About
The six Vanderbilt Cup Races held on Long Island from 1904 to 1910 were the greatest sporting events of their day, and the first international automobile road races held in the United States. The races had a far-reaching impact on the development of American automobiles and parkways. This site provides comprehensive information on the races, the Long Island Motor Parkway and current Long Island automotive events, car shows and news.
All Content © 2026 VanderbiltCupRaces.com
Co-Founder and Writer: Howard Kroplick
Co-Founder: Dana Kroplick
Website by Eric Miller Design
Site maintained by Hop Studios
Recent Comments
Hello Howard, (and, by extension, all fellow Motor Parkway enthusiasts),
I’ve recently begun work on a documentary film about the Parkway and have been relying heavily upon your work as well as my own research. I would very much like to meet with you to discuss the possibility of sitting down for an interview, either on camera or off. Please feel free to email me at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to discuss. Hope to hear from you soon.
Dean
From Mystery Foto #34 Solved: Newly Opened Roosevelt Field Shopping Center on October 3, 1956
Hey - two of those added aerial views are mis-captioned! “Another view (looking west) of Roosevelt Field Mall also taken on October 3, 1956” is looking north-northeast, while “Still another view looking east” is looking south over the then-new Franklin National Bank building on Old Country Road. Sam, III
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From Howard Kroplick I
Sam, good catches!
From Mystery Foto #34 Solved: Newly Opened Roosevelt Field Shopping Center on October 3, 1956
Yet again - try as I might, I can’t find my old files but a friend’s father owned the big printing plant and I think it was further east. It was on an insanely-tight curve at the end of an LIRR industrial spur somewhere around the Raceway entrance and they had a hell of a time getting the more modern 60’ boxcars of paper into the plant. They had to use an industrial tractor to tow the cars in and out. AHA - found the spur; it runs NNE to the east of Zeckendorf Blvd. I’ll let this go unless requested to look further. Sam, III
From Mystery Foto #34 Solved: Newly Opened Roosevelt Field Shopping Center on October 3, 1956
WOW! These “buried in the vault” images are priceless, Impossible to obtain elsewhere.
From John E. Roosevelt Family Photo Album: Action in Hicksville During the 1910 Vanderbilt Cup Race
It’s been a while since I perused your websites, Mr. Berliner. My eyes appreciate your large print and enlarged images.
From Mystery Foto #34 Solved: Newly Opened Roosevelt Field Shopping Center on October 3, 1956
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
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