BEARDSLEE TRANSMISSION, Long Island City

by Kevin Walsh

In April 2021 I was scuttling down Jackson Avenue in Long Island City and ducked onto Dutch Kills Street, which runs completely beneath a ramp connecting Thomason Avenue/Queens Boulevard with the Queensboro Bridge, when I noticed this painted ad of fairly recent vintage for Beardslee Transmission. I’m not really a car guy, failed a driving test eons ago and never returned to it, so I don’t know transmissions. I do know painted ads though. An internet search revealed that Beardslee is a Long Island City fixture, having been founded in 1951, and has since expanded to locations on Long Island in Mineola and Hauppage.

There must be some old guys in charge of the painted signs, as they use the original 2-letter phone exchange dating from the rotary phone era, ST4-4100. In LIC, ST stood for STillwell (never mind the most prominent Stillwell name in NYC is in Coney Island). The storefront on Jackson Avenue employs painted ads as well. I’m glad they do it, it’s a dying art.

As always, “comment…as you see fit.” I earn a small payment when you click on any ad on the site.

12/1/21

4 comments

John December 2, 2021 - 7:02 am

Yes, and the paint chips drop like autumn leaves!

Reply
Edward December 2, 2021 - 11:51 am

Probably repainted an older advertisement and didn’t want to redo the phone number. A taxi service on Staten Island displayed its old phone number (GI7-4700) on cars in its fleet well into the 2010s. Some people don’t like change!

Reply
chris December 2, 2021 - 4:20 pm

Anyone who has tried to get their license at the lower Manhattan Motor Vehicle office
would be put off driving cars forever.I tried in 73.Just go to an office in one of the outer
borroughs instead.The difference is like night and day.

Reply
Anonymous December 6, 2021 - 3:27 pm

I don’t think they had anything to do with automobiles. Back in the 70’s I was given a very dangerous Montgomery Ward table saw. A brass bearing was worn to the point the blade wobbled a little. I pressed the bearing out and took it to them and they provided me with a replacement.

Reply

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