vincentastor

This photo is depicted in The sun., July 02, 1916, Page 7 with the caprtion: "Mrs. Vincent Astor christening the high power hydroaeroplane presented by a group of citizens of New York to the Second Battalion, New York Naval Militia. The ceremony took place at the headquarters, Fifty-second street and the bay, Brooklyn. Vincent Astor is standing to the left." (chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030272/1916-07-02/ed-...)

Another article about the event is in the NYT, July 2, 1916 (query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=F4091FF73A5B17...)

An additional article about the event in Aerial Age Weekly, Volume 3, July 10, 1916, page 503, Second Battalion N.M.N.Y. Seaplane Christened : books.google.com/books?id=FNRLAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA503&l... Note, that the Aerial Age story states that Charles L. Lawrance of the "citizens' committee which bought the seaplane," was also present. Lawrance is the very same person who would design the Lawrance J-1 radial engine, the direct predecessor to the Wright Whirlwind engine which would power countless historically significant flights, including that of Charles Lindbergh and the Spirit of St. Louis from New York to Paris. See photo of Lawrance below standing to the right side of the frame, next to Lindbergh at Curtiss Field prior to Lindbergh's solo transatlantic flight:

The photo in The Sun is of the same moment, but taken by a different photographer who stood to the right of Bain's photographer. More from The Sun article cited above: "Then they swung a big derrick over and just as it had made fast Mrs. Astor stepped forward and cracked a bottle of champagne over the hull with the words: "I christen thee No. 1." As It was swung over into the water everybody cheered, and then Ensign Astor, commanding a fleet of motor boats, towed it out to clear water, where Ensign Samuel Pierce climbed in. started the engines to roaring and after gliding over the water shot the plane up into the air for a twelve minute trip around Fort Hamilton and back. Ensign Pierce brought the flying boat back without trouble and the crowd cheered again, aided in the noise making by all the whistles of craft that knew anything about it at all."

52d street pier in Brookyn, recent street view: maps.google.com/maps?q=52d+street,+brooklyn&ll=40.650...

NYT of June 13, 1915 select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F10E12FF3D551273... reports that "Hundreds of children shouted "Hurrah!" and waved their hats and their hands yesterday afternoon as little Fred Lewis, 5 years old, of 275 West 150th Street, and William J. Lee, Supervisor of Recreations of the Department of Parks, sent the Stars and Stripes fluttering to the pinnacle of a tall flagpole, and Astor Field, a children's playground, was dedicated. "

child at play,what a lovely sit to see. better than watching the play on xboxs

swanq: Thank you for the New York Times article about the opening of this playground. We will add some of the details to the description when we update.

The article in Swanq's link notes that the playground was on land owned by Vincent Astor en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Astor , who loaned his land to the city and installed the playground equipment on an acre of land between 7th and 8th Avenue and 49th and 50th Street (in West Harlem, not far from the Polo Grounds). Today the entire block is a single apartment house development made up of several buildings. The article also notes that some of the notables due at the opening of the park were delayed by the Fireman's parade (the subject of the set of photos immediately prior)

Cabot Ward was New York City Park Commissioner (1914-1917) and William J Lee was Supervisor of Recreation. See, for example, NYT of September 3, 1916 query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F70E14F83F5D17738...

For more pictures of and information about Lee, see

Thanks swanq: We will add more information about these two New York City officials to the description when we update.