Another magnificent "Shorpy" photo

**Ray1936** · October-12-11, 11:11 AM

http://www.shorpy.com/node/11438?size=_original

It scares me a little to think that this photo was taken just 17 years before I was born.

**Whitehouse** · October-12-11, 11:22 AM

Nice picture, old timer!

**animatedmartian** · October-12-11, 11:50 AM

Is that 4 lanes for traffic, 2 for parking and then 2 for the trolleys? Walking across the street must have been an full 5 minute long trip if you weren't quick...

**DetroitPlanner** · October-12-11, 11:54 AM

They say the neon lights are bright on Broadway.

**old guy** · October-12-11, 12:01 PM

Hair's Restaurant. Don't see those two words together very often in advertising.

**Scottathew** · October-12-11, 12:08 PM

****ing AMAZING!

THANK YOU!

**lizaanne** · October-12-11, 02:00 PM

What are the two white angels, facing each other, in the lower right corner of the photo? They are so beautiful! Does anyone know if they were ever preserved somewhere?

**iheartthed** · October-12-11, 02:11 PM

The city sure looks a lot better now without all those transit lines cluttering up the streets......

**Blueidone** · October-12-11, 02:12 PM

This is the year my mother was born. Wish she was still alive so I could show this to her! But..my dad, who was born in 1916 is still alive and will see him this weekend. I can't wait to show him!

**EastsideAl** · October-12-11, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by lizaanne

What are the two white angels, facing each other, in the lower right corner of the photo? They are so beautiful! Does anyone know if they were ever preserved somewhere?

I believe that the angels were temporary plaster sculptures used as part of the campaign to sell Liberty Bonds or War Savings Stamps to help pay for our participation in WWI. These kinds of temporary sculptures for civic purposes, or even large temporary ceremonial arches, were not uncommon in cities in those days.

**Gistok** · October-12-11, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by old guy

Hair's Restaurant. Don't see those two words together very often in advertising.

LOL... sort of like "Mercury Fish 'n Chips"....

**Gistok** · October-12-11, 03:58 PM

Nice Shorpy's image.... from left to right....

1) notice in the left foreground the buildings that preceded the [[1922 built) Capitol Theatre.

2) left background... it looks like the International Marketplace [[nee Ferry Morse Seed Warehouse) once had a tower with flagpole.

3) to the right of the Madison Theatre is the corner building that preceded the Eaton [[Broderick Tower).

4) in the left distance along Woodward at Campus Martius is the old [[razed 1921) Ponchartrain Hotel with the masard roof.

5) right... the David Whitney Building shows the nice classic details before they were "modernized" out of existence in the mid 20th century.

**Scottathew** · October-12-11, 05:41 PM

6) Top left quadrant, a very nice finger print

**mikefmich** · October-12-11, 06:25 PM

A bustling vital city spreads out before us.....and it had not yet reached it's zenith.

Sure is a different scene today.

**gnome** · October-12-11, 08:32 PM

If you look in the distance down Broadway you can see the old Saint Claire Hotel. To my eyes it looks much larger than I expected.

[[fyi: the St Claire was demolished by its owner around 1934ish because he couldn't find a buyer. Strange how some things down't change. The still empty lot sits on the corner of Randolph and Monroe, next to the old IOOF hall.)

**wolverine** · October-13-11, 12:34 AM

Not long before Eaton Tower was built.

**cramerro** · October-13-11, 09:10 AM

Gotta love Dittrich Furs on the right side. What a sight... what a town.

**1953** · October-13-11, 11:18 AM

Broadway had such a mainstreet feel to it. Oh what it would be like to recapture that glory!

**mallory** · October-14-11, 08:40 AM

Thnaks for the tour Gistok. I'm wondering what the builidng is that's located to the left of the Hudson's building, in the background, with the ornate spires at the top.

I think this is my favorite Shorpy ever. Where do they keep coming up with these pics?

**animatedmartian** · October-14-11, 09:00 AM

Originally Posted by mallory

I'm wondering what the builidng is that's located to the left of the Hudson's building, in the background, with the ornate spires at the top.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadillac_Square_Building

Cadillac Square Building. The shorter but older cousin of Cadillac Tower.

**Detroitdave** · October-14-11, 11:07 AM

WOW that is a great shot ! the Detail is amazing ! All the shops ! This is WAY before the freeways and most suburbs , one reason why downtown is so packed ! :-) I was in midtown last weekend shopping for a gift for a friend , I was at one of the shops across from Traffic Jam, can't remember which one off the top of my head , and they had this really Interesting picture of an Huge arch over Woodward with a like the ones they have in Europe . It said WELCOME, in big letters across the top. Has anyone else seen that picture? if so what was the arch for ? I think the year was 1918?

**Ray1936** · October-14-11, 11:23 AM

In the early 20th century, there were several arches erected to welcome major conventions in Detroit. I remember them for the Grand Army of the Republic [[GAR), and a number of fraternal organizations.

**Mikeg** · October-14-11, 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by Ray1936

In the early 20th century, there were several arches erected to welcome major conventions in Detroit. I remember them for the Grand Army of the Republic [[GAR), and a number of fraternal organizations.

Discuss Detroit » Hall of Fame Threads » Large archways across Detroit streets....What were they??