Town and City Scenes--Detroit

Black and white postcard from circa 1905-1906 of Washington Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan.

Color postcard from approximately 1931 showing the new Detroit Institute of Arts on the right and the Detroit Public Library on the left on Woodward Avenue, looking north in Detroit, Michigan. The Wardell Hotel (built 1926) can be seen further north on the right on Woodward Hotel.

Color postcard from approximately 1946 of the Detroit Public Library Main building on Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. Designed by Cass Gilbert and funded by donations from Andrew Carnegie, the Main building opened in 1921.

Color postcard from circa 1909-1913 showing the view from the Majestic Building looking east towards the Wayne County Courthouse (Wayne County Building) in Detroit, Michigan. The building on the right is the Pontchartrain Hotel, built in 1907 and demolished in 1920. In the background is the Detroit River, with Canada beyond it.

Black and white photograph from 1917 of men posing in the Merrill Fountain (dry for the winter) in front of the old Detroit Opera House on Campus Martius in Detroit, Michigan.

Black and white copy pring of an engraving showing Ste. Anne's Street (later Jefferson Avenue) in Detroit, Michigan in 1800. From "History of Detroit and Michigan or The Metropolis Illustrated" by Silas Farmer. Detroit: Silas Farmer Co., 1884.

Black and white photograph of the Detroit, Michigan Financial District and riverfront. The image is reversed. Buildings include (left to right): One Woodward Avenue (originally Michigan Consolodated Gas Company Building; 1963 - Minoru Yamasaki), Guardian Building (1929 - Wirt C. Rowland for Smith, Hinchman Grylls), UAW-Ford National Programs Center (originally Veterans Memorial Building; 1951 - Harley, Ellington Day), Buhl Building (1925 - Wirt C. Rowland for Smith, Hinchman Grylls), Greater Penobscot Building (1926 - Wirt C. Rowland for Smith, Hinchman Grylls), Cobo Arena (1960).

Black and white photograph from 1931-1940 of the Detroit, Michigan skyline viewed from the west. From left to right, skyscrapers include the Book-Cadillac Hotel (1924), David Stott Building (1929), Dime Building (1912), Greater Penobscot Building (1928), Penobscot Building Annex (1916), Buhl Building (1925) and Guardian Building (1929).

Color postcard from circa 1910-1913 of Woodward Avenue looking north in Grand Circus Park, Detroit, Michigan. On the left is the Hazen S. Pingree statue, erected after his sudden death while on safari in 1903. On the right is the steeple of the Central United Methodist Church, built in 1865 and designed by the architecture firm Smith, Hinchman Grylls. In the background can be seen the steeple of St. John's Episcopal Church, dedicated in 1861.

Black and white print of Detroit, Michigan in the mid-to-late 19th Century. In the center of the image is the Fort Street Presbyterian Church, built in 1855. In the background is the Detroit City Hall (1861). Taken from: General History of the State of Michigan. Compiled by Charles R. Tuttle. Detroit: R. D. S. Tyler Co., 1874.

Black and white copy print of a photograph from circa 1880-1890 showing a group of horse-drawn streetcars and other traffic on a road in Detroit, Michigan.

Black and white photograph from circa 1930-1940 of Second Avenue looking north towards West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan. At the end of the road is the Fisher Building, built in 1928 by Albert Kahn for the Fisher brothers, founders of Fisher Body. On the right, with the Pontiac dealer, is the General Motors Building (now known as Cadillac Place), built 1919-1923, also by Albert Kahn.

Color postcard from circa 1910-1912 of the view north from Grand Circus Park in Detroit, Michigan. The Central United Methodist Church, built in 1865 by Smith, Hinchman and Grylls, is in the center. On the right is the large YMCA Building, built in 1907 and Donaldson and Meier. It sits on the corner of what is now Comerica Park.

Black and white photograph from 1987 of 1033 Vinewood Street at W. Grand Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan. Part of the J. William Gorski Collection

Color postcard from circa 1940-1950 showing the Detroit River and banks, with the Whittier hotel on the far left in Detroit, Michigan. The Harmsworth Cup, a motorboat competition between nations, was held on the Detroit River twelve times between 1921 and 1959.

Black and white reproduction of an 1891 photograph of the northeast corner of Woodward Avenue and Congress Street in Detroit, Michigan. This image was reproduced in a 1947 calendar published for the Detroit Trust Company. From the calendar: "Detroit, 1891 - Northeast corner Woodward and Congress Streets - Decorated for G.A.R. [Grand Army of the Republic] National Encampment - present site Michigan Bank."

Black and white copy print of the intersection of Griswold Street and Michigan Avenue, looking at the Detroit City Hall circa 1922-1930. The First National Building (1922 - Albert Kahn) is in the background, with the corner of the Dime Building visible on the right. A traffic signaler works from a 'crow's nest' to manage the traffic of automobiles, pedestrians and streetcars.

Black and white photograph from 1973 showing the Fisher Building (1928) and the General Motors Building (1919-1923, renamed Cadillac Place after renovation in 2002) on East Grand Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan. Both buildings were designed by Albert Kahn Associates.

Black and white photograph from circa 1975-1977 showing the nearly completed (first phase) Renaissance Center in Detroit, Michigan and a cargo ship on the Detroit River. On the left can be seen the Guardian Building (1929) and One Woodward Avenue (1963).

Color postcard from approximately 1919 showing the Penobscot, Peoples State Bank and Detroit Trust Company buildings in on Fort and Shelby Streets in Detroit, Michigan. The two tall buildings on the left are the original 1905 Penobscot building in the foreground and the 1916 addition behind it on Congress Street, both designed by the architecture firm Donaldson and Meier. The white marble Peoples State Bank building (now the Savoyard Center) was built in 1900, and the Detroit Trust Company Building, designed by Albert Kahn, was built in 1915. In 1926, the latter was significantly widened, and then modernized in 1966.

Black and white reproduction of an 1836 engraving showing the Detroit River with Detroit, Michigan in the background. This image was reproduced in a 1947 calendar published for the Detroit Trust Company.

Black and white photograph from circa 1920-1930 of Grand Circus Park, looking northeast in Detroit, Michigan. On the other side of the park is the Central United Methodist Church, built in 1865 by the architecture firm Smith, Hinchman and Grylls. The skyscraper is the Fyfe Building, built in 1919 by the same architecture firm.

Black and white photograph from 1981 of the east side of Chene Street, in the former Poletown neighborhood of Detroit, Michigan. In 1981, a large portion of this predominantly Polish neighborhood was razed amid much controversy to make way for the General Motors Cadillac Assembly Plant.

Black and white aerial photograph from 1951 of Grand River Avenue and surrounds, looking northeast in Detroit, Michigan. Grand Circus Park is visible in the upper right corner

Black and white photograph from 1926 showing the view west from the top of the First National Building in Detroit, Michigan. The Book-Cadillac Hotel and the Book Building and Tower are prominent in the view.

Black and white photograph by The Detroit News of a large crowd gathered on Woodward Avenue, just north of Campus Martius, in Detroit, Michigan circa 1930-1945.

Black and white photograph from 1951 of Woodward Avenue near Six Mile Road, looking south in Detroit, Michigan. The Lincoln-Mercury Plant is on the left.

Black and white photograph from circa 1907-1920 showing the Pontchartrain Hotel on Campus Martius in Detroit, Michigan. The hotel was built in 1907 and demolished in 1920, as it could not keep up with the rapidly modernizing hotels being built in the city. It was replaced by the First National Building.

Black and white photograph from 1916 showing the construction of a building on Washington Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan. The construction company is Albert A. Albrecht. Written on back of the photograph "First 4 floors built during last half of 1916. Moved in first 4 floors 1917 from Washington Boulevard. Last half of 1923 - began construction of 4 more floors. Moved in new addition in 1924." Photo was gift of Michigan Consolidated Gas Company.

Black and white reproduction of an approximately 1874 image of carriages on Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. The image was reproduced in a 1940's calendar published by the Detroit Trust Company. From the description in the calendar: "East side of Woodward Avenue between Cadillac Square and Congress - about 1874."

Color postcard from 1931 of the newly completed New Center Building (later renamed Albert Kahn Building) on Second Avenue off of West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan. Diagonally across from the Fisher Building, The New Center Building was also commissioned by the Fisher Brothers and also designed by Albert Kahn. It was renamed the Albert Kahn Building 1988. The building had, for a time, shopping on the first floor with office space on the other floors.

Black and white photograph from 1942 of the Woodward Avenue and Monroe Street intersection at Campus Martius in Detroit, Michigan. The image includes Sam's Cut-Rate Department Store, occupying the old Detroit Opera House building and featuring an elaborate war bonds advertising display.

Black and white reproduction of a photograph from approximately 1888 of the old Cadillac Hotel on the corner of Washington Boulevard and Michigan Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. This image was reproduced in a 1940's calendar published for the Detroit Trust Company. The image shows the Cadillac Hotel in the early 1900's, before it was redone by the Book brothers. It was built in 1888 and demolished in 1923 to make way for the Book-Cadillac Hotel.

Black and white copy print of an engraving of riverfront structures and a sailboat at the docks on the Detroit River.

Color postcard from circa 1900-1909 showing the view from the Majestic Building looking east down Cadillac Square in Detroit, Michigan. The Wayne County Courthouse (now known as the Wayne Count Building) is prominent in the image, and was built in 1902 to accomodate county offices and courts.

Color postcard from circa 1900-1910 showing Griswold Street in Detroit, Michigan.

Black and white photograph from circa 1870-1880 of workers unloading cargo from ships at the Detroit, Michigan docks.

Black and white photograph from circa 1955-1960 of a parking lot with Norwest Lanes bowling alley in the background in Detroit, Michigan.

Color postcard from 1940 showing an aerial view of Tiger Stadium (then Briggs Field) on Michigan Avenue and the Detroit, Michigan skyline. The Detroit River and Ontario, Canada are visible in the background. Tiger Stadium was built in 1912 and was designed by Osborn Architects Engineers, who also designed Fenway Park in Boston, Mass., Yankee Stadium in New York, N.Y., and Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind.

Black and white undated photograph of the Detroit, Michigan skyline and Detroit River. This photograph was probably taken circa 1965-1975. Buildings in this image include: Cobo Arena (1960), Book-Cadillac Hotel (1924 - Louis Kamper), Greater Penobscot Building (1928 - Wirt C. Rowland for Smith, Hinchman Grylls), Buhl Building (1925 - Wirt C. Rowland for Smith, Hinchman Grylls), One Woodward Avenue (1963 - Minoru Yamasaki), Guardian Building (1929 - Wirt C. Rowland for Smith, Hinchman Grylls) and the UAW-Ford National Programs Center (1948 - Harley, Ellington Day).

Black and white photograph from circa 1901-1910 of Detroit Department of Public Works street cleaners and their wagons standing on Cass Avenue in Detroit, Michigan.

Color postcard from circa 1907-1910 showing an aerial view of the old Wayne County Courthouse (now known as the Wayne County Building) and surrounding area, looking east from the City Hall in Detroit, Michigan. The boulevard leading up to the 1902 courthouse is Cadillac Square, and the Detroit River can be seen in the background.

Color postcard from 1938 of the Fisher Building, on West Grand Boulevard in Detroit, Michigan. The building was designed by Albert Kahn, and finished in 1928. It contains the Fisher Theater as well as shopping, as the Fisher brothers who commissioned it wanted it to help the area be a secondary shopping/business/entertainment district to downtown Detroit. The Fisher brothers had made their fortune crafting and pioneering automobile bodies for many of the large automobile manufacturers.

Black and white photograph from approximately 1958 of Southfield Road just north of Grand River Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. The diner in the image sits at the corner of Grand River and Southfield.