The Historical Society and Coach Realtors Explore the North Shore

Local Author Paul J. Mateyunas visited to The Garden City Historical Society Museum for an informative lecture and book signing of his new book, North Shore Long Island: Country Homes, 1890-1950. The lecture was graciously underwritten by Coach Realtors, 116 Seventh Street, Garden City, 746-5511. Historical Society guests were treated to light refreshments and hors d’oeuvres following the lecture.

Mateyunas’s 356-page book also includes exquisite photographs of the mansions, most now a part of history, and biographies of the architects of the day.

A. T. Stewart Flea Market, June 2007

The Garden City Historical Society Board of Directors thanks all those who participated in its second annual A. T. Stewart Flea Market by renting spaces, offering donations or consignment items, shopping for buys, and purchasing raffle tickets, "lucky bucks" and antique appraisal coupons. The money raised from this event will assist the Society in conducting its operations and fulfilling its charter to education the community. The Society expresses its sincere thanks to our raffle prize donors, and to Ann Madonia of Ann Madonia Antiques, Garden City, for donating the proceeds of her appraisals to The Garden City Historical Society. This year, we welcomed visitors to our new consignment shop in the basement of the Museum. Thanks, too, to all our volunteers for their hard work.

2007 Children's Art Contest, "The Doors of Garden City"

The Garden City Historical Society's second annual Children's Art Contest, "The Doors of Garden City," took place in the spring of 2007. In addition to artwork drawn in pencil, colored pencil, or pen and ink, the Society added a photography and computer graphics category for high school level students. Families, friends and visitors were invited to view the artwork at The Garden City Historical Society Museum, 109 Eleventh Street, during the month of April. The children's artwork depicted various doors around our Village, from firehouse and train station doors, to home entranceway doors, to doors on churches and historic buildings, and doors that reflect the business of daily life. The Society is now selling a poster, which included images of all the winning artworks.

Prizes and certificates were presented to all the winning artists.

The Garden City Historical Society hosted a reception for the nine artists featured in its fall 2006 art show, “Garden City in Art: A Mixed Media Exhibit.” The exhibit was open to residents and visitors from November 10 through November 26, 2006 at The Garden City Historical Society Museum, 109 Eleventh Street. Artworks included oils, watercolors, tempera batik, sculpture, computer graphics and photography. The show, which was generously partially underwritten by Astoria Federal Savings Bank, featured work from residents of Garden City and non-residents who have been inspired by the beauty that surrounds us in this lovely Village.

Historical Society Has a Successful First Annual Flea Market

The Garden City Historical Society held its first annual A.T. Stewart Flea Market on June 2, 2006. The event was a great success and we thank all the good folks who participated by renting spaces or offering donations or consignment items, as well as those who attended as shoppers. Because of the threatening skies, the Society set up many of its sale items inside the museum, which also gave our guests and sale seekers an opportunity to view the renovated and restored first floor, see our antique hardware and children’s art displays, and artifacts in our St. Mary’s/St. Paul’s Room. They could also visit the gift shop to purchase our newest item—notecards that highlight Garden City landmark buildings drawn by the winners of the Society’s first student Juried Art Contest. Special thanks to Ira Prilik of Prilik Galleries, Garden City, for donating the appraisal fees he received from people who purchased coupons at the flea market to have some of their own items appraised. And thank you to Walk Street for providing burgers, sandwiches and drinks for workers and shoppers to purchase. At the Historical Society’s June Board of Directors meeting, a portion of the flea market proceeds were designated to establish an acquisitions fund, which will make it possible for the Historical Society to expand its archives and enrich its museum by purchasing important period furniture, artifacts, artwork and items of historical importance to Garden City.

Historical Society Honors Art Contest Winners

The Garden City Historical Society proudly announced the winners of its first annual (2006) Children’s Art Contest, “Landmark Buildings of Garden City.”  Many of the students researched and accompanied their work with background facts about the buildings they illustrated, including the year they were built or their prominence in the Village’s history. The Society thanks Garden City’s young people and their families for their participation, as well as the Garden City schools and their staff for their support.

“The Vanderbilt Cup Races of Long Island”

The setting: The dawn of the 20th century in the Village of Garden City, Nassau County, Long Island. Automobile promoter Willie "K" Vanderbilt launches the Vanderbilt Cup Races to encourage the development of the automobile in America, which lagged behind the advancements in Europe. Automobile Club of America helps initiate the Races. Winner receives a 31-inch, 30-pound Silver Cup trophy designed by Tiffany & Company.

At the Society's presentation, speaker Howard Kroplick narrated his audience through the crazy days of the Races (1904-1910) before they were discontinued on Nassau County local roads, because of the many dangers involved and the deaths and serious injuries to participants and on-lookers.

Mr. Kroplick is a research volunteer at the Suffolk County Vanderbilt Museum, and a member of the Vanderbilt Race Cup Centennial Committee and the Long Island Motor Parkway Panel. He is a proud owner of a 1966 Shelby Mustang GT350H and a Segway. He is CEO/President and owner of The Impact Group, one of the largest independent medical communication companies in the world.

For information on the early Vanderbilt Cup Races, visit www.fpvillage.org/history/
vanderbilt_cup_races.htm

For further information on the Long Island Motor Parkway, visit www.nycroads.com/history/motor

Installation of Officers 2005

“Architecture, Garden City, and Recording Our Past”

Art historian Donald Dwyer presented a slide presentation on residential architecture. The lecture took place in conjunction with the kick off of the Society's Historic Structure Survey, a cataloging of pre-1935 residential and non-residential structures in the Village of Garden City.

The Society is seeking the help of owners or occupants of local pre-1935 structures in our effort to compile data and photographs. As we compile this data, the survey results will be posted on this Web site. Have further questions? Contact us at info@gardencityhistoricalsociety.org

Professor Don Dwyer

Cradle of Aviation Lecture and Tour

In celebration of the 100th anniversary of manned flight (December 2003), the Garden City Historical Society sponsored a lecture and tour at the Cradle of Aviation Museum (Garden City, Long Island, NY) in November. Our guests heard an informative presentation by Nassau County Historian Ed Smits, who traced the museum's history from its earliest visions in the 1960s to its opening nearly two years ago. He also previewed some of the museum's upcoming projects, including the acquisition and future display of a 50% scale model of the Concord SST. Guests toured the museum's extraordinary exhibits, and took in a show at the IMAX theater.

The Garden City Historical Society presents its lecture series in fulfillment of the educational mandate in its charter, granted by the University of the State of New York in 1975.