Belle Isle, 1902, on Shorpy

**Ray1936** · February-10-13, 01:16 PM

http://www.shorpy.com/node/14657?size=_original#caption

Anybody recognize the building under construction on the upper right side of the photo? Horicultural Building????

**jcole** · February-10-13, 01:18 PM

Originally Posted by Ray1936

http://www.shorpy.com/node/14657?size=_original#caption

Anybody recognize the building under construction on the upper right side of the photo? Horicultural Building????

More likely the aquarium; the Conservatory is mostly glass

**Packman41** · February-10-13, 01:22 PM

Looks like the Aquarium to me that opened in 1904.

**jcole** · February-10-13, 01:25 PM

Here's a side view of the aquarium with the conservatory in back of it.
Name: aquarium and conserv..jpg
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**Kathleen** · February-10-13, 01:44 PM

A look through the book Detroit's Belle Isle: Island Park Gem [[Arcadia, 2003) shows an aerial shot of the Aquarium and Conservatory together [[p.51). There's no doubt that the Shorpy photo is the Aquarium under construction.

**Kathleen** · February-10-13, 01:53 PM

That said, I'm wondering if we are looking from the east toward the Aquarium Building...if the road running left to right is Inselruhe...since I see water through the trees and a boat of sorts and the bridge on the left side of the photo. Is this view as seen from the area of today's Greenhouses and Athletic Field beyond?

**Gistok** · February-10-13, 01:58 PM

Yes, that is indeed the Aquarium... and the great arch in front of the central dome is the now walled off arch section of the Conservatory flower room, where the 2 buildings connect. That walled off section today houses hanging baskets and a wall of greenery... but you can still make out the outline of that arch.

That masonry building on the left looks almost like the base of the Nancy Brown Peace Carillon, but it can't be, since it was not started until the 1930s.

**jcole** · February-10-13, 02:17 PM

Here is another view of the Conservatory's central dome being constructed, which I think you can see on the other side of the brick building under construction.

**townonenorth** · February-10-13, 02:22 PM

Yep, you all are right.

**DetroitPlanner** · February-10-13, 03:24 PM

Inertesting it appears they were being constructed at the same time. I can recall being very young and you could walk from the aquarium to the flower room. I could of course be way off as that was probably 40 years ago or more.

**Kathleen** · February-10-13, 04:08 PM

I wonder if my grandfather...young Willie Mahoney...is among the kids attending this event!! He would have been 10 years old [[assuming this is summer, he would turn 11 in late September), and he lived only a couple blocks east of Water Works Park on Meadowbrook, perhaps a 1/4 mile south of Jefferson Ave. I know he walked to Belle Isle frequently.

**Ray1936** · February-10-13, 05:56 PM

Dont'cha wish there was a name tag for each person in that photo? It does look like a grand -- and different -- time. Sigh.

**Gistok** · February-10-13, 07:51 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

Inertesting it appears they were being constructed at the same time. I can recall being very young and you could walk from the aquarium to the flower room. I could of course be way off as that was probably 40 years ago or more.

You are correct... I have the same vague recollection...

**p69rrh51** · February-10-13, 09:44 PM

Some images of the Aquarium under construction and other behind the scene images. The images are from the Burton Collection Detroit Public Library.

**DetroitPlanner** · February-10-13, 09:51 PM

Has anyone noticed all the litter on the ground? People were trashing the park over 100 years ago! LOL

**EASTSIDE CAT 67-83** · February-11-13, 09:07 AM

I tried hard but could not find anyone "not" wearing a hat, guess you didn't leave the house without one.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · February-11-13, 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by EASTSIDE CAT 67-83

I tried hard but could not find anyone "not" wearing a hat, guess you didn't leave the house without one.

Yeah, and men wore suits everyday, whether they had a job or not !!

**Honky Tonk** · February-11-13, 10:14 AM

3rd picture down, kind of a round looking fenced in area. I don't believe that still exists. Does anyone know if that was a fish "pond", and what happened to it?

**EastsideAl** · February-11-13, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by Kathleen

That said, I'm wondering if we are looking from the east toward the Aquarium Building...if the road running left to right is Inselruhe...since I see water through the trees and a boat of sorts and the bridge on the left side of the photo. Is this view as seen from the area of today's Greenhouses and Athletic Field beyond?

The view is looking east, towards the aquarium and and the conservatory. You can just see the outline of the superstructure supporting the conservatory dome going up. Most of the area shown is now the formal garden.

**Kathleen** · February-11-13, 12:26 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

The view is looking east, towards the aquarium and and the conservatory. You can just see the outline of the superstructure supporting the conservatory dome going up. Most of the area shown is now the formal garden.

If that is the case, then why does there appear to be water on the left of the picture where today's parking lot and bus station and restroom are situated? I would expect the water to be south...or on the right of the picture. Was the creek/stream/canal redirected at some point?

**DetroitPlanner** · February-11-13, 01:16 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

3rd picture down, kind of a round looking fenced in area. I don't believe that still exists. Does anyone know if that was a fish "pond", and what happened to it?

It was full of alligators. That is where they threw [[or threatened to throw) the kids that would act up. It was an effective deterrent. No kids running around shooting each other or jumping on sofas back in 1930!

**Honky Tonk** · February-11-13, 01:20 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

It was full of alligators. That is where they threw [[or threatened to throw) the kids that would act up. It was an effective deterrent. No kids running around shooting each other or jumping on sofas back in 1930!

Funny story. Was it really an aligator pit? I've seen that round fenced in area in an old BIA photo before and always wondered about it.

**EastsideAl** · February-11-13, 01:26 PM

I don't think that's water off on the left-hand side of the picture. I think that's Loiter Way, in part covered by a large throng of people. If the shot was taken from the other direction [[looking west from the athletic field area), you wouldn't see the superstructure of the Conservatory in front of the Aquarium, and the Campau/Willis "white house" [[aka "Insulruhe") would be visible somewhere in the foreground.

**Gistok** · February-11-13, 01:55 PM

Originally Posted by Kathleen

If that is the case, then why does there appear to be water on the left of the picture where today's parking lot and bus station and restroom are situated? I would expect the water to be south...or on the right of the picture. Was the creek/stream/canal redirected at some point?

Kathleen I too was wondering about that. But check out this early 20th century map of Belle Isle... before it was expanded to 982 acres... and before the Scott Fountain, Scott Basin and Blue Heron Lagoon were built up... the canal location snakes thru the area north of the Aquarium/Conservatory.

Sorry for the small size... but it's a Bitmap... and I couldn't load a larger size into DYES....

**Kathleen** · February-11-13, 07:24 PM

Originally Posted by Gistok

Kathleen I too was wondering about that. But check out this early 20th century map of Belle Isle... before it was expanded to 982 acres... and before the Scott Fountain, Scott Basin and Blue Heron Lagoon were built up... the canal location snakes thru the area north of the Aquarium/Conservatory.

Sorry for the small size... but it's a Bitmap... and I couldn't load a larger size into DYES....

Thanks, Gistok! That makes sense...because that is definitely water and a boat back there through the trees!!!