Shorpy shows Woodward Ave., 1907

[Farwell]

Where? If this were true, wouldn't it be on all Shorpy-marked photos? If so, where is it on this one other than in the corner?http://www.shorpy.com/node/21698?size=_original#caption


I see two parts of the water mark just left of the ramp that goes down to the water on the right side of the photo. It's on the water just above the last boat on the dock.

[Jimaz]

Who were these people? Their names? Where were they going? What did they do? Where did they live? Do their descendants still live in metro Detroit? What was Detroit to them?

I love these photos because you can really see the detail in just about everything. It's simply amazing.

I wish I could offer a time machine into this era but I can't. The closest I can approximate is the film Kafka. It runs 94 minutes and has nothing to do with Detroit but matches the atmosphere of the period very closely.

Bookmark it if you don't have the time right now. It's well worth watching.

[archfan]

Where? If this were true, wouldn't it be on all Shorpy-marked photos? If so, where is it on this one other than in the corner?http://www.shorpy.com/node/21698?size=_original#caption

Dave puts the Shorpy watermark on each photo, as a way to show where the photo came from. Although many of the photos start at the LoC, the Shorpy folks 'adjust, restore and rework' the photos to clear them up. The process is described in the left column near the bottom of the site, under 'About the photos'. They've had people resell the restored photo as their own. Thus they watermark, often in odd or unexpected places.

[Whitehouse]

From back in the days when people used their legs to get around instead of cars....

[3d123]

Fort & Griswold, 1908

[EastsideAl]

Fort & Griswold, 1908

The odd-looking building at the corner was built as First Baptist Church [[congregation still exists, now on Southfield just north of 8 Mile), but had been converted to commercial use long before the time of this picture. It would soon be torn down and replaced by the Dime Building.

[archfan]

The odd-looking building at the corner was built as First Baptist Church [[congregation still exists, now on Southfield just north of 8 Mile), but had been converted to commercial use long before the time of this picture. It would soon be torn down and replaced by the Dime Building.

I think the congregation was still there when the photo was taken. Their new First Baptist Church building on Woodward wouldn't get built until 1909. They did have retail shops around the outside of the church. They could rent those out to raise money. Mariners church had the same setup.

[Burnsie]

The fine detail on these photos is the result of using big negatives, probably at least 8 by 10. Cell phone photos are convenient, but they don't even begin to approach the detail and subtle contrast gradations provided by large format film cameras.

[Jimaz]

The fine detail on these photos is the result of using big negatives, probably at least 8 by 10. Cell phone photos are convenient, but they don't even begin to approach the detail and subtle contrast gradations provided by large format film cameras.

Yes, the caption on the Woodward photo says "8x10 inch dry plate glass negative."

The small grain size of the silver nitrate used is another factor. Years ago I recall reading that this is why black & white was preferred over color film for astrophotography. Silver nitrate gave much better detail.

Of course everything's changed now with digital photography.

[EastsideAl]

I think the congregation was still there when the photo was taken. Their new First Baptist Church building on Woodward wouldn't get built until 1909. They did have retail shops around the outside of the church. They could rent those out to raise money. Mariners church had the same setup.

The church was in a building at Cass and Temple [[then called Bagg) from 1875 to 1912 [[when they merged with the congregation that was in the building on Woodward). That location was later the site of the Ft. Wayne/American Hotel. The old church at Fort and Griswold was converted to commercial use and the former sanctuary used as an auditorium for lectures, etc. It was known as the Walker Block during that time.

Here is an old thread on the Cass church:
http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...rch-located-at

[archfan]

The church was in a building at Cass and Temple [[then called Bagg) from 1875 to 1912 [[when they merged with the congregation that was in the building on Woodward). That location was later the site of the Ft. Wayne/American Hotel. The old church at Fort and Griswold was converted to commercial use and the former sanctuary used as an auditorium for lectures, etc. It was known as the Walker Block during that time.

Here is an old thread on the Cass church:
http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...rch-located-at

So that must be the church completed in 1863, and it was converted in 1875 when they moved to Cass?

[EastsideAl]

So that must be the church completed in 1863, and it was converted in 1875 when they moved to Cass?

Yes, I believe that is correct.

[dtowncitylover]

Fort & Griswold, 1908

How interesting that another African American gentleman shows up at the right time! Bottom left, standing on the corner. It even appears he's gazing towards the camera.

[EastsideAl]

For those too young to remember it, Shorpy shows us a beautiful 1909 picture of another one of Detroit's great architectural losses, the Fort St. Union Depot, demolished in 1974.

http://www.shorpy.com/node/21802?size=_original#caption

[EGrant]

For those too young to remember it, Shorpy shows us a beautiful 1909 picture of another one of Detroit's great architectural losses, the Fort St. Union Depot, demolished in 1974.

http://www.shorpy.com/node/21802?size=_original#caption

That could have been a signature building in the city if it was still standing. What a shame it was torn down.

[Király]

The same photo is on Union Depot's Wikipedia page.

[EastsideAl]

http://www.shorpy.com/node/21902?size=_original#caption

This is Detroit [[circa 1907) as winter fantasia, complete with poetic captioning. And though Woodward is in the picture, as per the title of this thread, it is not the street that is the main focus of this view. Can you name the street seen here crossing Woodward? [[No peeking at the Shorpy comments where the answer is posted.)

[gnome]

http://www.shorpy.com/node/21902?size=_original#caption

This is Detroit [[circa 1907) as winter fantasia, complete with poetic captioning. And though Woodward is in the picture, as per the title of this thread, it is not the street that is the main focus of this view. Can you name the street seen here crossing Woodward? [[No peeking at the Shorpy comments where the answer is posted.)

Extra strong scouts' honor: I have not peeked.

My my guess is Woodward and Sprout or Temple as I think that is the first Unitarian on the left. The church that mysteriously combusted maybe two or three years back. It is also before the widening of Woodward removed the front porch thing.

[gnome]

Wrong. So wrong.

[Király]

I think that is the first Unitarian on the left.

I thought so too at first, but First Unitarian had a triple mullioned window, this one doesn't.

[EastsideAl]

Extra strong scouts' honor: I have not peeked.

My my guess is Woodward and Sprout or Temple as I think that is the first Unitarian on the left. The church that mysteriously combusted maybe two or three years back. It is also before the widening of Woodward removed the front porch thing.

That's what I thought at first glance too. The style and look are very similar. Something to keep in mind here is that you are not looking at the front facade of the building.

[EastsideAl]

So, the answer is that it's Forest, looking east across Woodward. Today the view wouldn't have sou much depth, because you'd be looking at the front of the VA hospital a block away on John R. But, the building on the left is still there and still looks very much the same way today. That is the south side of First Congregational church.

[EastsideAl]

Here is another great shot of Woodward. This one is looking north from Fort St. around 1911, which is just long enough after the 1907 photo that started this thread that there are suddenly cars everywhere. In fact, this picture is probably pretty great for the old car spotters among us [[and old streetcar spotters too).
http://www.shorpy.com/node/21915?size=_original#caption