Vanderbilt Cup Races

The photo is of the Fresh Meadows terminus of the Vanderbilt’s Long Island Motor Parkway and the surrounding area; I grew up in Fresh Meadows during the ‘50s on the other side of Horace Harding. I can see PS 162 in the upper right, which is where I went to grade school. Given that PS 162 opened in 1936, the photo is after that date, but was before Francis Lewis Blvd. cut through Cunningham Park (Hillside Park). Because the gap in Francis Lewis Blvd. between Horace Harding and Hillside Ave. can be seen, the photo shows the turn in the parkway from south to east across what was to become Francis Lewis Blvd. And because construction on Francis Lewis was done during the War, and was not opened until 1946, I’d have to say that the photo was taken between 1937 and 1941. I also can see the completely wooded area where my boyhood house was eventually built; 199th St. and 51st Ave. two blocks west of PS 162.

From Mystery Foto 2015 #2 Solved: Cunningham Park, the Motor Parkway and Union Turnpike in 1938

1)Over Queens looking north
2)Extreme bottom Union Turnpike. Left side Motor parkway curving east directly above Union Turnpike. Slanting across middle Hollis Hills Blvd. Upper center running east /west Horace Harding Blvd.
3)1935-40 Motor parkway still in use

From Mystery Foto 2015 #2 Solved: Cunningham Park, the Motor Parkway and Union Turnpike in 1938

The aerial photos make you realize how fast history and farmland can disappear, and how important it is to save the open spaces of the North Fork.

From The Spectacular 1936 Long Island Motor Parkway Flyover

Recusing myself!! 😊

From Mystery Foto 2015 #2 Solved: Cunningham Park, the Motor Parkway and Union Turnpike in 1938

I like the ‘67 300 as well!  Not seen to often at shows.

From Walter P. Chrysler's Granddaughter and Great-Grandson Reconnect with Chrysler's Chrysler

The mystery aerial was taken at Fresh Meadows, looking north, circa 1939.  Union Turnpike appears at the bottom of the photo running East/West.  The 73rd Avenue Parkway Bridge (#2) appears near the middle of the left edge of the photo.  The temporary 73rd Ave. Motor Parkway entrance ramp can be seen to the South of the 73rd Avenue Bridge.  The Hollis Court Blvd. Parkway Bridge (#3) appears near the lower right corner of the photo.  Little Neck Bay can be seen in the upper right corner of the photo.  The final section of Francis Lewis Blvd., completed in 1940, does not appear in the photo.  However, the photo shows that the Northern section of the boulevard, which appears running North/South in the upper left of the frame, has been widened and a median constructed; placing the date of the photo between 1938 and December 1940.

From Mystery Foto 2015 #2 Solved: Cunningham Park, the Motor Parkway and Union Turnpike in 1938

It took a couple of seconds to get my bearing.  Looking north, near the western end of the LIMP.  We see the 73rd Ave & Hollis Ct Blvd bridges.  The bridge over North Hemp Tpke is hidden up there too.  It is obviously after 1926, when this extension of the parkway was completed.  It is also before the Clearview Expressway, The LIE, and even before Francis Lewis Blvd was done.  I would say 1930.

From Mystery Foto 2015 #2 Solved: Cunningham Park, the Motor Parkway and Union Turnpike in 1938

To bad the video doesn’t have sound, that boat would sound great, loud I presume

From Willie K.'s "Hard Boiled Egg" Auto Boat

Great article! I appreciate the time you put into this. I work in a somewhat historic building off Stewart Ave and I was doing a little research into the history of the area. Thanks again! Keep it up!

From Long Island Motor Parkway Bridge Series #35: The "Meadowbrook" Bridge in East Meadow

Howard, a Super wealth of historical and educational information here produced by all, for all to benefit from. Kids learn best when they’re having fun. Please keep this forum going.
Frank

From Mystery Foto 2015 #1: Roosevelt Field and Roosevelt Raceway in July 1937 (Updated with a Then & Now)

You certainly got a lot of replies on this and good ones too. I didn’t even realize the ground was wet, I was trying to think where this was. You guys did a great job noticing things and I thought I was very observant, not this time

From Mystery Foto 2015 #1: Roosevelt Field and Roosevelt Raceway in July 1937 (Updated with a Then & Now)

I believe that is Roosevelt Field.  The building is Roosevelt Raceway. Initially created as a venue for motor racing but was converted to harness racing in 1940.

From Mystery Foto 2015 #1: Roosevelt Field and Roosevelt Raceway in July 1937 (Updated with a Then & Now)

Many guesses, with some researching to further complicate things. 
This post 1934 photo includes an auto race event at Roosevelt Raceway with cars trying to exit onto Old Country Road. And there’s the lining of aircraft outside maintenance hangars at adjacent Roosevelt Field.
This rear view angle of Roosevelt Raceway gives a much clearer perspective how immense the structure really was! The occupied observation tower on the left shows that there was an event taking place. The light attendance in the grandstand indicates the race is over. The exiting cars in the background are all facing north towards Old Country Rd and waiting patiently for the light to turn green. The cars in the foreground are parked in nearby Roosevelt Air Field for the maintenance workers. The race could have been the 1936 or 37 Vanderbilt Cup, or even the 1939 Midget Race held at the same location.
The DC-2’s maintenance was just completed in a hangar and needs to make room for other aircraft. It is being rolled out but not onto that flooded field. It will turn around and park alongside the older aircrafts. The DC-2 has a narrower body and shorter vertical stabilizer than its successor, the DC-3. The aircraft first flew on 5/11/1934, documentation here.
The Great Silver Fleet emblem was later replaced with Fly Eastern Air Lines. Eastern Airlines (one of the big four) under general manager WWI ace Eddie Rickenbacker, who had nearly monopolized U.S. eastern coast flights.
Guessing the bi-planes could be iconic Keystone B-5 bombers? I’ll leave those and the cars to the experts. I believe identification of the cars will get closer to the photo date. Motor Pkwy is running along the tree-lined stretch behind the raceway on the right of the photo, but impossible to see here. Waiting for the mystery answers and the final solution…….Happy New Year to all.

From Mystery Foto 2015 #1: Roosevelt Field and Roosevelt Raceway in July 1937 (Updated with a Then & Now)

Like I said before, this is going to be all guess work. This is before my time. I’m trying to think where a stadium and airfield was I can guess on a airfield, maybe LaGuardia Airport? As for the date, I’ll go with 1939, because of the years off the cars. On the aircraft, a DC3 and trainer planes.

From Mystery Foto 2015 #1: Roosevelt Field and Roosevelt Raceway in July 1937 (Updated with a Then & Now)

I believe the passenger plane is a DC-2 of The Great Silver Fleet of Eastern Airlines. The DC-3 engine nacelles look different. For the cars, I’ll go with a ‘31 Chrysler Coupe in front, a 36 Plymouth sedan, and a 36 Plymouth Deluxe Coach in back. The biplanes are either early Stearmans, before the ubiquitous PT-17, or they are Pitcairn Mailwings, which were used for air mail service. I believe the year of the photo is 1939, because there was a scandal about airmail contracts that was resolved a few years earlier, and the Great Silver Fleet was running in 1939. 1939 was also the last year of production of the DC-2. The photo could be as early as 1936. Eastern was flying from Newark, but if this is Long Island, it is probably Glenn H. Curtiss Airport, now known as LaGuardia. I have no idea about the structure in back. It looks like a grandstand.

From Mystery Foto 2015 #1: Roosevelt Field and Roosevelt Raceway in July 1937 (Updated with a Then & Now)

What kills me is that I used to take that corner regularly (and rapidly - traffic signal allowing) ca. 1976-90 (and before and since) and never realized it was Colyer’s!  Thanks, as always, Howard.  Sam, III

From From the Luttgen Album: Driver Foxhall Keene Taking the Turn at Colyers Corner in Plainview

-Identify the location
Roosevelt Field/Roosevelt Raceway

-What is the approximate date of the photo? Provide a rationale.
Early 1940s - Eastern Airlines operated DC-3s as part of their Great Silver Fleet in the early 40s.  Also if I’m correct about Roosevelt Field, it operated at that time as a civilian airfield before the US military used it during WWII.

-What is the large structure in the background?
Roosevelt Raceway grandstand

-Identify the three automobiles and three airplanes in the foreground.
Only answer is the above mentioned DC-3. 

From Mystery Foto 2015 #1: Roosevelt Field and Roosevelt Raceway in July 1937 (Updated with a Then & Now)

Roosevelt Field.  1937 because of the Raceway grandstands and banked track.  Looks like Fleet Model 2s with Kinner K-5 radials, probably belonging to Roosevelt Flying Service, like the one George Dade flew and restored (hanging in the Cradle of Aviation Museum) - whoops - wrong - different rudder and landing gear strut.  Sorry to disagree with the great Janet Guthrie but that’s an EAL DC-2 (NOT -3); seven side windows; early DC-3’s only had six; but the kicker is the jog in the vertical fin and rudder!  I flew in a -2 from LaG to DC in one in 1941.  The car in front is a 1932 (twin bumpers with curved upper bars, straight grille, and external horns) Chrysler 6 (short hood); the other two are ordinary Detroit iron.  Sam, III

From Mystery Foto 2015 #1: Roosevelt Field and Roosevelt Raceway in July 1937 (Updated with a Then & Now)

That’s a photo taken at Roosevelt Field looking southeast from either the roof of one of the hangars or an upper window. It is probably from 1936 as the structure in the background is the grandstand for Roosevelt Raceway, built for the 1936 & 1937 Vanderbilt Cup Races. The two bi-planes are Curtiss “Fledglings”, also known as Curtiss models 48 or 51. They were used primarily by the US Navy as trainers who called them “N2C’s”. The larger plane is probably a Douglas DC-2 since Eastern Airlines only started using the slightly larger DC-3 in 1935. As for the cars, I think one might be a 1935 Plymouth but they all look like the same black box to me. No other guesses.

From Mystery Foto 2015 #1: Roosevelt Field and Roosevelt Raceway in July 1937 (Updated with a Then & Now)

There were at the very least two because of the perforated cross-member under the radiator, as I had noted in a much earlier post.  I find it difficult to determine wheelbase but there were clearly shorter and longer models.  Details such as brackets and wheels and such are easily changed during the life of a car.  Ariejan is spot-on about the D-B Archive; I have found them immensely cooperative and helpful.  Sam, III

From The Unsolved Mystery of William K. Vanderbilt Jr.'s 90-HP Mercedes Automobile(s) (1904-1908)