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Moonlight Tower: 1899
... story? All gone...nearly Corner of Woodward and Michigan Avenue. That's the old city hall at the left side of the photo. As ... commercial structure in Michigan is the Majestic Building, Detroit, occupied by the department store of C.A. Shafer ... Mr. Shafer uses ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/17/2020 - 10:35am -

Detroit circa 1899. "Majestic Building." And a good view of one of the "moonlight tower" arc lamp standards whose base can be seen in the previous post. Some of these towers are said to have made their way to Austin, Texas, where they are the sole remaining examples of their kind. View full size. Public TransportationIt looks like you don't have to wait long for a streetcar. The lady carries a swordI am intrigued by the statue in the lower right. Does she still stand? And what is her story? All gone...nearly Corner of Woodward and Michigan Avenue. That's the old city hall at the left side of the photo. As in the previous photo of the old post office, nothing in this photo remains today. Well, almost. You can see this cannon at the Dossin Great Lakes Museum on Belle Isle, as it was removed there when the city hall was razed in 1960. Snap, Crackle and Pop!The early carbon arc street lamps were not necessarily as popular an innovation as one might assume. I don't know what Detroit residents thought of theirs, but a similar system was installed in San Diego in 1886, and earned many bitter complaints from the residents. The lamps were too bright for one thing, and people who had grown up with candles and kerosene lantern lights were appalled by the harsh, blue-white arc lights that cast shadows deeper than the noonday sun. The company's solution was to raise the masts to as tall as 125 feet (below, in an 1887 photo), but it scarcely helped. And the heavy carbon rods were exposed to the moist and often foggy night air from the adjacent bay, resulting in an all-night racket of pops and small explosions that kept everyone awake. San Diego's carbon arc lamps lasted only to 1889, when the lighting company failed in a local economic collapse, but their removal was unlamented by the long-suffering residents. Peninsular ElectricThere's another tower at the next intersection. It must have been successful because I can't see any remains of the gaslights that must have preceded it. The Peninsular Electric Light Company was founded in 1891 to run Detroit's street lights. It seems there were 142 of them (but probably not 142 towers). Aglow in AustinI live about two miles from one of the "moon towers" in Austin. It's very high up, and shines brightly every night. Of course, there's lots of other light around, so it's hard to tell just how much it's casting. I've often wondered what it would look like if it were the only light source. Austin memoriesI'd forgotten all about these. I moved to Austin for college 40 years ago and lived near a light tower myself. It wasn't "the only light source," but Austin in those days was a much, much smaller town with far less light pollution than today. The artificial moonlight was noticeable from almost anywhere in town, as I recall. Check the Plaque DaveLooks like they bought them new in Austin. [Hello? The plaque doesn't have a thing to say about new or used. There are, however, plenty of references describing how the city of Austin bought 31 used towers from Detroit in 1894. - Dave] Sword carrying ladyThe lady is on the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, dedicated in 1872 to honor Michigan's Civil War veterans. The monument was moved about 100 feet a few years ago. RE: circaI know the Library of Congress says circa 1880-1899. But I think this might be 1902. Because the sale signs say, "A BUSINESS REVOLUTION Change of Ownership-Management". Which jibes with this, from 1902: Pardridge & Walsh, dry goods merchants, for many years at the corner of Woodward avenue and Congress street, purchased the immense stock and fixtures of C. A. Shafer in the Majestic building for about $140,000, and continued the management of both stores until the end of the year. [Finish reading the signs and you'll see that the photo shows C.A. Shafer moving into the building, not out of it. This negative is listed in the 1899 Detroit Publishing catalog. - Dave] Cadillac SquareIf that's the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in the lower left right (as identified in earlier posts of Cadillac Square), then I'm guessing this photo was taken from the Hotel Pontchartrain. Eight Storeys in the Naked CityFrom Printer's Ink, July 5, 1899: "The finest commercial structure in Michigan is the Majestic Building, Detroit, occupied by the department store of C.A. Shafer ... Mr. Shafer uses eight floors and the basement." In 1901 Shafer was bought out by Pardridge & Blackwell. This photo must date from between 1896, when the building was completed, and 1901, when P & B took over. Also, General William Booth (as advertised on the street banner) did a tour of U.S. cities in 1898. Appearing at the AuditoriumGeneral William Booth wasn't just any Salvation Army speaker, he founded the organization in 1878, after the 13 years that he and his wife Catherine spent leading his East End (London) organization, The Christian Mission, nee The Christian Revival Society, itself formed after his four unhappy years as a Methodist (they wanted him to take a pastorate, he wanted to travel and evangelize). Initially regarded as a crank, by the time of this photo both William Booth and his Salvation Army were highly regarded. I am wondering if The Auditorium refers to the Auditorium of the Detroit Museum of Art, which at the turn of the century was criticized for booking "shallow" speakers, not aligned with the "purposes for which the art museum was organized." (see: "Museum on the Verge," by Jeffrey Apt, Wayne State Press, 2001) 1896-1962The Majestic was Detroit's second skyscraper. Soldiers and Sailors MonumentThe lady in the lower right stands atop the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, which commemorates the civil war. The statue, as mentioned above, was recently moved about 100 feet, to accommodate the re-creation of a park in Campus Martius. Its still there and looks as good as the day she was unveiled. Stop in sometime and have a look. Its at the heart of downtown Detroit. Demolition of City HallThe corner of old Detroit City Hall is seen at the left edge of the photo. In one of the most notorious incidents in the history of Detroit, as preservationists and boosters alike fought to save the old city hall, an injuction was filed to stop the demolition. The contractor snuck a bulldozer into the site at midnight and demolished the portico on the front of the building, compromising the structural integrity of the edifice, and forcing the full demolition. Moonlight Towers in AustinThere are indeed remaining moonlight towers here in Austin. Seventeen of them are still in use, retrofitted with incandescent bulbs in, I think the 1950's. More info here. lick below to enlarge. So little trafficLots of streetcars. Some commercial drays. A handful of private coaches. And many pedestrians. Looks something like Moscow would have until the end of the Soviet Union. Plenty of space on those broad boulevards. Austin TowersSee all 15 Moonlight Towers - http://www.andymattern.com/moonlighttowers/ Majestic DemolitionI was one of the two crane operators that participated in the demolition of the building in 1962. We hoisted a small 10 ton Bantam crane and a small John Deere loader-dozer atop the building and slowly worked our way to the third floor where the building was becoming unstable. We removed the equipment and finished the demolition from the ground. I worked for Arrow Wrecking Co. for nearly 20 years and am now retired to Upper Michigan. The photos of the demolition brought back many fond memories of my old home town. Thanks. I wonderWho can read THIS from the street. Not all goneRDown3657 stated that everything in this photograph is gone. There are at least two buildings on Merchant Row that are still standing. The Vapley Building (look for Vapley Brother Shoes in the photograph) is currently being renovated into loft apartments, and the building immediately south with the arched windows (I do know know of a name for it- it is at 1401 Woodward at the corner of Grand River. There may be others still standing, but those are the only two I can identify with 100% certainty. And, of course, the Soldiers and Sailors statue still remains. (Technology, The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Detroit Newsies: 1905
... Journal newspaper and other businesses) in downtown Detroit, killing 37 people. The building engineer was arrested, accused of ... was only 4-5 blocks long from Grand Circus Park south the Michigan Avenue. The road changed names - south of Michigan Avenue to the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/03/2017 - 4:26pm -

Detroit circa 1905. "Journal building at Fort and Wayne." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. What a BlastThis is the new Journal Building. Ten years earlier, on November 8, 1895, in one of the state's worst accidents, a boiler exploded in the Journal Building (home of the Detroit Journal newspaper and other businesses) in downtown Detroit, killing 37 people. The building engineer was arrested, accused of going to a saloon rather than watching the water levels in the boiler system. The building shown has been torn down and replaced with an office building that occupies the block along Second St. (FKA Wayne St.) from Fort St. north to Layfayette. Still Life OwlographyThose owls really work -- not a pigeon in sight. Reardon Parshall Printing CoBehind the Journal building is a sign advertising the Reardon Parshall Printing Company. It stayed in business until the 1970's or 80's I believe, as a financial printer. I used to do business with it when it was at 550 West Fort. Wayne StreetWayne Street is about 3-4 blocks east of Second Street. On all of the old Detroit maps I have seen, Wayne was where today's Washington Boulevard is. Back in the day, Washington was only 4-5 blocks long from Grand Circus Park south the Michigan Avenue. The road changed names - south of Michigan Avenue to the Detroit Riverfront was known as Wayne Street. (The Gallery, Bicycles, DPC, Kids)
New Detroit: 1913
Detroit, Michigan, circa 1913. "Dime, Penobscot, and Ford buildings." 8x10 inch dry ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2012 - 2:31pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1913. "Dime, Penobscot, and Ford buildings." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Sense of immensityThat's the feeling I have about this spectacular photo. And vertigo, also. Can even smell the smoke. I like it very much. Three PenobscotsIn the mid 1980s when I was in my early 20s, I worked on the 11th floor of the Ford Building. There was still a full-serve Sanders Cafeteria and store at ground level. At lunch during the 1984 World Series Champs Detroit Tiger parade, we watched the likes of Kirk Gibson, Lance Parrish, Alan Trammel, Lou Whitaker, Tommy Brookens, Jack Morris, and skipper Sparky Anderson travel east down Congress Avenue. The three Penobscot Buildings always confounded me as well. The J.L. Hudson Department Store had closed by the time I worked downtown. I was always disappointed that I never visited that store as an adult. A Little Early for the Penobscot? I just found out the iconic Penobscot building was not built until 1928. I can see the Dime building have identified the Ford building (at one time the tallest building in Detroit). I wonder if there was a prior building on site with that name--I doubt it after reading that the origin of the name is the Penobscot River (and Native American tribe) of Maine. [There are, in 2011, three Penobscot Buildings on this block. At the time of this photo, there were only the first two. (If you look closely, you can see the word PENOBSCOT above the entrance on the taller one.) - Dave] (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Detroit Publishing: 1910
Detroit, Michigan, circa 1910. "Detroit Publishing Company, east front." The mothership ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 12:38pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1910. "Detroit Publishing Company, east front." The mothership for much of the large-format photography seen here. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Home Sweet HomeHow nice to finally see the home of so many of the fascinating images that bring us to this site! The building appears to have been recently enlarged; the wing to the right of (and including) the vestibule appears to have newer mortar joints which give that section of the building a lighter appearance. What really fascinates me are the varied brick patterns which have been used to great advantage in the otherwise rather ordinary facade. Basketweave and chevron patterning adds interest beyond the arches and corbeled cornice. I suspect that the odd window in the three-story section was the original entry before the addition. Thanks for the trip home, Dave! Don't forget to wipe your feetI bet the janitor's job was a nightmare on rainy days. Photo by ...It would have been hilarious if this photo had been taken by somebody other than the Detroit Publishing Co.! (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
A Lot of Cars: 1942
July 1942. "Detroit, Michigan. Looking down on a parking lot from the rear of the Fisher Building." ... [The Fisher Building is an office tower in downtown Detroit, not an auto body plant. - Dave] I just thought it was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/30/2023 - 1:30pm -

July 1942. "Detroit, Michigan. Looking down on a parking lot from the rear of the Fisher Building." Photo by Arthur Siegel for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Nowa Lot more! All growed upInteresting to look at the size of the "slots" and the actual size of the vehicles parked in them. From when the auto body plant was built til the time of the photo, cars had sure undergone a growth spurt. Wonder how that lot made out in the mid-fifties when automobile took a really big jump in size. Perhaps most of all in the creations coming from this very place. [The Fisher Building is an office tower in downtown Detroit, not an auto body plant. - Dave] I just thought it was a factory -- my mistake. Is the building named for the same person that ran the design and manufacturing company? [Did you click on the link? The Fisher family financed the building with proceeds from the sale of Fisher Body to General Motors in the 1920s, after which it was known as the GM Fisher Body Division. - Dave] Kid friendlyThe tunnel under West Grand Boulevard, from "The Golden Tower of the Fisher Building" to GM headquarters, where you could see the Soap Box Derby winning cars on display in the lobby. Or the new models from the General Motors Five. Like so many other places in '50s Detroit: the Ford Rotunda, J.L. Hudson Co. downtown in December, the little trains at the Detroit Zoo, the Vernor's bottling plant at Woodward and Grand Boulevard, the model railroad layout in the basement of the Detroit Historical Society, the lobby of the Guardian Building, etc. There was no admission charge for many of these adventures, which fit the family budget nicely. My father was a shrewd family time investor. [Strictly speaking, the Ford Rotunda was in Dearborn. - Dave] A lot of carsIs that what it's called? Like a school of fish, or a pride of lions, or a murder of crows (my favorite). (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos)
Mint, Sage, Caraway and Thyme: 1942
July 1942. "Birmingham (near Detroit), Michigan. Herbs and kitchen utensils in a house in Birmingham." 4x5 inch ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/19/2023 - 8:38pm -

July 1942. "Birmingham (near Detroit), Michigan. Herbs and kitchen utensils in a house in Birmingham." 4x5 inch Kodachrome transparency by Arthur S. Siegel for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Point of orderI found myself wondering why the caption was in a different order than the bottles, but then I deduced that this was taken in Scarborough. Secret IngredientThe wad of chewed gum on the shelf is a nice touch. Secret IngredientI sure hope that is gum on the shelf!!! Well used toolsI like the patina of age and use on the various cooking utensils. The handles tell that these have been used often to make meals for whomever they belonged to, and their family. The small pan was probably used to melt butter or lard. Nice rackSomeone had to say it. "Nice rack" - ?No. Actually, no. Nobody had to say that. I see fiveI think there's a dab of spearmint visible, too. Still in useChange the handles of some of those utensils to red and white and you can find them in my kitchen. Metal and mintI love photos like this, which provide a glimpse of daily life in the past. Those are great utensils! Looks like they had all ready been around for quite a while, by then, but still had lots of use left in them. I watch secondhand stores for such things, and have several I use. I'd like to know how she used that mint. I'll bet it was from her garden! Utensil RingsThe four utensils on the right had an identical threaded metal ring screwed into each handle end to allow it to hang on a hook. The ring on the end of the small skillet was too big for the hook, and it appears a bit of force was used to make it fit. This was clearly a time before stainless steel. I like the detail of the rough plaster wall - I'd love to see the rest of the kitchen. Any related images? NostalgicI'm pretty certain some of those utensils are probably still in use by someone. Some of my favorite kitchen gadgets are those that belonged to my mom and grandmother in the '30s and '40s. They are still in great condition, whereas a lot of what I bought when I got married in 1969 only lasted a couple of years. Wabi, sabiPerfect examples of the Japanese qualities of wabi and sabi. The enjoyment of the slight imperfections in objects which are in everyday use, especially those which are hand-made, and of the honest wear which accumulates on such objects. Scarborough Fare?They must've run out of parsely and rosemary. These old implementsThey remind me of my grandmother's 'polenta' paddle, which I still use for stirring pasta. Polenta is basically corn meal mush. The paddle is a wooden device similar to the spatula-like thing third from left, but made of wood and about 2 inches wide by 1/4 inch thick. The one I have is over 100 years old, as my grandmother got it when she was first married in 1908. I got it when I moved into my first apartment in '73. Can't remember how many times I got my butt warmed with that paddle! (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Arthur Siegel, Kitchens etc.)
The Tuller: 1914
Detroit, Michigan, circa 1914. "Hotel Tuller, Grand Circus Park." 8x10 inch dry plate ... picture of a similar "night lunch" wagon on the streets of Detroit, sporting the name of a locally famous hotel that may be familiar to ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 10:39pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1914. "Hotel Tuller, Grand Circus Park." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. "Half-ironed pants"More on the Tuller from Forgotten Detroit. [Also has its own Wikipedia entry. - Dave] The Ol' Lunch WagonThese antecedents of modern-day diners and catering trucks were common features on the streets of large cities at this time, and were often left at construction sites or in places where lots of people were working late shifts in order to quickly feed the workers there. Here is a picture of a similar "night lunch" wagon on the streets of Detroit, sporting the name of a locally famous hotel that may be familiar to regular Shorpy followers. Re: Quick LunchSure looks like a diner. Those steps look treacherous. They also look like they could be mass produced. Right across the street.Is that the corner of a diner on the right? I'd like to see pictures of that. Windows without glass?In the first level beneath what might be a penthouse, there appear to be several windows without glass or sashes. Also, is that a church next door? [The side-hinged casements open in. On the left is the Universalist Church of Our Father. - Dave] AfterthoughtThat top floor looks like they added it after the building was completed.You can't say they didn't get full use of their site! Every square inch is occupied! [The top floors were added in 1914. - Dave] Here in DetroitTwo 1914 period Detroit Electrics, identified by their stylish curved front corner windows, at home in their city. Is the intriguing "Qui..." on the right some kind of circus wagon? ["Quick Lunch." Grand Circus means "big circle," which was the shape of the park.- Dave] ElectricLooks like two Baker Electrics in this picture. If I am wrong I am sure there will be an immediate correction. Go for a ride in one with Jay Leno. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Bike Shop: 1912
Detroit, Michigan, circa 1912. "Metzger bicycle shop. Detroit City Gas Co." This photo ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/13/2013 - 4:13pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1912. "Metzger bicycle shop. Detroit City Gas Co." This photo of a cycle (and phonograph) shop was taken to show off the gaslight fixtures. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. MotorcyclesI see four motorcycles on the left. An Excelsior Autocycle (Ignaz Schwinn was behind Excelsior motorcycles). Behind the Excelsior is a "camelback" Indian of about 1909 vintage, I think. Then another Indian and perhaps another Excelsior. In today's market those old motorcycles would extremely valuable and sought after by collectors. I think music, bicycles, and motorcycles would still make for a fun shop today. RiddleWhat do gramophones and bicycles have in common? No, seriously, I want to know. [Horns. - Dave] Flash!Is that the reflection of the magnesium flash going off behind the men? [It is! - Dave] Huber & MetzgerBill Metzger started the first retail automobile store in Detroit in the old Biddle house. He became the first independent auto dealer in Detroit and probably the US. Below, the Huber & Metzger bike shop at 13 Grand River Avenue. A hipster's dreamWhat beautiful bikes. As a cyclist, I would love to have one of them. Just like today's hipster bikesNo brakes - no coaster brakes, no hand brakes. All the with-it college kids are riding fixed gear bikes with no brakes these days. Safety third! FixiesAs far as I can see, none of the bicycles on offer have any brakes whatsoever. Such carefree times. Well that's puzzlingI don't see any light fixtures that look like gas burners. I'm not aware of any glass bell shades pointing down that were ever used on gas lights. I'm pretty sure I can see bulb sockets on the perimeter lights, although I can't quite make them out. The fixtures in the center of the room have pull-chain switches on them. [Each gas chandelier has a pair of pulls to regulate flow. Below is another example from Detroit City Gas Co. - Dave] An Odd MixThe left side of the shop has a good selection of Victor Talking Machines. The right wall has shelves of Edison cylinders . I think I see a Columbia at the back of the shop. And all those bicycles! What a combination. Mail CallI'd say those envelopes, in the showcases behind the Victrolas, hold recordings by John McCormick, Enrico Caruso, Rosemary Clooney and Elvis. Early ironSome of those "bikes" are motorcycles. Not all are bicyclesI spot at least two Indian and two Excelsior Auto Cycles on the left row and can't quite identify what is in back behind the two men sitting though I suspect another Excelsior. All NaturalNot single black tire in the shop. Everything is natural rubber. The sound of bikesI find it quite amusing that the two leading bicycle store chains in Israel, where I live, are called Matzman and Mintz. Something with the "TZ" sound drags people to deal with two wheeled vehicles, apparently! The 8-track of 1912Those shelved items on the right are music cylinders. Music discs were a growing market in 1912 but looks as if this shop's owner had a lot of inventory to move before he could think about selling discs. (Judging by their loose-looking packaging, I don't think the items in some sort of vertical envelopes on the shelves on the left are discs, although if they are, they're way outnumbered by the cylinders.) Some of the songs of the day: "She Pushed Me Into the Parlour," "Daddy Has a Sweetheart (And Mother Is Her Name)," "Ragtime Cowboy Joe," "When Irish Eyes Are Smiling," "The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi" and Irving Berlin's "Keep Away From the Fellow Who Owns an Automobile." Used MotorcyclesIt seems that these fellows dealt in used equipment as well, Indian Motorcycles produced the last Camelback gas tank single cylinder machine in 1908 (according to my father, who's the curator of a very large motorcycle museum). The Metzger Bicycle Concern would have a heart attack if they knew what that "old" Indian single was worth today. [This picture could just as well be from 1908. - Dave] Metzger Got AroundBill Metzger was also behind the Metz car, which has previously been a Shorpy subject. I learned that from a friend who I had sent this photo to. Gas and ElectricThe center fixtures are gas, but the perimeter fixtures are electric. Best of both worlds when electric lighting was not necessarily bright or reliable. Obsolete Stock The items on the left-hand shelf are most likely Victor records. Victor & Edison allowed their dealers to carry both lines, until Edison introduced a disc machine & Victor ordered its dealers to drop Edison. All of the cylinders appear to be 2 minute records, although Edison introduced the 4 minute "Amberol" cylinder in 1908. Both were about to be discontinued in late 1912, along with open horn machines. The celluloid "Blue Amberol" record and a new line of Amberola (inside horn) cabinet machines were introduced in the Fall of 1912. Dealers were then allowed to discount the 'wax' cylinders, to clear their stocks. By this time, Edison's consultants said people were "Victrola crazy", while Edison's cylinder business fell disastrously & Columbia quit cylinders altogether. Bicycles & gramophonesIt's what they don't have in common that matters. Bicycles sell well in warmer months when people are outdoors. Gramophones sell well in colder months when people are indoors. I believe this is Metzger's shop at 351 Woodward and not the one he shared with Huber. http://www.m-bike.org/blog/2010/12/11/metzger-bicycle-shop-in-1912/ (The Gallery, Bicycles, Detroit Photos, DPC, Motorcycles, Stores & Markets)
Avenging Angels: 1943
... up an assembly line at Ford's big Willow Run plant in Michigan, where B-24E (Liberator) bombers are being made in great numbers. The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/07/2021 - 1:11pm -

February 1943. "Looking up an assembly line at Ford's big Willow Run plant in Michigan, where B-24E (Liberator) bombers are being made in great numbers. The Liberator is capable of operation at high altitudes and over great ranges on precision bombing missions. It has proved itself an excellent performer in the Pacific, Northern Africa, Europe and the Aleutians." 4x5 acetate negative by Howard Hollem for the Office of War Information. View full size. Rosie the RiveterLooks like a Rosie the Riveter working on the platform on the right on the plane in the foreground. Her shoes don't seem appropriate for an assembly line, but shoes were probably in short supply in 1943. This is What Won the WarObviously, there were many, many factors that went into the Allied victory in WWII, but I think most historians agree that it was America's vast industrial capabilities, which allowed us to churn out bombers, fighters, tanks, ships, Jeeps, etc., by the tens of thousands that ultimately won the war. Girl powerRosie peeking up from a hole (someone who knows the correct name for that, please correct me) near the nose of the first plane is pretty cool. Rosie II, wearing fancy shoes with her overalls, inspecting something just to Rosie I's left. We can do it! Deceased "Liberator"There is a young man (James S. King) buried next to my grandfather who was a navigator on a B-24 called "Fickle Finger of Fate". He was killed in a bombing mission over Vienna, Austria on Oct 13, 1944. He was 23 years old. I try to decorate his grave every Memorial Day. https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=King&GSfn=James&G... Next stepsHow did the planes move from those positions? Were the elevated racks disassembled and reassembled each time or is there some kind of overhead crane system? Neat photo. Designed in One NightIn the book, "My Forty Years with Ford," Charles Sorensen, Ford's Chief Engineer discussed how this plant came about. During a visit to Consolidated Aircraft's plant in San Diego, it was proposed that Ford gear up to manufacture subassemblies that would be shipped to Consolidated. Sorenson declared they were not interested in such work but were prepared to manufacture the entire plane. Using the principles he had developed designing automobile plants all over the world, Sorensen stayed up all night in his hotel room sketching out the layout that would become the Willow Run plant which was up in running within 18 months. Aunt Betty's 1943 Willow Run ID CardAunt Betty's Willow Run ID card was found among her belongings after her passing in 2001. Postwar, she worked for the Detroit Times, then NY Times, then Northwest Airlines. A lifelong career girl, she was well-educated, well-read, well-traveled, and interested in everything except marriage. Barely a year after Pearl Harborthis incredible mobilization of American industrial might was fully underway. Walter? Oh, sorry pal.I know the Willow Run plant employed thousands, but I can't help myself. Every time I see a picture of the Willow Run plant in this era, I look for my grandfather. He worked there throughout the war and after, when Kaiser-Frazer took over the plant. I'm not even sure I would recognize the man I first knew twenty-plus years later, but I still look. There was even a song about them.Broadway, of course. Enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2X6EkUQ7DRw "More bombers to attack with, More bombers 'til the skies are black with ..." How'd They Do ThatHow the US produced so much for that war always amazes me. Looking at this picture makes me wonder how did the assembly process work here? Did each plane get moved up to the next work station after a certain number of assemblies were completed? Coordinating the timing of all that must have been a nightmare. Construction sequenceIt looks like the planes in the background, where they are in two rows rather than one, might be the same model but without the outboard wing sections attached. If so, they maybe assembled the fuselage and main wing sections where they could fit two rows into the assembly space and then moved them forward into a single row and added the wing extensions. Response to girl powerThe unfinished area of the nose you are referring to is just above the navigator's position and is the navigator's observation dome, AKA "astrodome". It was used to enable navigators to obtain fixes on stars when flying at night to establish the latitude over which they were flying. There were 18,482 B-24's made, the most of any combat aircraft ever made in the U.S. Willow Run Story on YouTubeThere's an excellent (and VERY detailed) 33 minute long video about the Willow Run plant and the B-24 assembly on YouTube. https://youtu.be/p2zukteYbGQ The Arsenal of DemocracyIn that very location in 2017 I participated in an attempt to achieve a world record of the "largest gathering of people dressed as Rosie the Riveter." I was only one small part, but altogether 3,734 of us broke the record. Several authentic Rosies attended as well, many of whom worked at Willow Run. The Flying BoxcarAmerica doesn't win wars, it overwhelms them. The Arsenal of Democracy! Moving UpThe sections of deck under the outboard side of the inboard engines, where the main landing gear were, were "drawers" that slid in tracks under the outer deck to allow rolling the plane forward to the next station. There is a separate "drawer" ahead of and behind the landing gear, the gap for the landing gear between the drawers is visible. At the left side of the picture foreground, it's where the temporary stairway is placed. It's neat that the decks stepped up to match the slight wing dihedral, maintaining ideal work height. The selection of Ford was appropriate, as the company understood mass production. The work items would have been divided up between stations so that all airplanes were ready to move up about the same time, with the planes in front moving up first. The timing probably followed Ford's standard practice, where an issue with a work step on a plane meant that the plane would come of the line, then be taken to a rework area to rectify the problem, without holding up the line. We toured Rouge in the early 50's, and the level of organization at that time was amazing. 13 leftI think I counted 13 B-24s in various states of assembly. As of 2021, there are only 13 complete B-24s left in the world. Only 2 are still flying. The rest are restored to museum displays. https://www.airplanes-online.com/b24-liberator-surviving-aircraft.htm Found photosWhile cleaning out my FIL's house, we found some snapshots taken by someone in a B-24 unit. We were able to identify the unit and I actually went to a reunion to see if anyone there could ID the photographer. No joy, but the slice-of-life photos made their way to someone doing a display for a USAF strategic missile unit which had inherited the original B-24 unit's number. I got a nice thank you for sending them, but never did find out who took them (FIL was in the MPs and his service dates don't match up) The production during WWII was nothing short of an all-out effort, coordinated by the War Production Board. Wikipedia has some details. Can you imagine something like that happening today, with all the bickering and nonsense we're currently experiencing? The HypeI always wondered why the B-17 got all the hype, pomp and glory while there were 50% more B-24s. Maybe Boeing had the better PR department? Flow chart San Diego And B-24 CutawayHopefully, I did it correctly. How the assembly line worksFortunately, the photo is very high resolution, so it's possible to deduce how these planes are moved and when. The platforms are wired with conduits on the floor, so they don't move. The planes have to be moved into position. The planes in the foreground with full wings attached all appear to be in the same state of construction. A clue is that the same uninstalled fairing piece is visible on top of each horizontal stabilizer. This means that the planes are most likely to be rolled into position between shifts, a whole batch at a time. We see eight planes in these workstations. That's a power of two, so it's a sensible batch size since the stations in the rear are dual column. Want to see what a B-24 looks like on the inside?Click on the link (US Air Force museum website) https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Disp... Scroll down and click on any of the "Cockpit360 Images" How'd they do that flow chartThis flow chart is part of a collection of Willow Run artifacts at The Henry Ford The Yankee Air Force is still based at Willow Run and also maintains a
Canal Parade: 1905
Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, circa 1905. "St. Mary's Canal celebration, parade on Ashmun Street." ... Charles W. Fairbanks. Other notables were the Governor of Michigan, Fred Warner, and the Solcitor-General of Canada, Rudolphe Lemieux. ... the Michigan Naval Militia, including the divisions from Detroit, Saginaw and Benton Harbor, under command of Commander Frederick D. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 11:20am -

Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, circa 1905. "St. Mary's Canal celebration, parade on Ashmun Street." 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing Co. View full size. Interesting vantageLook at the man standing on the telegraph pole above the "Western Express" sign. What the? The Wires!If there's ever been a Shorpy image with more wires in it, I haven't seen it. [It's why Bisbee was booming! - Dave] 45 Star FlagThe 45 star flag was the official flag of the United States from 1896 to 1908. It was created for the admission of Utah, and superseded on July 4, 1908 by the 46 star flag when Oklahoma joined the Union. The lineman incognitoWhat a view of the parade from the telegraph pole! Water balloons, anyone? Boot still thereDowner's pic of the modern scene is fascinating. Remnants of the boot ad painted on the far tall building remain. 50th Anniversary of Opening of Sault LocksThe occasion in this photo was the 50th Anniversary of the opening of Sault (also Soo) Locks or officially, the St. Mary's Falls Canal. The celebration took place on Aug. 2 and 3, 1905. The person standing and waving his hat in the lead carriage is the Vice-President of the United States (under Theodore Roosevelt), Charles W. Fairbanks. Other notables were the Governor of Michigan, Fred Warner, and the Solcitor-General of Canada, Rudolphe Lemieux. There was a huge regatta of naval and local vessels that went through the locks as part of the celebration. If you look to end of Ashmun Street, you can just see the funnel of a freighter tied up, ready to enter the locks. Canada is in the distance. [Information from City of the Rapids by Bernie Arbic] The Soo (as we liked to call it) was my home town. Reminds me of Paul Simon's song about My Little Town. SighThere's something rather sad about Sigma block now bereft of not just wires and parades and people but also of energy and excitement. In 1905 it was transformed. In 2011, it's just another drab, unattractive, empty street. Parade UnrestWhat a boring parade. I recommend some Shriners,a few high school bands and some pretty girls on floats. Maybe throw in a few Brownie troops to kick up the cuteness level a few notches. BAM! Sigma Block211 Ashmun St. Not a place for a parade these days. View Larger Map Fifth DivisionThis photograph appeared on page 8 in The Saint Mary's Falls Canal: Exercises at the Semi-Centennial Celebration at Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, August 2 and 3, 1905. The caption identifies the occupants of the leading carriage as Vice-President Charles W. Fairbanks and Michigan Governor Fred M. Warner. Military Parade and Review. Imposing indeed was the military parade which was the chief feature of the program this afternoon, presenting as it did two battalions of the Michigan militia, two battalions of United States regular infantry, three military bands and the first battalion of the Michigan naval militia as well as all of the distinguished guests who are making the celebration memorable by their presence. The parade opened at two o'clock on Ashmun street under the direction of Charles T. Harvey, Chief Marshal. In the first division was the First United States Infantry band and the first battalion of the First United States Infantry, under command of Major Robert N. Getty. In the second division was the Third regiment band of the Michigan National Guard, the second battalion of the Third regiment and the first battalion of the Third regiment, under command of Colonel Robert J. Bates. In the third division was the Calumet and Hecla band, the marines and sailors of the United States Navy from the U.S.S. Wolverine, under the command of Commander H. Morrell, U.S.N. The fourth division consisted of the first battalion of the Michigan Naval Militia, including the divisions from Detroit, Saginaw and Benton Harbor, under command of Commander Frederick D. Standish. The fifth division was composed of carriages bearing the guests of the city: The Vice-President of the United States; the Governor of Michigan and staff; with the Mayor of the city of Sault Ste. Marie; the Lake Superior Canal Commission; speakers at the commemorative exercises, including United States Senators and Members of Congress and representatives of the Dominion of Canada; the United States engineer and general superintendent in charge of the United States ship canal and engineers and general superintendents formerly in charge; the general superintendent of the Canadian Ship Canal; members of the Senate and House of Representatives of Michigan; State officials, and other distinguished guests. The following was the line of march: East on Spruce street to Bingham, north on Bingham to Portage, west on Portage to Ashmun, south on Ashmun to Spruce, west on Spruce to Magazine, north on Magazine to Portage, east on Portage to Ashmun, north on Ashmun to Water, cast on Water to Old Fort Brady Canal park, and thence on Water Front passing reviewing stand at Brady Terrace. The parade was reviewed from the stand in the lower park by Vice-President Fairbanks and Governor Warner, after which it dispersed. The pageant was witnessed all along the line of march by immense crowds of people, the crowds continuing to be one of the striking features of the celebration. With the immense crowds, the brilliant parade, the splendid decorations, the music of the bands and the cheers of the people the afternoon presented spectacles glowing with the spirit of the celebration, fully in keeping with the grandeur of the occasion and the splendid institution which gave it its inception. Ghost SignsThat old Battle Ax is still hanging around! Love that the artwork for Battle Ax and the boot for the shoe shop are still visible on the side of the building in the modern Google image! Which WatchThis one amazingly busy picture. I wish my photos could be this clear. Be that as it may, I could find two jeweler's clock signs. On the right, the Kiefer & Wenzl timepiece shows 11 a.m. I imagine this is the correct time. Across the street, an unknown shop has a watch hanging that is set for the usually correct twice daily, 8:18 AM or PM. There is a name on the clock face, that as sharp as this picture is, I can't make out. [H.B. Shellito. The clocks are both faux timepieces on real signs. - Dave] (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, DPC)
Second at Grand: 1942
July 1942. "Detroit, Michigan. View from Fisher Building of traffic at 5:30 on Second Avenue at ... is called Cadillac Place, and it's home to many State of Michigan offices. At the time of the photo, it was General Motors' ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/17/2022 - 10:53pm -

July 1942. "Detroit, Michigan. View from Fisher Building of traffic at 5:30 on Second Avenue at Grand Boulevard." Acetate negative by Arthur Siegel, Office of War Information. View full size. La Dolce VitaJudging by the age of the cars in this scene, life must have been good for Detroiters at that time. Very few of these vehicles are more than two models old. Surely that would not be likely in a comparable modern setting. But, then, who would be able to tell in any case? So realisticI wish I'd had a setup like that to play with when I was a kid. SpacingI’m struck by the non-bumper-to-bumper spacing between the cars. As well as the numerous diagonals in the arrangements of the cars, as though each driver looked hard left to see the front bumper of the car beside him. Kinder, gentler rush hour?Those rush-hour drivers of long ago were either remarkably well behaved or there were forces at work not visible in this fascinating photo. What seems to be missing here is a white-gloved traffic-directing cop out in the middle of a busy downtown intersection, or stoplights. As late as the mid-1950's, in my much-smaller than Detroit hometown, traffic-directing cops still held forth during rush hours in the downtown business area's two busiest intersections. Their body English was impressive, as was their patience. Even so, they usually had a whistle in their mouth and could issue a loud, shrill reprimand to anyone who even started to make a move out of turn. There's another interesting thing about this photo that might be lost on some viewers. Those city buses have signs on them, "Ride our tires." That was meaningful in a time when tires, like gasoline and batteries, were rationed because of the war. Less Grand viewHere's a more mundane view of the same corner today. The building on the left is called Cadillac Place, and it's home to many State of Michigan offices. At the time of the photo, it was General Motors' headquarters. The buildings on the right are long gone - they have been replaced by a small park. My wife remembers occasionally meeting GM folks at the bar on the corner after work - they claimed it was a convenient place to wait for traffic to clear. Everybody form a lineThe single-file (sidewalk-blocking) straight line running from the bus stop to the door of the General Motors Building is striking. The Arsenal of Democracy phase of Detroit's history was just getting started at the time of this picture. It would be interesting to see the congestion of bodies, buses and autos a year or two later. Now, that's a queue!Below is an aerial of the intersection of Second Avenue at Grand Boulevard today. Second went from a one-way street to a two. Since the building with the long and orderly line of people in front was General Motors headquarters, I'm guessing most of the vehicles we see are GM products. I hope so, because I am not seeing a lot of difference in the cars from this angle. I did notice running boards were disappearing. No lane stripesI'm used to seeing stripes painted on the road. Or at least temporary markers before they're painted on. Is driving on an unstriped road another lost art? Well-Ordered LineEven more amazing than the spacing of the cars is the well-ordered line of people waiting to board the bus at the left. I wonder if they all were able to get on. If not, there were more buses waiting to turn the corner. Lots of Little BusesThe City of Detroit Department of Street Railways ran a huge fleet of small front and rear-engine Ford Transit buses during World War II. After the war the buses were worn out and replaced with a smaller fleet of larger buses. More details of DSR buses here. New streamlined PCC streetcars arrived in the late 1940s, but the final trips took place in 1956. Many were sold to Mexico City, where they ran for decades more. The Happy CoupleIf you look closely, in the lower right corner, just to the left of the bar entrance, a young couple can be seen embracing, maybe kissing or even dancing, while an older man looks on. Betcha that was an interesting story. Ah, young love. (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos)
Little Shop of Butchers: 1900
... USDA inspections. Erased by the Cobo Center Polk's Michigan State Gazeteer and Business Directory had a listing for Smith & ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/19/2015 - 1:53pm -

Detroit circa 1900. "Smith & Yendall, Grocers." Also butchers of poultry, dressed and undressed, & cetera. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. View full size. Wooden Indian StatueBefore Detroit was known for making automobiles and other machines, it was known for two things: cigars and cast iron stoves. It used to be home to the worlds largest cast iron stove, and it sat outdoors in front of the State Fair Grounds on Woodward and 8 mile up until the '60s or '70's I believe. Anyway, the wooden indian statue to the bottom left was a very common sight in Detroit prior to the 1920's or so. Or, alternativelyShop of Little Butchers. Renumbered?Detroit renumbered all addresses in 1920. This might explain the variation, but not the change from odd to even side. More here. Those pig feetAppear to be rising out of the mold in the lower right hand corner of the plate. Must be cheaper than getting them from the farmer. Early Rotissserie?All those chickens hanging directly in the sun behind a piece of glass can't stay edible for long. Maybe the sun keeps them from smelling "fowl" long enough to get home and in the boiling pot. Or rotate them half a turn and at 4pm each day they're ready to eat. Either way I'm going to pass. This is another "how did people survive back then" pictures. Would today's housewife?Know what to do with those turkey necks. I bet the lady upstairs did. [As did my mother. -tterrace] Detroit renumbering33 Jefferson became 464 Jefferson in 1921 which puts the store smack dab in front of the Ren Cen across from the Blue Cross Bldg, which is 441 Jefferson. Early in the day.Judging by their aprons, it must be early, before work, or they changed their bloody aprons for clean ones... But really, what I want to know is why all the men have mustaches but no beards? Don't they realize how silly they look? Oh, of course they don't, or they would dress differently. :-) I'll BiteMy eyes need work but it sure looks like legs of something sticking up in the lower right corner. I take back everything I ever said about USDA inspections. Erased by the Cobo CenterPolk's Michigan State Gazeteer and Business Directory had a listing for Smith & Yendall, grocers at 458 West Jefferson Avenue in 1921. [The address on the sign says 33. - Dave] 33 JeffersonNot sure if east or west. If east, at Woodward by Joe Louis monument. If west, by Hart Plaza. The building, being smack dab in the center of downtown is, of course, long long gone. And can anyone identify what kind of critter or critters seem to have gone belly up in the lower right corner? & ceteraAt the bottom right I see what I assume to be a bunch of dead pigs on their backs, but I'm not sure what I see at the far lower left: a wooden Indian in front of a tobacco store? Lady Liberty crossed with a turkey? PhotobombedBy the spooky apparition in the third window from the left. WatchfulGood to know Mom's keeping a close eye on the boys from upstairs! Before the ButcheringHair is removed from the pig. One way is surrounding the pig with straw and setting it alight. Then the soot is scrubbed away. Butcher Shop LocationI am the great-granddaughter of the "Yendall" in the partnership of this picture. My grandfather assumed the partnership from his father. My grandfather lived as child (from age 3 in 1883) above the butcher shop. (Given the ages of the Smith & Yendall families, I am thinking this picture is from the 1890's and the 2 boys are my grandfather & his brother but can't be sure) He wrote his memories of the neighborhood and working in the shop which I have been transcribing. He states that the shop was on Woodbridge near First Street and that he began writing down his memories (in his seventies) when they flattened the area to build Cobo Arena. I would like to know how the identification of this building as being on Jefferson Ave came to be since it doesn't match with the information I have. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets)
Stuff It: 1922
Detroit, Michigan, circa 1922. "Balch School students." Note the bin at left marked ... of making intensive use of all available school space in Detroit, for a rapidly increasing number of children of school age, led to the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/21/2012 - 11:19am -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1922. "Balch School students." Note the bin at left marked "STUFF ME with waste paper." Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size. Higginbotham DesignNote that one of the architects of this school was William E. Higginbotham (1858-1922), perhaps a distant relative of Shorpy Higginbotham. Architectural Forum, 1922 Recent Developments in the Detroit School System The necessity of making intensive use of all available school space in Detroit, for a rapidly increasing number of children of school age, led to the adoption of a school administration system of the "platoon" type which has in late months been receiving careful study by school authorities from many parts of the country. It was seen to be necessary that classrooms be made to provide for more than one set of pupils and that the idea of individual, permanent desk and seat be abandoned. To dovetail into this plan was the well recognized importance of varying the work of the school day, and as finally worked out the "platoon system" provides for two entirely separate sets of pupils, one set using the classrooms while the others are engaged with other school work, this latter set using the classrooms when the first set has begun its out-of classroom session. The intermediate school consists of six 60-minute periods, with an hour for lunch. Each period provides both the recitation and the study activities under the teacher who gives instruction in the subject. Every one of the boys and girls takes an hour daily for exercise and shower bath. An auditorium is in use each period. From 70 to 200 or 300 students assemble each period to listen to lectures on social and civic affairs. George M. Balch Intermediate School, Detroit Malcomson, Higginbotham & Palmer, Architects This is one of the recent Detroit schools to be planned for operation on the "platoon system." It is of fireproof construction, with concrete and hollow tile floors. The exterior is of mingled shades of mat face brick with Indiana limestone trimmings. The building accommodates 1,080 pupils and was erected in 1920, when the cost of building was at its height, for $608 per pupil, or 55 ½ cents per cubic foot. +89 Still Pretty Much The Same (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Education, Schools)
Theatre Comique: 1910
Detroit, Michigan, circa 1910. "Theatre Comique." Bring the kids! 8x10 inch dry plate ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 10:55pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1910. "Theatre Comique." Bring the kids! 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Wow!Courtesy and refinement! Safety and comfort! Those other joints make you choose. For my 5 centsCan I stay as long as I like? Oh wait. I can't rememberthe last time I caught a show with some extraordinary equilibrists. Over nine hours for a nickel!What a steal! Where else can one hang out for that long in an enjoyable atmosphere and not be called a wayward vagrant. Years ago an unemployed friend of mine was picked up for vagrancy charges when he was simply standing on a city street for too long and it seems they determined he was a criminal because he had less than 40 cents in his pockets and no job. Why, this nickel would have bought him over a week of shelter and amusement, not to mention being entertained by the Great Shomers (and avoided a police record) all the while. Youse guys got a lotta class! As an aside, I'm pretty sure that leaving several baby strollers unattended on the sidewalk today would mean they would be long-gone when the show was over. What can we get for a nickel today? Not even a postage stamp or a gumball. We ain't got no class. Above AllIt's all HIGH CLASS ! 1249 BroadwayThe Theatre Comique, whose roots in Detroit go back to 1849, was renamed the Comique Theatre when it started showing motion pictures around 1920. This Week's Bill Smith & Adams: A Scream. The Great Shomers: Equilibrists Extraordinary. Physical Marvels. (possibly William Eugene Shomers and Frances Mae Hatfield.) Billy Hines: A Top Notch Comedian. George Deonzo: (possibly of the Deonzo Brothers, famous Barrel-jumping acrobats. DisclaimerBest show in town ... for the money. Translation: "Hey, whaddya expect for five cents?" Broadway, Detroit styleAccording to Craig Morrison's 2006 book "Theaters" (published by the Library of Congress and W.W. Norton), this place was at 1249-1251 Broadway (presumably using the post-1921 building numbering system). Designed by locally-born theatre architect C. Howard Crane, it was initially named the Crystal Theatre when it opened in 1905, but reopened at the Comique in 1908. The location is now a small parking lot, beneath the People Mover and next to a suit store called The Broadway. Beckoning Theater Front but it is the bar next door that must been a work of art, what with the beautiful stained glass windows. The back bar which I can just visualize had to be a classic of the period. Zee high class theatre! Theatre Comique is French for "Funny Theater" One might guess that using the French spelling make it look like a high class act? At least a dollarwas required in some places to avoid being classified as a vagrant. My father worked for a large plumbing company in the late 20s and 30s and was sent all over the country. He always carried one Morgan silver dollar at all times. In fact, he carried it for so long that it wore slick with just a trace left of the liberty head. I foolishly traded it at the bank for a newer one back when you could do so. I never thought about how it likely kept him from being arrested as a vagrant. Also on the bill"Self Explanatory Animated Pictures" Motion pictures *and* live entertainment? A true multimedia experience! All the while being "High Class", with "Courtesy and Refinement." More Entertaining Surroundings?If I could go back in time, I think I'd rather grab a stogie from the shop on the far right, and then walk into the door on the far left. Clear BootsSomeone else must notice the blurred figure of a man on the left (top hat and all) standing on the sidewalk. Camera mishap? "ghost?" Why are the boots clarified while the body and head remain blurred? [When you're walking, your feet are the only parts that stop moving forward, if only for a fraction of a second, each time you make a footfall. - Dave] (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Koh-I-Noor: 1902
Detroit, Michigan, circa 1902: "Window display, art and drafting supplies." Our second ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/13/2011 - 11:52pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1902: "Window display, art and drafting supplies." Our second look at Richmond & Backus, printers, binders and "office outfitters." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. The reflections are interestingBeyond the scope of the photograph, the reflections in the window are intriguing. I see an Army recruitment center across the street. Is this enough clues for someone to come up with an address? [111 Woodward Avenue. - Dave] Window GlassInteresting reflections!I think the male reflection is the photographer. French CurvesDarn! Those sure are some sexy French Curves in that window!!! Same in 1982 as 1902Most of the items and brands in this window were still what we used in architecture school 80 years after this was taken. It's only in the last 15 or so years most of these drafting supplies became rare - everything's on computers now. The Fox in the HatHubba hubba! Take our brief survey.Looks like surveying scales mixed in with the drafting implements. Richmond & Backus adFrom the 1902 Detroit City Directory. Perhaps created in the "bohemian lair with lots of flair." Cuff GaitersThat's what I need to keep the AutoCAD smears off my shirt! Office ImplementsI have a cased surveyor's tape almost identical to the one on the far left; our son gave it to me some years ago (hand-me-up?), purchased from the Greenwich Observatory gift shop. And it's been forever since I last saw those circular erasers, although these don't have the conveniently attached brush! Hand-me-downsWhen I went into art school, Dad presented me with one of his sets of Koh-I-Noor drafting sets (he was a mechanical engineer - heating, cooling, and refrigeration). They had stood him in good stead for over 30 years. I gave them to my brother about 20 years ago and he's still using them for projects. Hopefully, his son will get them. A Different Skill SetHow much "hand skill" went into drafting! We've all crossed the borders between eras in some way; I remember practicing my alphabet in college at 19 (or I should say relearning), and now it's point-and-click. I'm honest enough to admit that saying I miss the pencil and eraser sounds old, and watching a good CAD draftsperson is like watching magic, but producing a good drawing with your head, your eye, AND your hand -- a different skill set. Library Paste ... Yum!Some big jars of great smelling minty tasting paste there, just waiting to be nibbled on! Dear SantaWith Christmas fast approaching, can you go back in time and get me that Thatcher High-Precision Slide Rule? It's the grooved drum in the top center of the display. In my time they cost one or two thousand, can we strike a deal on this one? Railroad curvesI have a box like that sitting on my drafting table at work loaded with railroad curves. It even has the two hook latches to keep the lid closed. And it looks like engineering or architectural scales in a circular holder on top of the box. Leaning on the box is a range pole, with three Philly Rods and targets in the window. I still have my Koh-I-Noors in a drawer at work - but I haven't used them in years. DetailsThis picture is a perfect example of why I love this site so much. The small details and the memories they trigger are fascinating. E. Faber The School Journal, Vol. 59, 1899 The lead pencil and paper has largely taken the place of the slate and pencil in school, and no wonder. Cleanliness is one consideration and not the only one. The pencils of E. Faber, New York, and Chicago, will be found of an excellent quality. He also manufactures standard sorts of pen-holders, rubber erasers, rulers and other articles in this line. Sign of the timesIn the upper left is Prang's Standard Alphabet - which, among other things, could be used as a standard for sign painting. If that copy still exists in good condition, it might be worth quite a bit (though possibly not as much as the linked first edition.) ComputerWould the device prominently displayed center top of the case be used to convert various measurements to drawing scale? Thacher's Calculating InstrumentThe device at the center of the top shelf is Thacher's Calculating Instrument. It is a cylindrical slide rule, four inches in diameter and 18 inches long. The inner cylinder rotates and slides longitudinally within 20 scales. These give the instrument an effective length of 30 feet and an accuracy of up to five digits. Basically, it's a slide rule on steroids. They are very desirable today and bring in excess of $2,000 at auction. Koh-I-Noor: 1902 extended through at least 1959I was a photo interpreter and photogrammetrist in the USAF during the years 1956-1960. Part of the equipment issued was a "P.I. Kit", offering most of the tools required for those jobs. Kit included a sheaf of Koh-I-Noor pencils. Very good for their purpose: Drawing precise lines on an acetate overlay that would eventually be photographed and printed as a (Sectional Aeronautical) Chart. After my service, some folks presumed my "USAF" implied I was a pilot. "What did you fly?" "Koh-I-Noors". (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets)
East Grand: 1910
Detroit, Michigan, circa 1910. "East Grand Boulevard." 8x10 inch dry plate glass ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 04/26/2018 - 12:56pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1910. "East Grand Boulevard." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Expected to See More CarsThe Packard Motor Car Co. relocated from Warren, OH to 1580 East Grand Boulevard in 1903 - cannot be that far away. Here it is 7 years later in 1910 and the car to horse ratio is about even. And it appears that a model T and not a Packard is heading our way. ObservationsComparing the last couple of Shorpy pics of Detroit versus recent Google street view, I can't help but notice that there almost seems to be more activity (people, vehicles) in the old pics versus recent Google street views. I just traveled down East Grand Boulevard on Google and couldn't help but notice an amazing number of vacant lots and empty streets for a city the size of Detroit. Where is everybody? Sad but Simple Explanation"Where is everybody" Much of Detroit has been depopulated over the last 50 years. Entire neighborhoods can have just one or two occupied houses per block. The city wants to consolidate the remaining residents in fewer neighborhoods and return the vacant areas to their natural state to save money on city services such as public transport and street lighting. Detroitrayray asks where is everybody in Detroit? Detroit's peak population was 1.8M in 1950. Starting in the 50s, people began moving out to the suburbs. Now, the population is around 700K. That means Detroit needs just over a third of the homes it had in 1950, so you get vacant lots and abandoned buildings. There are the same number of city streets, but just over a third of the folks to populate them. There are interesting things happening in Detroit now. We'll see if it's enough to reverse a 60+ year trend of declining population. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
W@F: 1942
July 1942. Detroit, Michigan. "Street scenes in the downtown business section. Cars waiting for a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/29/2023 - 3:37pm -

July 1942. Detroit, Michigan. "Street scenes in the downtown business section. Cars waiting for a traffic light on a street with traffic markings." More specifically, Woodward Avenue at Farnsworth Street as seen from the Maccabees Building. 4x5 inch acetate negative by Arthur Siegel for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Hi-yo Silver!The Maccabees Building housed WXYZ radio which debuted the "Lone Ranger" radio serial on January 30, 1933. The building is now part of Wayne State University. Shorpy NoirAnd there Shorpy was, right where he said he'd be, standing by the lamppost on the corner of Woodward and Farnsworth. He was taking the foil off a strip of Wrigley's. Poor guy, he went through a pack of gum faster than he used to go through a pack of menthols. He kept staring at the manhole cover in the intersection. He had a sad look, like a guy who had just been jilted by a dame he really loved. Knights and Green HornetAs a native Detroiter and Wayne State University alumnus, The Maccabees Building is very familiar to me. Designed by Albert Kahn (Detroit's resident architect) and built in 1927 by the Knights of the Maccabees, a fraternal order, they offered low-cost life insurance to their members. When they moved out of the city the building was taken over by the Detroit Public Schools and then Wayne State University. It also housed the studios of radio station WXYZ, which in the 1930s and '40s broadcast the Lone Ranger and the Green Hornet on the Mutual Broadcasting System. At WSU in the early '70s I took a meaningless class in Radio Production just so I could work in those studios. By then the studios were the home of WDET, the educational station in Detroit and local affiliate for National Public Radio. Also, in the picture, notice the streetcar. Detroit once had a quality mass transit system but with the quick expansion of the city and the lower cost of buses, it became too expensive to operate and was slowly dismantled by the 1950s. Silver StreaksIt was awfully easy to spot Pontiacs in those days. Dollar for dollar you can't beat a Pontiac! (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos, Streetcars)
Sidewalk Squadron: 1942
July 1942. "Detroit, Michigan. Boys and a girl on bicycles." 4x5 inch acetate negative by Arthur ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 01/19/2023 - 9:26pm -

July 1942. "Detroit, Michigan. Boys and a girl on bicycles." 4x5 inch acetate negative by Arthur Siegel for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Thanks for that caption, FSA!Without it, I would never have realized I was looking at boys and a girl on bicycles. [The captions are a finding aid for researchers who may not have access to the negatives they describe, or to avoid having to take the negative out of its sleeve, and also because it can be hard to figure out what you're looking at in a negative image. - Dave] Omira Avenue??Brick house on the right a spitting image for my grandmother's house. Same pipe fence around the pride-and-joy 6-foot lawn. AhoogaI had (actually still have) one of those horns on my bicycle which I got around 1948. No batteries required and really LOUD. Captions MatterIn regards to GlenJay's comment: having slogged through 12 linear feet of uncataloged negatives and prints in a local museum, I can verify that even a bare bones caption dramatically reduces a researcher's workload. Bike BreedsTwo Cleveland Welding Company (CWC) "Roadmaster" bikes (one slightly older) ca. 1937-1941. From the Vintage American Bicycles website, "CWC started producing bikes in September of 1935." The third boy's bike appears to be badged Winton, though that company stopped making bicycles before 1900; but hundreds of badges were placed on various makers' models. Cannot ID the girl's bike, but it is certainly the de rigueur 1940s "girly" color model. Remember the days when your bike handles fell off and you were left with cold steel? Bell Bottom BluesSailor, Tuck in those pant legs, or else a member of the Sidewalk Squadron is going to make unwanted contact with it! Child retirees ??We hear so much about restrictions on automobile tires during the war, but what about bike tires ? Were they similarly rationed, or was it just too minor an issue to bother with? (that would be hard to believe: it's seems like nothing was "too minor to bother with" during WWII.) Waiting for someone to identify the models: I thought one was a Schwinn, but the spelling is wrong (unless they omitted one of the "N"'s as a wartime economy measure!) [Roadmaster, Winton, ???, Roadmaster. - Dave] Rubber shortageGlancing at the front bike tires made me think of rubber rationing and if bike tires were rationed. Of course. Immediately after Pearl Harbor ALL rubber was rationed/banned for most civilian use from tires to hot water bottles to rubber shoe soles. I had never heard of these but there were Victory Bicycles built during the war to aid with transportation. Less metal by weight, elimination of the frills, small amounts of strategic metals, narrower size tires. Neat photo today that had me diving into bikes in WW2. Is that a rock?Why hang a rock from your handlebars? And if it's something else -- what is it? [The girl has one, too! - Dave] Not an onion, but ...with apologies to Abe Simpson, "So I tied a rock to my handlebars, which was the style at the time!" My mom (b 1942) told me that in Des Moines in the '50s it was popular for girls to tie a thread around the neck of a dime store chameleon and pin the other end to your blouse so the little lizard could walk around on your shoulders. Crackerjack outfitThe guy on the left has a sailor hat and bellbottoms. Was there a high school Naval ROTC equivalent at the time? (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Bicycles, Detroit Photos, Kids)
Smoke on the Water: 1905
... Chicago River from Rush Street would be looking towards Michigan Avenue one block to the east. But I don't see the Michigan Avenue Bridge. Can anyone help? I'm guessing the Rush Street Bridge ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/20/2012 - 9:53am -

Chicago, 1905. "Chicago River east from Rush Street Bridge." Detroit Publishing Company glass negative, Library of Congress. View full size. Sticky fingers?This must have been a popular plate. Quite a few fingerprints on this one. [It's mostly a handprint. - Dave] Tall ShipThe tall ship on the left is a bit of a surprise--wonder was it commercial as well? And the two guys on the tug barge--I'd like to see closeups of them. They've got a great vantage point! Is this bridge gone now?I looked at a map and I don't see a bridge at Rush Street. I've only been to downtown Chicago a couple of times, but looking east down the Chicago River from Rush Street would be looking towards Michigan Avenue one block to the east. But I don't see the Michigan Avenue Bridge. Can anyone help? I'm guessing the Rush Street Bridge was torn down after this photo was taken and the bridge at Michigan Avenue was built later. [Google "Rush Street Bridge" and you'll have the answer in about 10 seconds. - Dave] Spencer, Bartlett warehouseThis leading hardware dealership was the descendant of a Chicago store called Tuttle, Hibbard & Co., which took that name in 1855 when William G. Hibbard became a partner. In 1865, Hibbard was joined by Franklin F. Spencer, and the enterprise was renamed Hibbard & Spencer. By 1867, the company's annual sales of hardware had reached $1 million. When longtime company employee A. C. Bartlett became a partner in 1882, the company's name became Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co. When Spencer died in 1890, the company was already among the leading wholesalers of hardware in the United States. In 1903, the year Hibbard died, the company opened a 10-story warehouse next to State Street Bridge in downtown Chicago. In 1932, the company introduced a new line of hand tools under the brand name "True Value." -- Encyclopedia of Chicago History The SchoonerThe three masted schooner tied up by Kirk Factory #2 is very much a commercial vessel. She's showing her age too. These ship would have stayed in service for years after steamers became common. They'd stay in service pretty much until they wore out. Probably the most famous fishing schooner of them all, the Bluenose (the ship on the Canadian dime) was in commercial service in 1946when she went down off of Haiti. Tug Harry C. LydonThe tug, Harry C. Lydon, was built in 1898 in Benton Harbor, MI. (Maritime History of the Great Lakes). She was employed by the Chicago and Great Lakes Dredge and Dock company which was a subsidiary of the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock Company, which still exists. The tug's namesake, Harry C. Lydon, was vice-president of the Chicago & GT Lakes D & D Co. and brother of William A. Lydon, President and co-founder of the Great Lakes Dredge and Dock company. Harry died in November 1903 at age of 32. The tug is towing a barge of what appears to be dredge spoil, perhaps related to the project referenced in the following article. Detroit Free Press, Sep. 6, 1904 CHANNEL WORK PROGRESSING Toledo, September 5. - Great progress has been made with the enlargement of the straight channel. Manager Murray, of the Chicago and Great Lakes Dredge and Dock company, which is doing the work, said yesterday after examining the work out in the bay, that the inner end of the channel will be finished by early in November. Thus there will be a channel 400 feet wide and twenty-one feet deep from the crib lights to the Wheeling bridge. Next summer the outer and shorter end of the channel from the crib range to the new harbor light will be completed. Rio DetroitSon geniales, me encantan!!! :)) (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Chicago, DPC)
Sauceress: 1956
1956. "General Motors Technical Center, Warren, Michigan. Design Center interior with stair in background. Eero Saarinen, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/17/2019 - 9:13pm -

1956. "General Motors Technical Center, Warren, Michigan. Design Center interior with stair in background. Eero Saarinen, architect." Our second look at the reception disk and its pilot. Kodachrome by Balthazar Korab. View full size. Eames wire chairEero Saarinen was a close personal friend and sometimes collaborator with my long time employers Charles and Ray Eames. The wire chair here and I'm sure others elsewhere in the building are probably Eero's personal nod to that relationship, as well as an appropriate statement of 50's modernism. My wife observesThe cleaning staff probably hated getting under the bottom of that thing. Run for your lives!It's a Disneyland teacup gone rogue! (Actually it's pretty darn beautiful, and a million times better than the cheap laminate cubicle I'm stuck in all day.) Her sisterHer sister had a similar post in the Metalunan Air Force, as seen on the silver screen a year before Korab's Kodachrome. "This Island Earth" 1955. Detroit was a wonderI would compare Detroit from the 1920s to the 1950s to Silicon Valley. It attracted the best engineering talent. It generated a huge amount of wealth. Which attracted a huge pool of craftsmen and artists. I lived in the Detroit suburbs for a few years in the 2000s, and the works of architecture and design in the region are astounding. Ikea BowlAs stunning as that workplace is in terms of shape, color, texture and space, the poor woman looks like food. WeeblesWobble, but they don't fall down! Machine-Age BeautyThis lobby is, I think, the pinnacle of post-war mid-century modern design, and why I became an architect. Unfortunately, it only lasted until the end of the JFK 'Camelot' era, whereupon it went downhill faster than an Edsel sales chart - we lost the excitement, the exuberance of looking to the future in favor of the allure of the cheap, mass-produced, "get it today and throw it away tomorrow" culture we are currently mired in, as evidenced by every crummy strip mall, dull office park and 'McMansion' suburb. We gave up Marilyn Monroe and got Honey Boo Boo in exchange. Jane...his wife.This looks like something that George Jetson would have driven to work every day. It's a shame it doesn't have the bubble on top! Student Lounge FurnitureI know the table and sofa were very expensive and made by a Designer, but that's what furniture like that has always reminded me of. Gorgeous!If such words may be applied to architecture. Another Eero Saarinen classic! I love the colorful lighting effects. I wonder if they were permanent or just created for this photo. [There are no "colorful lighting effects." -Dave] The Design Center was just one part of the GM Tech Center. And it makes sense that they would want a dramatic visual statement in the place where artists are designing the next generation of Motorama show cars, Harley Earl's Buick LeSabre and later Bill Mitchell's Corvette Sting Ray. The exterior was constantly used as the backdrop for photos of GM's dream cars. I hope GM's corporate troubles of the last few years have not diminished their architectural legacy. I still hope to visit one day to see for myself. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Balthazar Korab, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Charles & Ray Eames)
Detroit, 1930s
... still stands and is the headquarters for Wayne County, Michigan. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery) ... 
 
Posted by bhappel - 09/28/2009 - 10:58am -

Downtown Detroit as seen from the Detroit River. The tall building flying the American flag is the Guardian building (built 1928-29). The Guardian building still stands and is the headquarters for Wayne County, Michigan. View full size. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
Moving Day: 1942
February 1942. Detroit, Michigan. "Riot at the Sojourner Truth Homes, a new U.S. federal housing ... 1,100 city and state police officers and 1,600 members of Michigan National Guard were mobilized and sent to the area around Nevada and ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 11/19/2013 - 7:18pm -

February 1942. Detroit, Michigan. "Riot at the Sojourner Truth Homes, a new U.S. federal housing project, caused by white neighbors' attempt to prevent Negro tenants from moving in. Moving vans convoyed by police department moving Negroes' furniture." Photo by Arthur Siegel. View full size. 'STruthContext for the riots here. 1,100 city and state police officers and 1,600 members of Michigan National Guard were mobilized and sent to the area around Nevada and Fenelon to guard six African-American families who moved into the Sojourner Truth Homes. Same spot 71 years laterEast Nevada at Ryan Road looking west ... the white house with the shed roof dormer is still there as is the plant on the left side of the photo (considerably altered now) Just up the streetMichigan State Troops in full dress set up camp in an empty field on Nevada Street across from the Sojourner Truth Housing projects on "moving day." Over 1,400 State and Detroit police and 1,000 Michigan State Troops were brought in to protect the 200 African American families set to move into the war housing projects and Fenkell and Nevada. Detroit News Photo Atchison Moving CompanyAtchison Moving Company (active into the 1980s) was an African-American business founded by Arreather Ray Atchison (1903-1989). Mr. Atchison invented a decorative television set-top antenna in 1949 (it looked like a sailing ship with a clock in its side). Arreather’s son, Leon H Atchison, became the first African American to be honored by Wayne State University (WSU) with the naming of a campus building – Leon H Atchison Hall (formerly South Hall). Among many achievements, Leon Atchison served as administrative assistant to Congressman John Conyers, served in the administration of Mayor Coleman Young (first as director of purchasing, later taking charge of the recreation department). He served multiple terms on the Board of Governors at WSU. (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos, Motorcycles)
A Higher Tower: 1942
... and transmitter antenna, returned to the airwaves as Michigan's first FM station, W45D. Today, WXYT-FM is owned by Audacy Inc. The ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/23/2022 - 12:31pm -

July 1942. "Top of Detroit City Hall dwarfed by the modern Penobscot Building in the background." Photo by Arthur Siegel for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. The Front-line Fallenmuch as in warfare, all of the buildings in the foreground are gone, all those behind them have survived (with some battle wounds). Of more interest, perhaps, this photo serves as a tutorial on the "Detroit's Highest" progression: the Hammond Building, to City Hall's left, and the Majestic, to the right, had each borne that title previously. Less than forty years separated the Hammond from the Penobscot; the latter would hold the title for fifty. [Among the background survivors are the twin towers of the Dime Savings Bank. - Dave] Eighth-tallest towerEighth-tallest building in the world when completed in 1928 (according to wikipedia). This beautiful 566-foot building has 45 above-ground floors and has Native American motifs in art deco ornamentation inside and out. As a kid driving downtown with my parents I loved seeing the Penobscot getting closer, crowned by the red-blinking tower on top. Penobscot AntennaThe Penobscot Building originally hosted AM radio station WBXWJ, owned by the Detroit News. The FCC, however, decided that FM was the future thing. So, in anticipation of the FCC's actions, the Detroit News began the process of replacing W8XWJ with an FM station. AM station W8XWJ went silent on 4/13/1941. Beginning on 5/13/1941, the new FM facility, employing W8XWJ's former Penobscot Building studios and transmitter antenna, returned to the airwaves as Michigan's first FM station, W45D. Today, WXYT-FM is owned by Audacy Inc. The transmitter and antenna are no longer on top of the Penobscot Building. Merry ChristmasDave, I don't know how to photoshop, but you get the idea. Thanks for creating such a great website. Thanks for letting me babble on it as much as you do. I hope you and tterrace et al. have Merry Christmas and a great 2023. Thank you Arthur SiegelFor your beautifully and strikingly composed and executed photograph. (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Detroit Photos)
Old Salts: 1910
Delray, Michigan, circa 1905. "Delray Salt Company." 8x10 inch dry plate glass ... no longer offer any tours. Delray Salt Co. Michigan Geological and Biological Survey, 1912. Delray Salt Co., Delray, Michigan. Incorporated, 1901. Capital stock $100,000. N. W. Clayton, Pres.; A. ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/08/2012 - 1:33pm -

Delray, Michigan, circa 1905. "Delray Salt Company." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Looks downright pleasantcompared to working in a coal mine. Oh the humidity!I hope they also have a Delray Rice Company in the same building. I wouldn't want to try and move that salt after a humid Delray summer. Salt tamperLook like some sort of tamper, with a massive wooden head. Probably just what's needed to get the casks packed tight. Family connectionMy great-grandpa worked here as a watchman. In 1905 Detroit annexed Delray. This salt mine is still in use and you can tour it! They don't look happyexcept for the kid in the cardigan sweater perhaps getting ready to leave. Sharing the mine?I drove a truck locally in Detroit a few years ago and made two or three deliveries to the Morton Salt Co. property that is very, very close to Delray. (It could actually be this same place.) I was just curious as to whether anyone knew if different companies shared the famous Detroit Salt Mines. I've seen pictures, but never read a company name attached to them. Much less sneezingThis salt mine may be stifling in the summer, but it is a LOT nicer than the famed PEPPER MINES of Grand Rapids. Those guys must have beeninsanely thirsty all the time! Good WoodIt's a good thing this is not a steel frame building. It would look just like our cars! De-touredI managed to get a tour in 1984, but since the delray salt mine has changed hands, and they no longer offer any tours. Delray Salt Co. Michigan Geological and Biological Survey, 1912. Delray Salt Co., Delray, Michigan. Incorporated, 1901. Capital stock $100,000. N. W. Clayton, Pres.; A. A. Nelson, Sec.-Treas.; Jos. P. Tracy, Gen. Mgr. This company operates both grainer and vacuum pan blocks and also manufactures table salt. The grainer block contains six cement grainers (16' x 160' x 22") and the vacuum pan block, three pans (respectively 9, 10, and 11 feet in diameter) run "triple effect." Live steam furnished by three 335 H. P. boiler is used in evaporating the brine supplied by two wells. The daily capacity is 2,000 barrels and the storage capacity 100,000 barrels. Fifty men are employed. (The Gallery, DPC, Mining)
Street View: 1908
Detroit, Michigan, circa 1908. "Gratiot Avenue from Woodward." 8x10 inch dry plate glass ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 12:32pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1908. "Gratiot Avenue from Woodward." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. My MotownI've lived in Detroit and Metro Detroit all but nine of my 48 years and have traveled extensively throughout the US, Canada, Mexico, and Europe and what continues to confound me about Detroit is that there is a fascination with newness and that anything old is of no use whatsoever. I am an exception in my wide group of friends and acquaintences who actually lived in the city as a child, had both sets of grandparents that lived there and until the early 70s when they all fled, frequently visited from the suburbs, and still go to the city for a variety of reasons (DIA, main library branch, Science Center, fireworks, etc.). Too many live in the outlying areas in their new homes and the furthest they drive is to their local Costco. I continue to remain optimistic about my great city. Man at WorkAll the rest of it is window dressing, this is actually a portrait of Sherm Podsnecker - Detroit Streets and Sewers Department. Chief Shoveler and Assistant Dirt Manager. Crack problemEvery time Detroit is featured, my heart breaks a little more. AnesthesiaInteresting how that arm and hammer is situated between the two "Painless Dentistry" parlors. City of Big Shoulders... on the ladies. I love the hat on the girl on the sidewalk on the left, with the two chip wings. Huge Original!What's amazing here is that the original full-size TIFF file is 157.3 MB -- even for the LOC, that's unusually big! The reason why is not obvious, and might be interesting. [Not that unusual. 157mb is the standard file size for full-res 16-bit tiffs of 8x10 negatives in the Detroit Publishing and Harris & Ewing Collections, where there are many thousands more. - Dave] Tunnel KingI believe that's Charles Bronson at lower center, emerging from one of the tunnels he dug during "The Great Escape." LooneyI look at the guy in the hole and can hear Bugs Bunny -- "I knew I shoulda made that left toin at Albuquerque!" The disappeared worldThis is an early portrait of Detroit's three great department stores. Kern's, here mysteriously missing the K on its sign. Crowley Milner, still under its original name of Pardridge & Blackwell at this time. And Hudson's, which would eventually come to take over its entire block and grow into the second largest department store in the country. All are now gone, along with every single building in this photo. Even the streetcars are long gone. HUO8OX8Finally worked it out: It reads HUDSONS from both sides when the lights are on. After that effort I needa lie down. Not even one brick left today.A former Detroiter, I was just downtown two weeks ago and I am continuously amazed at how things are changing. View Larger Map City LightsAll the details ... ah. The metal arm on the wall. The lady in the window. The huge hats. ... ah. The safety cone had yet to be inventedWhat they won't think of next! Chief ShovelerNotice that there are no safety cones, no nothing except the dirt he is digging out of the hole. If he doesn't get through by the end of the day, he will just put a "cannonball" torch on the top of the pile of dirt, pick up his tools and go home. The job will get finished tomorrow. Ah, for the simpler times! Their fine townIf these people who built Detroit into what it used to be could see it now they would roll over in their graves. I was down there just last month, and all I seen was the current local inhabitants standing around the smoldering ruins of what is left of the city and wondering who was going to feed them. Mighty Fine AlliterationAt the Detroit Dental Depot. Not so fastWhat a great shot, I cross near that (no longer existing?) intersection every Friday when we go to breakfast in Cadillac Square. The Compuware building is full, by the way, and downtown is actually busy these days. I work up on Broadway, and game days pack 'em in, but by Compuware there are sometimes maybe a thousand people (of the 4,000 workers in the building) wandering around there and down Woodward. Summer has finally arrived and Detroit (CBD, anyway) is bustling. No missing K here!The store is Ernst Kern Dry goods. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Stores & Markets, Streetcars)
Everybody In: 1900
... have said in '68! A Delightful Plunge Michigan Summer Resorts, 1913. Charlevoix The Inn, which is ... The pool is kept filled with filtered water from Lake Michigan, flowing constantly and maintained at a temperature that makes a ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/14/2012 - 6:58pm -

Charlevoix, Mich., circa 1900. "The pool, Charlevoix-the-Beautiful." Please, no diving from the gallery. 8x10 glass negative, Detroit Publishing. View full size. All the charmof Alcatraz! StunningAn exemplar of gorgeous economy afforded by the skilled use of common dimensional lumber. A modern Scandinavian architect could not do better, and if this were replicated today, it would end up on the cover of Dwell (gaudy floral diving board carpet replaced with mid-century modern wingdings, of course). Though I must say, I don't envy the guy who had to change the light bulbs. And, as with all resort construction of this era, the question must be asked: In what year did it burn? LuxuryI've never seen a diving board with such cushiony softness. A StandoutThe one incongruity that makes this photo is what I presume to be the diving board. Amidst all of this beautiful wood - Pine if I'm not mistaken, concrete and mirror smooth and reflective water juts this diving board carpeted (carpeted!!!!) in a floral pattern. Despite all of our instincts to follow the lines and to follow the upward sweep of the beams and rafters our eyes are riveted to that diving board the only feature of the photo that stands out as being out of place. Totally Angular DudeNot a very curvy pic to say the least. "Wood" you like a swim?If that's a slide off to the left, then folks are going to get some splinters in some pretty awkward places! The diving board is cushy butthe slide, on the other hand -- splintery! SurrealWhat an extraordinary picture. What is real and what is reflection. Way cool, as I would have said in '68! A Delightful Plunge Michigan Summer Resorts, 1913. Charlevoix The Inn, which is one of the best appointed public resort hotels to be found anywhere, will again be under the management of Mr. A. I. Creamer, who also conducts the Highland Pines Inn, Southern Pines, N.C. He will have with him the same efficient organization which has contributed much to the popularity of this resort. Upwards of 500 guests are accommodated here. Recent improvements and enlargements add to the attractiveness of the Inn. There are now sixty private suites, each with bath, while every floor is provided with public baths and lavatories. The time for the opening this year will be the last week in June. … One of the distinctive features of the Inn is the big swimming pool, which is being patronized by thousands each year. The pool is kept filled with filtered water from Lake Michigan, flowing constantly and maintained at a temperature that makes a plunge a delight at all times. It is also a safe place for the little ones who are learning how to swim and the mothers have not been slow in appreciating this. Herr Leopold Fischer, whose friends are legion among those who "go north" each year, will be in charge for the season of 1913. If Craftsman bungalows had indoor poolsThey would look like this one, and it's meant as a compliment. Thanks, for, the, belly, laugh, Dave,Your comma comment is right up there with your very best ones! Laptop handicapLooking at this full size, in sections the size of my laptop monitor, it took me a while to realize that this was a reflection and not beams under the water! At first I thought it was something like this, except finished and with water in it. Still a resortCharlevoix, Michigan was the summer home of Jon-Benet Ramsey and her family. Huh?Is one supposed to jump on the board and catch those rings? POVThis is an image that really begged to have the camera set as low as possible; ideally, virtually at the water surface, rather than atop a fairly tall tripod, as it appears. I suppose that would have hidden that luxurious diving board, though! [Then you would not have the amazing reflection and striking perspective that turn this into the M.C. Escher Memorial Plunge Pool! - Dave] Mattress I swear I thought the diving board was a mattress floating in the pool at first glance! Diving board rugWhen I went to high school freshman 1966 our diving board had a canvas surface I believe the board was made of wood it was renovated over the summer and when we came back in the fall we had a new fiberglass board with a sand and paint finish, the rug probably served the same purpose to increase traction when wet. [Poor lonely comma! - Dave] Those RingsHawk777; if you ever see the old movie "His Favorite Wife", you'll see Randolph Scott demonstrate how those rings can be used. (The Gallery, DPC, Swimming)
Chicago: 1901
... From the Ministry of Silly Walks, on the west side of the Michigan Avenue, lower left. [Their apparent stance is an optical ... my train. Lakeshore Delta If you Google-Maps "901 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, Illinois 60605" you can see that all the Lake Michigan ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/20/2012 - 3:36pm -

Chicago circa 1901. "The lakefront from Illinois Central Station." Panorama of two 8x10 glass negatives. Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Would you really want to drinkthe "Best Kidney Water on Earth"? StatueThat is one seriously gorgeous statue in the middle of the park. Anyone have any info on that? Perhaps another photo? [It's the Logan Monument.] Thanks, Dave. Love the photos up close! KodaksInteresting that one of the signs says "Kodaks Cameras and Supplies" and not "Kodak Cameras and Supplies." [Shorpy abounds with signs advertising "Kodaks," meaning Kodak cameras. - Dave] Illinois Central Station Are there any pictures of the Illinois Central Station available? I assume that this picture was taken from near the top of the clock tower looking north towards the lakefront. [Also from the DPC:] GrassDoes anyone know how they kept large expanses of grass like this mowed back in 1901? [See this earlier comment.] ObsolesenceIronic that CP Kimball's carriages and harness products would soon be obsolete with the advent of the automobile. Fast forward 110 years, and Kodak just announced they will file Chapter 11 bankruptcy due to digital photography making their own products obsolete. Three agentsFrom the Ministry of Silly Walks, on the west side of the Michigan Avenue, lower left. [Their apparent stance is an optical artifact.] Holy landscaping!That area is filled with trees and concrete walks now! Pollution?It's photos like this that leave me scratching my head whenever people start griping that our air isn't clean enough today. KimballAn interesting piece on the Kimball family if you are so inclined. http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/k/kimball/kimball.htm Kimball TimeOh my! It's K minutes to B o'clock! I better hurry or I'll miss my train. Lakeshore DeltaIf you Google-Maps "901 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, Illinois 60605" you can see that all the Lake Michigan waterfront visible in this photograph was filled-in and is now occupied by the Buckingham Fountain, 6 tennis courts, 16 baseball diamonds, South Columbus Drive, and even South Lakeshore Drive. Henry GeorgeFascinating to find a 5-cent cigar named after Henry George (1839-97), founder of "Georgism" and author of "Progress and Poverty." He proposed the "single tax"--based on the theory that land, and thus rents, should be common property. Given that, shouldn't tobacco products be free? All Gone, Up to a PointEvery building shown here lining the west side of South Michigan Avenue has been demolished and replaced with bigger and usually better buildings - up to the point just beyond the "Studebaker Bros." sign. Then we see three great buildings in a row, all still standing: 1) the first portion of the Congress Hotel (originally the Auditorium Annex, Clinton J. Warren, 1892-1893), 2) the Auditorium Building (Adler & Sullivan, 1887-1889), and 3) the Fine Arts Building (formerly the Studebaker Building, Solon S. Beman, 1884-1885). The slender tower in the distance belongs to the Montgomery Ward Building (Schmidt, Garden & Martin, 1897-1899); it, too, is still standing, but its steep sloping roof was lopped off long ago. Chicago: 1901That statue of the soldier is General Logan, the Civil War Officer who worked to have the 30th Day of May honor Military Dead as "Decoration Day" / "Memorial Day". General LoganWas a focal point of the 1968 demonstrations during the Democratic Convention. Montgomery Ward BuildingAs Michael R says regarding the Montgomery Ward building, "the steep sloping roof was lopped off long ago." Here is a photo showing what is the top of the building today. Current ViewI was fortunate to live in building on site of old Illinois Central Station and have this view of same locale looking north during my two years in Chicago. (Panoramas, Chicago, DPC, Railroads)
Turkish Trophies: 1910
... streetcar that would have travelled to any number of Michigan locations, and even Toledo, Ohio. The interurban system was extensive, ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 12/02/2022 - 5:58pm -

Detroit circa 1910. "Campus Martius -- Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, Elks Monument and Wayne County Building." Far right, the Hotel Pontchartrain. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Ferry talesWow! - wethinks - wouldn't it be swell if the truly ginormous D.M. Ferry warehouse was still around ?? Well we're (sort of) in luck: it (sort of) is. The "sort of" part being, sadly, that the westernmost building in the complex (above) - the back of which we see in the main picture, isn't the part that's still around. Oh deerI can find the Soldiers and Sailors monument on googmaps, but looks like the arch thing with Bambi's mom and dad on top is no longer with us? Comparing 1910 to 2022, seems like I always prefer the old to the new. So much more lively and real. Dyslexia Hotel Usually Shorpy hotels burn. But here, we have the Burns Hotel. Hello, Dolly?This looks a lot like the still photo that opens the film version of Hello, Dolly. Is it? [That was New York on a Hollywood backlot -- a still that morphs into live action. - Dave] Interurban StreetcarAt the bottom right is an interurban streetcar that would have travelled to any number of Michigan locations, and even Toledo, Ohio. The interurban system was extensive, covering over 500 miles of track. This car looked quite deluxe compared to the city cars -- in railway car style, it even has an open rear platform. Hotel PontchartrainThere are better photographs of the Hotel Pontchartrain. But I'm taking this opportunity to share what I found. There was a good article with photographs in the January 1908 Architects' and Builders' Magazine, when the Pontchartrain was new. The architect, George D. Mason described the mechanics, features, and decor of the hotel. He wrote the hotel was designed anticipating four stories might be added later. In April 1908, an ad said rates were $2 per day and up. In 1913 five stories were added, and a review in The Architectural Review included exterior and interior photographs, plus floor plans. Here is the basement. Arch RivalThe arch was a temporary build celebrating the 1910 convention of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. The inscription is the Elks' motto: "The fault of our brothers we write upon the sand. Their virtues upon tablets of love and memory." There was another, larger arch at the other end of downtown; the Elks must have brought a lot of business. Rajah CoffeeOkay, let’s do the math: 23 cents per pound, or two and a quarter pounds for 50 cents, which is 22.22 cents per pound. Which is such a bargain? You've got a long way to go yet babyAlthough it would be another 19 years or so before the Edward Bernays ‘Torches of Freedom’ campaign kicked in, it appears as if some of the tobacco companies had already taken such initiatives as early as 1910, if not earlier. True, the Turkish Trophies cigarette billboard does not show the woman actually smoking, but in my mind the connection is clear. (Panoramas, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Detroit Photos, DPC, Streetcars)
Chez Jackson: 1900
Detroit, Michigan, circa 1900. "W.H. Jackson residence." On the right, the home of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 10:35pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1900. "W.H. Jackson residence." On the right, the home of William Henry Jackson, whose Western, Mexican and Florida photographs formed an important part of the Detroit Publishing catalogue. View full size. Chez Jackson = Hotel Richelieu Page 787 of the 1898 Detroit City Directory lists "Wm. H. Jackson, photogr." as boarding at the house on the right -- the Hotel Richelieu, 420 2nd Avenue. In 1920, this address was renumbered to 2536 2nd Ave. [map]. The water fountain in Cass Park can be seen off in the distance. In the 1899 and 1900 Directories, Jackson was living in a house seven blocks to the north at 706 2nd Avenue, which was on the southeast corner at Alexandrine Street. In the 1901 and 1902 Directories, he is living two blocks farther north at 154 Canfield Avenue. [Thank you! I had guessed wrong as to which half of the panorama showed the house. - Dave] Doomed canopyAll those stately American Elm trees, soon to disappear forever. A quiet and peaceful streetwhere life is only disturbed by the odd passing phantom! StreakersAre those wires coming from the left side of the Richelieu, or just photo defects? [Telephone wires. - Dave] Urban treesMany streets in Milwaukee (where I used to live) were lined with elm trees. They were indeed stately trees, beautiful in the summer and the fall, they even looked good in the winter. It was sad to lose them, most died and were cut down in the 50s and 60s, no other urban tree has their class. GreeneryCharming. Until I thought of the coal bin and saw that jungle of wires in the trees. If they only knew of the rubber-wheeled locomotives leaving the rails to roar up and down the streets. Those engineers bemoaning a bad economy,, they'd wish to stay in a simpler time. Give Me Today, Thank YouWhen I first saw this picture I thought " Wow. Wouldn't it be great to go back and live in one of these houses?" But, after some consideration, no thank you. I couldn't have afforded the neighborhood to begin with on my meager salary. Those were not the best of times either. Diseases such as typhoid, scarlet fever, measles, tuberculosis, malaria, all took their toll. Antibiotics, penicillin, even sulfa drugs, which were used in WW2, had not been invented. It may have been a more quiet time but I will stay in my own time thank you. Ah, DetroitAh, Detroit before the Dutch Elm disease epidemic! How lovely it was. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Dual Fuel: 1910
Detroit, Michigan, circa 1910. "Approach to the Detroit River tunnel." 8x10 inch dry ... diesel-electric locomotives. Not far away is the infamous Michigan Central Station, which is to be restored. You can check out photos of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/21/2018 - 2:41pm -

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1910. "Approach to the Detroit River tunnel." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Getting the Royal treatmentIn the center background you can see the rooftop sign for Royal Salad Dressing. It was mde by Horton-Cato Mfg. Co., which was founded by two English gentlemen (hence the "Royal") in Detroit in 1877. They also made Worcestershire sauce. Ether PowerThere does nor seem to be any overhead power feed to the electric locomotive, even though it has a very small pantograph. Was there third rail power in the tunnel? [If it was a snake ... - Dave] Diesel Fuel: 2018This railway tunnel from Detroit to Canada is still in use, although steam and electric engines have been replaced with diesel-electric locomotives. Not far away is the infamous Michigan Central Station, which is to be restored. You can check out photos of the station here. Deja VuWe've seen the sign for Royal Salad Dressing before. Oh, and Engine 7501 too. Love the different perspectives. https://www.shorpy.com/node/9257 Third RailWhile the tunnel track on the right has the third rail in shadow, you can see it pretty clearly on the other side, to the right of the incoming electric engine. The Detroit tunnel operation was with 600V DC until the diesel electrics took over. 3rd Rail & PantographsYes, GeeBax, this was a third rail system, and the power rail is seen 2' 4 1/4" outside the running rails to your left of the engine. The small pantograph was used in terminal switching areas where an overhead power supply was placed above complex track arrangements such as slip switches and double crossovers which made it difficult, or impossible, to place third rails to assure continuous power supply to locomotives. LIVE THIRD RAILClick here for an extreme close-up. All sorts of cargo traverse the tunnelSome on the rails - some on the lam https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/smuggling-humans-windsor-detroit-... Before Photoshopphotos were retouched by hand. In this case a masterfully subtle job with the fake smoke from 7501. (The Gallery, Boats & Bridges, Detroit Photos, Railroads)
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