Vanderbilt Cup Races

Bill Bellmer has discovered a website gem for all LIMPers who enjoy the historic Fairchild aerial surveys of Long Island: The Fairchild Aerial Survey Collection in the New York State Archives. Hundreds of aerials from the 1940s and 1950s can be enlarged and printed out. Of course the real challenge is finding the Motor Parkway.

Here are links to a few of the Motor Parkway treasures found in the Queens collections:

Fresh Meadows Collection (12 Photos 9/5/1951)

The Motor Parkway right-of-way can be found near the top of this aerial.

Move to the left corner and enlarge the photo to see the Motor Parkway's Western Terminus at Horace Harding Boulevard.

Move to the right and you will find the North Hempstead Turnpike Motor Parkway Bridge before it was torn down.

Enlarging this aerial shows the 73rd Avenue Motor Parkway Bridge.

Creedmoor Collection (17 photos 11/21/1951)

The Motor Parkway right-of-way between Alley Pond Park and Glen Oaks.

Move to the middle of the aerial you will find Creedmoor State Hospital. Move to the left and enlarge the aerial and you can clearly see the outline of the Motor Parkway 13 years after it was closed.

The Motor Parkway right-of-way between Commonwealth Boulevard and Little Neck Parkway.

Move to the bottom right corner and enlarge the aerial to see the embankment of the Commonwealth Boulevard Motor Parkway Bridge.

Move towards the middle of the aerial to see the western remnants of the Little Neck Parkway Motor Parkway Bridge.

Check back soon on VanderbiltCupRaces.com to see the Nassau County aerials including sections of the Motor Parkway in Lake Success, Mineola, Garden City and Levittown. Thanks again Bill for forwarding this excellent resource!

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