Vanderbilt Cup Races

The plane is over Governors Island, looking north towards Manhattan. From bottom to top are the proposed Brooklyn-Battery Bridge (never built), and the Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg bridges. Year has to be 1939. That’s when Robert Moses proposed construction of a bridge between Brooklyn and the Battery, since it would be cheaper than a tunnel. Despite opposition, Moses appeared to prevail, until he was thwarted by the War Department in Washington.

Not a Fairchild Aerial but an artist’s conception of the proposed Brooklyn Battery bridge which was a Robert Moses/TBTA monstrosity never built because of proximity to the Brooklyn Navy Yard along with the disruption to downtown Manhattan streets/businesses it would have caused.

We are facing north looking at Governor’s Island, lower Manhattan, and Robert Moses’ proposed Brooklyn Battery Bridge.  This photo was taken in 1939 and featured in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle Jan. 23 1939.  One of Robert Moses’ proposals that were never built.  He touted that the bridge would carry six lanes of traffic instead of the 4 that a tunnel would carry.  Met with fierce opposition and competing with funds already going to the construction of the Mid-town tunnel Moses ended up building the Battery tunnel we now know today instead.  I remember reading an account of this with Moses’ ego obviously taking a blow when he said in sum and substance:  “Nobody can see a tunnel.  My bridge would be something everyone would marvel at.”

This photo was taken in 1939 as part of Robert Moses’ proposal for a bridge to be built from Battery Park to Red Hook, Brooklyn instead of a tunnel. The plane is over the Narrows or entrance to New York harbor and we are looking north. Governors Island with Fort Jay is in the foreground. To the right are the four main East River crossings: Brooklyn, Manhattan, Williamsburg, and Queensboro Bridges along with Roosevelt Island. The unusual structure is the proposed circular exit ramp tower from the bridge to Governors Island. (see attached photo) It would have been located between the second and third bridge towers.

Looking north where Hudson River (left) and East River (right) converge at Governor’s Island in NYC’s Upper Bay, about 1939. Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty are just off the photo on the left.
Brooklyn Bridge, Manhattan Bridge, Williamsburg Bridge, Queens Borough Bridge over Welfare Island (Roosevelt Island) in the distance is partly visible. Woolworth Building, Municipal Building, Empire State Building, Chrysler Building, Central Park…..
Robert Moses’ proposal to build the Brooklyn-Battery Bridge (diagonal in center) later became the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, constructed in 1945 and completed in 1950.

Happy Holidays to all!

Rendering of proposed Brooklyn-Battery Bridge Project about 1939.
Looking north with Governor’s Island in the foreground.

Over New York Harbor looking north over Governors Island and Manhattan Island with Brooklyn on the right. Closest to Governors Island is a conceptual image of the proposed Battery bridge that Robert Moses wanted to build. He lost that bid and the Battery Tunnel was built instead. further north is the Brooklyn Bridge then the Manhattan Bridge. Moses proposed building a bridge in January of 1939, so my guess for when this picture was taken is late 1938 thru Jan. 1939.

Seems Moses is everywhere, this week.  The wealthy were ripped, but who knows how much Moses was buried with. PLUS THE SOB COULDN’T PLAY POKER WITH. WALTER O MALLEY

This was the Robert Moses’ planned suspension bridge from Bklyn to the Battery that, fortunately, wasn’t built. Instead, the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel was built, which opened in 1950; it accounts for the name Triboro Bridge and TUNNEL authority.

Thats a 1939 simplistic rendering of the Brooklyn Battery Bridge that Robert Moses wanted to build. It was well on it’s way to be built. It took the President of the United States to stop it’s construction. Unknown to most backers of the bridge, If built it meant the destruction of Castle Clinton and Battery Park.

Steve - great photo of the proposed circular exit ramp tower. I wonder if Moses was planning a short bridge or tunnel to access the island from the tower?

Just missed at the top right corner of the mystery photo is the Trylon and Perisphere at the 1939 NY World’s Fair at Flushing Meadows Corona Park,

Hello Frank,
From what I’ve read, I believe the exit ramp tower was proposed to be physically on Governors Island unlike the mystery photo depiction. That’s probably why the Army got involved and FDR nixed the idea.

Steve, The primary reason for FDR’s opposition for the bridge was that in the event of a war the bridge would be a target for destruction and essentially landlocking the the Brooklyn Navy Yard. By the way, it was his wife that first suggested that he oppose the building the bridge.

From Greg O.

Al, so very true, but it was an extremely weak argument since the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges were already there with the same potential problem.

I had read that the federal opposition was from the Was Department which was concerned that the bridge could/would interfere with passage of warships that in the future might exceed the bridge’s clearances.