Car Show

In the mystery photo, note the Motor Pkwy abutment was aligned along the south side of Carnation Rd before curving north after passing the bridge

From Mystery Friday Foto #17 Solved: The Lone Newbridge Road Bridge Abutment in 1955

Great mystery photo this week.  Thanks Al for sharing the photo.
Greg - just a slight correction to where Salisbury is located.  I also lived close to the mystery photo location, just west of Newbridge Road.  However, the area is actually Levittown and was originally part of East Meadow until the Post Office moved my development (built in the mid-1950s) into the Levittown zip code.  Salisbury actually borders the Wantagh Parkway on its east side.  My area is directly west of Newbridge Road.  Anything west of the parkway is Salisbury.  Sorry to be so anal, but just as a researcher I try to be as accurate as possible.  Thanks again, and keep those mystery photos coming.

From Mystery Friday Foto #17 Solved: The Lone Newbridge Road Bridge Abutment in 1955