Nuthin' But ............
BLUE SKIES ....do i see
At Smith's Point in Tangier, Long Island 1917
![]() |
Just like the USA today you would never know there was a war goin' on
I wonder if Irving Berlin ever caught a glimpse of this hand colored version of the little air show the Third Unit Of Aerial Coast Patrol stationed at the Knapp Seaplane Base on the Claire & Joseph Knapp Estate in Mastic put on in the summer of 1917 at Smith's Point. Irv who was stationed just up the "Tangier Boulevard" at Camp Upton may of penned his legendary tune Blue Skies 9 years earlier if he did. I consider myself lucky to have an original B&W photo of this scene which I have enlarged below to show as much detail as possible. As for that mystery building by the bridge it does not appear to be the Hedges Hotel. It was probably something erected by Fred Quinby's Tangier Development Corp. that got wiped out by storms or fire. Also this photo could very well be the mainland side of Smith Point or a reversed image by the US Censors as this was taken in wartime. Both the Black & White and this colored one are marked "Passed By The Censor" Washington DC.