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Most of the photos on this site were extracted from reference images (high-resolution tiffs, 20 to 200 megabytes in size) from the Library of Congress research archive. (To query the database click here.) Many were digitized by LOC contractors using a Sinar studio back. They are adjusted by your webmaster for contrast and color in Photoshop before being downsized and turned into the jpegs you see here.
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Today's Top 5
The Pontch Again: 1912
Submitted by Dave on Sat, 02/05/2011 - 8:36pm.
Tags:
Detroit, Michigan, circa 1912. "Hotel Pontchartrain." Yet another view of this relatively short-lived hostelry on Woodward Avenue, whose downfall was a paucity of private bathrooms. Familiar landmarks include the Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, Cadillac Square and the Cadillac Chair. View full size.
Street sighting
Submitted by Histry2 on Mon, 02/07/2011 - 10:30pm.
Odd load waiting to cross the street. Coil of rope? Life preserver? Spare tire?
Aha! Much clearer in closeup. The fellow is obviously hefting a coil of rope headed for a nearby ship chandlery.
"Misfit"
Submitted by s.w.a.c. on Sun, 02/06/2011 - 7:08am.
I wonder what went down at "MISFIT"? Or did they just sell irregular clothing? And what could those fellas on the corner be taking a gander at?
[Misfit was the haberdashery owned by Sol Berman at 120 Woodward Avenue. The headline below is like something out of the Onion. - Dave]
Anywhere you want
Submitted by Dennis M on Sun, 02/06/2011 - 1:12am.
There do not seem to be much in the way of parking regulations yet. Check out the street in front of the hotel.
Cheep lodgings
Submitted by Benjamin on Sat, 02/05/2011 - 11:36pm.
Henry Ford had a purple martin bird house at his home Fairlane that he called the Hotel Pontchartrain. Don't know if Albert Kahn was the architect.
You'd Almost Think
Submitted by Mal Fuller on Sat, 02/05/2011 - 8:44pm.
Apparently, the plethora of windows was no offset for the paucity of bathrooms.
Nice Cleanup Dave
Submitted by kbreenbo on Sun, 02/06/2011 - 11:20am.
I downloaded the original image from the LOC a while back. You've done a very nice cleanup job for the Shorpy site! Thank you.
[Thanks, but I didn't do any "cleaning up." - Dave]
My mistake. I'm confusing this image with a sister image you've previously posted that was pretty distressed.
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Today's Top 5