Vintage Kodachrome - Downtown Detroit. October 1955 to June 1963

**iheartthed** · January-15-12, 11:02 AM

Originally Posted by Dent

Attachment 11801

Detroit, news stand. Grand Circus Park. June 1958.

Larger view here: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7174/6...11c26522_o.jpg

Are there any sidewalk newsstands left in Detroit?

**Khartoum** · January-15-12, 11:16 AM

Fantastic.

**1986Tbird** · January-15-12, 11:38 AM

I'm really enjoying this.

**Dent** · January-15-12, 12:15 PM

I don't know if any of these news stands are around any longer. The issue of 'Look' in this shot is from June 24, 1958:http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7174/6...11c26522_o.jpg

http://2neat.com/magazines/images/1958-06-24.jpg

http://2neat.com/magazines/index.php...roducts_id=655

Also seen in the background here: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6...03424651_o.jpg

**Patrick** · January-15-12, 01:08 PM

One of the best threads we have ever had on here...keep it up!

**313rd** · January-15-12, 01:15 PM

The Elwood Bar before it was moved in the Background
"I don't know if any of these news stands are around any longer. The issue of 'Look' in this shot is from June 24, 1958:http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7174/6...11c26522_o.jpg"

The Current Cheli's Chili in the Background
"Also seen in the background here: http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7033/6...03424651_o.jpg"

Good to see that some buildings have survived the times.

**Dent** · January-15-12, 01:37 PM

Thank you Patrick, I am glad that the DY forum is here to accommodate this thread. Here is the link to a HOF thread that is the inspiration for this one: http://atdetroit.net/forum/messages/...tml?1225496820
Most of the slides came from my collection at that time. I am ever grateful to Mikeg for all of his hard work in posting them for me and they rightfully reside at the HOF archive.
I do have more to post here, and will as time and energy allow. Stay tuned to DY, and enjoy!

**dtowncitylover** · January-15-12, 02:27 PM

Originally Posted by Dent

I don't know if any of these news stands are around any longer. The issue of 'Look' in this shot is from June 24, 1958

That is my mother's birthday, June 24th 1958! It's funny to think when that picture was taken my mother was probably days old.

**Huggybear** · January-15-12, 08:19 PM

These are interesting pictures that demonstrate three things [[at least to me):

1. Downtown Detroit was pretty ugly and run down in the late 1950s/early 1960s. There was street life, but pictures like this are a real indictment to looking at Autochrome postcards [[or colored drawing postcards) and concluding that Detroit was this shiny happy place [[for example, look at the Burlesque house, which as I recall, was on the Monroe Block). I don't know if it was particulate emissions or lack of maintenance, but things just look dirty [[some of this is the scans - Kodachrome always looks a little bit blue and dark).

2. When you look at what got sacrificed to build Comerica Tower [[and even the much earlier ANR building, as I believe I saw in one of the pictures), no big loss. In fact, that 1980s postmodern building boom, though cheesy, puts a much better face on the skyline.

3. Surface parking lots were pretty popular even at Detroit's height.

Thanks for sharing these. Were there any pictures of Detroit General Hospital?

HB

**R8RBOB** · January-15-12, 11:25 PM

Nice sideshow on Old Detroit/New Detroit

http://places.designobserver.com/fea...ography/32008/

**MikeM** · January-16-12, 09:11 AM

Excellent post Huggybear.

**East Detroit** · January-16-12, 09:23 AM

Originally Posted by Cincinnati_Kid

You don't see traffic like that now.

Actually, you often do.

Many people think wow... look at the 5M people in the pictures walking, but dont think that pictures then were taken more often for special occasions when more people were there. Holidays, etc. Not to say there is no difference, but perspective is nice.

**Dent** · January-16-12, 09:38 AM

Many good points made, Huggybear. These unedited glimpses from that time period are open for ones own Interpretation. I am not sure if any General Hospital photos are in this collection, the slides did come from a person involved with architecture, urban design and civil engineering. The photographer [[whom shall remain anonymous) is his sister. The collection numbers around 2,000 and most are from around the globe, but many local Detroit, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and so forth. I will attempt to cherry pick relevant to DY interests.

**detroittrader** · January-16-12, 09:39 AM

Originally Posted by dtowncitylover

How did they get their cars out?!

Great pics, Dent!

I would imagine they had a system, like a numbered board with the keys on hooks. Then runners would shift all the cars around to quickly get yours out. In Kerouac's On The Road he describes how "Dean Moriarty" [[Neil Cassady), in acrobatic form, did that job in Manhattan.

**DetroitPlanner** · January-16-12, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Are there any sidewalk newsstands left in Detroit?

Newsstands are dinosaurs. Folks don't read many newspapers or magazines anymore. You would have a hard time finding these in any city.

**Hornwrecker** · January-16-12, 11:47 AM

I believe that burlesque theater being demoed was the one on Woodward, part of the clearing out of those blocks for the future City-County Bldg. Photos of it are probably in the HOF Theatre thread.

The Avenue Theater:
http://www.waterwinterwonderland.com...?id=490&Type=5

**DownriverGRap** · January-16-12, 12:36 PM

Man, you do not even see traffic like that on game day and this was decades before the stadiums were right downtown. What a vibrant nightlife!

**Crystal** · January-16-12, 12:50 PM

Dent, thank you for sharing these great photos!

**Dent** · January-16-12, 01:37 PM

According to notes by the photographer, these photos are in series with other "Demo" shots,which include a mention of the new City County being built. The link provided by Hornwrecker bares out the location as Woodward Avenue. Thanks for the input HW.