Autumn Leaves: 1899

Through a very odd coincidence, I found this picture online (while looking for something else) only five days after I walked Church Street to Gratiot. I live 1,500 miles away, but was on a walking vacation in my old home town. Mt. Clemens has many houses left from this era, most of them now boasting historical markers.

What's the purpose of the lane we're seeing in the middle of the picture, bordered by trees on both sides? There looks to be a larger lane to the right, and maybe a third lane at far right, each bordered by trees on both sides.

Someone said this would look good colorized. Here is my attempt. I have been coming here for a long time. I enjoy Shorpy very much. Have a great day all.

Just have that lovely Border collie herd those leaves into a nice, neat pile. I LOVE this neighborhood! the current picture is horribly depressing.

I am so moved by such bucolic scenes that turn up here, just melting into the time and place; the vanishing point of the tree corridor here is particularly transporting.

But then there's that freakin' dog, daring you to step around the bombs he's left in the leaves.

Maybe it's Sunday. A little fog appears to be still hanging. Nobody out and about yet except the photographer and the dog who's investigating him. It's a gorgeous shot. Another in the long Shorpy chain that makes the heart ache a bit at things too far past to be experienced outside one's imagination.

I can vaguely recall in my youth, the aroma of burning leaves when these would all be raked into the street and burned in piles. The idea of bagging them and putting them in a dumpster hadn't yet entered our radar.

Mom grew up in Grand Rapids and would frequently tell us kids stories about "beautiful Michigan". I think this photo is exactly what she had in mind. Me? I'm thinking there must be some money to be made with all those leaves.

We had a dog like this one and if this one was like ours it would have been rolling about in those leaves. What a beautiful dog and Avenue.

depth of field, the tree lined alley just seems to go on forever and all pin sharp.

... upon looking up this location in Google Maps :*(

so I guess I'll just say that the dog is sooo dead by now.

Would anyone like to take a stab at colorizing this one??

always reminds me of the end of "The Third Man."

Great shot! The dog is perfect and I love the wooden sidewalks. It is all strip malls and offices now. No resemblance at all to this scene. Google won't let you down Church Street so maybe it gets better. At least someone seems to have raked up the leaves!

Would colorizing this be too much to ask?

Everything about about this photo -- the perspective of the the house, fence, dog, trees & the sidewalk. If only we could see it in color.

I'm not sure why there are SO many leaves on the ground (the trees are far from bare) but no matter-if I lived there I would probably shock my tasteful Mount Clemens neighbors by hitching up my skirt and happily clomping down that avenue of delightfully crunchy autumn leaves (and I would absolutely invite that nice dog to go with me!)