Town and City Scenes--Detroit

Black and white photograph from approximately 1955 of the Ford Auditorium on Detroit's riverfront. The auditorium opened in 1955, and was demolished in 2011. The parking lots are for the ferry terminal; a ferry can be seen on the right at the dock.

Black and white copy print of a photograph from approximately 1920 showing the traffic signaler's "crow's nest" at the intersection of Griswold Street and Michigan Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. On the right is the corner of the Detroit City Hall (1871, demolished 1961), and on the left is the corner of the Majestic Building (1896, designed by Daniel Burnham, demolished 1962). In the background can be seen the Cadillac Square Building (1918 - Louis Kamper) and the Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument (erected 1872). The Crow's Nests were erected by the Detroit Police Department starting in 1917 to help control traffic (the city's first fatal traffic accident was in 1902). The Crow's Nests were ineffectual, and were replaced by electric lights a few years later.

Black and white photograph from 1956 showing the east side of Washington Boulevard, looking south from Clifford Street in Detroit, Michigan. The skyscraper is the Industrial Bank Building (1922 - Louis Kamper). Further down Washington Boulevard are the Chancery Building (1924 - Donaldson Meier) next to St. Aloysius Church (1930 - Donaldson Meier) and the Book-Cadillac Hotel (1924 - Louis Kamper).

Color postcard from circa 1904-1906 of Woodward Avenue, looking north from Grand Circus Park in Detroit, Michigan. The church on the right is the Central United Methodist Church; the chapel was built in 1865, designed by the architecture firm Smith, Hinchman Grylls. In the background is St. John's Episcopal Church (dedicated 1861).

Black and white photograph from 1981 of the intersection of Chene Street and Harper Avenue (at I-94 Ford Freeway) 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 copy print of an engraving showing Detroit, Michigan in 1796.

Black and white copy print of an 1852 engraving by Charles E. Curry of the Detroit River and Detroit, Michigan riverfront from Canada.

Black and white photograph from 1930 showing the building at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Lafayette Street (on the Lafayette Street side) in Detroit, Michigan. The building contained the Dr. King Dentist offices (which claimed to provide "no pain" dental work), United Shirt Distributors, optometrists and a tobacco store.

Black and white photograph from 1981 of the intersection of Chene Street and Harper Avenue (at I-94 Ford Freeway) in the former Poletown neighborhood. 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 copy print showing Woodward Avenue in front of the Detroit City Hall (built 1871, demolished 1961) in Detroit, Michigan, circa 1875-1885.

Color aerial photograph of Michigan Avenue leading into downtown Detroit, Michigan, taken from the north.

Black and white copy print of a photograph from circa 1880-1889 of the Detroit Farmer's Market in its original location of Cadillac Square. The building with the two towers behind the covered market place is the Central Market Building, built in 1880 and demolished in 1889. The old Detroit City Hall (1871) is in the background. The market was in this location from 1841 until 1891, when it was moved to its current location at Eastern Market.

Color postcard from circa 1908-1912 of the 1871 Detroit City Hall from the rear at night in Detroit, Michigan. The Pontchartrain Hotel (1907, demolished 1920) is visible in the background.

Color postcard from circa 1907-1915 depicting a scene on Broadway Street, looking southeast, in Detroit, Michigan. The tall building on the left is the Breitmeyer Building (also known as the Breitmeyer-Tobin Building and now known as the Harmonie Center), built in 1906 for John Breitmeyer Sons, Florists, the top florist company in Detroit at the time. The building is notable in that the owners of it in the 1930s and 1940s were some of the first and only to rent office space to African-American businesses and organizations. The large building in the background is the Hotel Ste. Claire, a well-known swanky hotel built in 1893. It was torn down in 1934 and has been a parking lot ever since.

Black and white photograph from 1981 of the east side of Chene Street at Piquette Avenue, 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 photograph from 1900 of Woodward Avenue at Michigan Avenue in Detroit, Michigan. On the left is the Majestic Building, housing the C. A. Shafer department store.

Color postcard from approximately 1906 showing the Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, erected in 1872, on the southest corner of Campus Martius in Detroit, Michigan.

Black and white photograph from circa 1960 of Woodward Avenue, looking north from Westminster Street towards the intersection with Chicago Boulevard, in Detroit, Michigan.

Color postcard from approximately 1909 showing the view from Campus Martius looking west in Detroit, Michigan. In the foreground is the Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, erected in 1872. On the other side of Woodward is the old Detroit City Hall (built 1871, demolished 1961). The red building on the left is Detroit's first skyscraper, the ten story Hammond Building, built in 1890. Behind that in the image is the Ford Building, built in 1909 and at the time, the tallest building in the city. The clock tower in the background belongs to the old Federal Building and U.S. Post Office.

Black and white photograph from 1987 of Lolita's Lounge at the corner of Junction Street and Kopernick Street in Detroit, Michigan. Building has since been demolished and is a vacant lot. Part of the J. William Gorski Collection.

Black and white photograph of the old Detroit High School (known also as Capitol High School and is what became Central High School) on Griswold Street in Detroit, Michigan. The building was built in 1828 and served as the territory courthouses. When Michigan became a state, Detroit was designated the capital, and the building served as the state capitol from 1837 to when the capital was moved to Lansing in 1847. The building was then converted into a school building, housing Detroit's first school, as well as the public library. In 1875, an addition was added to the building. The building burned down in 1893 and the location became Capitol Park.

Color postcard from circa 1930-1935 of the Detroit, Michigan skyline and Detroit River from the opposite bank in Windsor, Ontario. The skyline includes the Greater Penobscot Building, Buhl Building and Guardian Building, all iconic Detroit skyscrapers built in the 1920s.

Black and white photograph of the Detroit, Michigan skyline in circa 1977-1987, showing the Renaissance Center towers (first five towers completed 1977), Ford Auditorium (1955), Coleman A. Young Municiple Center (1955 - Harley, Ellington Day), One Woodward Plaza (1963 - Minoru Yamasaki), Guardian Building (1929 - Wirt C. Young for Smith, Hinchman Grylls).

Color postcard from circa 1925-1930 showing the view northwest from the western end of Cadillac Square in Detroit, Michigan. The Dime Building (1912 - Daniel Burnham) towers over the old Detroit City Hall (built 1871, demolished 1961). On the right is the Majestic Building (1896 - Daniel Burnham), and in the background the Book-Cadillac Hotel (1924 - Louis Kamper).

Black and white print of Fort Street, looking towards the Fort Street Presbyterian Church (1855, on right) in Detroit, Michigan. Taken from: General History of the State of Michigan; with Biographical Sketches, Portrait Engravings, and Numerous Illustrations. Compiled by Charles Richard Tuttle. Detroit: R. D. S. Co., 1874.

Color postcard from circa 1907-1909 showing a street scene in Detroit, Michigan, leading down to the ferry to Windsor, Ontario.

Color postcard from approximately 1911 showing Michigan Avenue at night in Detroit, Michigan.

Black and white print of a drawing of the Buhl Building on Griswold Street in Detroit, Michigan. Built in 1925, it was designed by Wirt C. Rowland for Smith, Hinchman Grylls.

Color postcard from approximately 1911 showing a street view of Michigan Avenue in Detroit, Michigan.

Color postcard from 1938 depicting the skyline of Detroit, Michigan from the Canadian shore across the Detroit River. The two tallest buildings in the skyline are the Greater Penobscot Building, built in 1928, and the Guardian Building, built in 1929. Both were designed by Wirt C. Rowland, of the architecture firm Smith, Hinchman and Grylls.

Color postcard from circa 1907-1910 of the floral clock in Water Works Park in Detroit, Michigan. The clock was created by the park's first superintendent of grounds, Elbridge A. "Scrib" Scribner. The park was created for both utilitarian and recreational purposes. The primary purpose of the area was a water pumping system to provide water to the city of Detroit, but the area also included tennis courts, baseball fields, swimming and picnic sites for the public. The large standpipe and the floral water-powered clock were popular attractions at the park.