Anyone Know When This Detroit Picture Was Taken?

[313WX]

I would guess mid-late 70s, based on the clothes, cars, Afros and the "Grand River" street sign hanging off the pole.

Does anyone have the exact year?

[gvidas]

It's a Bill Rauhauser photo.

A NYT piece about him and his work:

http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/0...s-of-the-coin/

He's in a group show in NY:

http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/artic...w_york_gallery

But, no date.

[canuck]

I would venture 1970.

[Jimaz]

There's a caption stating "1960s" [[and a better copy) here.

[DetroitPlanner]

Canuck and Jimaz are probably much closer. It is not late 70's. The styles are too mod. By late 70's styles were a lot more subdued [[with the exception of the punk movement), though to a youngster would be hard to see much of a difference.

The car with a white top looks like a 1972-75 Gran Fury. But it could be a Mercury too. It is hard to tell without seeing the grill.

Woodward seems to be wide in the pic. It was malled in the 1970's. See pg 21: http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/75906

[stasu1213]

I would say 1975 or 1976. Looking at the man's funky shirt and the car in the background I will say no earlier than 1974.

[TKshreve]

Late sixties is my guess. Post HEAT WAVE. Pre Jackson 5.

[dtowncitylover]

I would love to see more 60s/70s street scenes of downtown. All that hustle and bustlin' makes me nostalgic for something I've never known...

[FormerDetroiter]

I don't know if it was the 60's or 70's but it's been about that long since I've seen that many people on Woodward except for maybe the Thanksgiving Day parade.

[WolverineGirl93]

It looks to me like it was in the mid to late 60's.

[eno]

The photo is on page 111 of Bill Rauhauser's "Detroit Revisited". The title reads "Grand River Avenue and Woodward Avenue, 1970s". My guess is it's from around '73-'74 based on the fashion and hairstyle of the people in the photo.

[Pickford-Bentler]

The car in the background has styling cues that indicate is might be a fourth generation Sedan De Ville. That car sold new from 1971 to 1976.

[EastsideAl]

That looks like the downtown I remember from my high school years! I used to hang out along those streets every weekday back then. I agree with others here that this picture is from around 1972 to 75.

It may look busy to those who've only seen the post-80s Woodward, but all the talk back then was about how much downtown was on the decline and dying.

[mwilbert]

Can't be before 1970. There is an M-1 sign on Woodward, and Woodward was US-10 until 1970.

Hair looks like it was earlier than the late 70's, as do the clothes, but I can't remember styles year-by-year.

[canuck]

I think from the guy's funky suit probably between 1970 and no later than 72.

[illwill]

For those who remember Detroit back then in the mid-70's or so, that was even a light day for pedestrian traffic. It was a lot more crowded than that on Woodward and Jefferson most days.

[Meddle]

I would love to see more 60s/70s street scenes of downtown. All that hustle and bustlin' makes me nostalgic for something I've never known...

Nothing compared to the head count that would be in that shot from the 40s or 50s.

[Smirnoff]

My guess was: 1972

I believe the vehicle is an Oldsmobile......

[Meddle]

The hump behind the back door tells me it's not a Gran Fury. I'd go with one of the GM products.

[DetroitPlanner]

The hump behind the back door tells me it's not a Gran Fury. I'd go with one of the GM products.

I would not be so sure about that. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plymout..._gran_fury.png

I had one for several years.

[Danny]

That was Downtown Detroit pack with people, filled with department stores. Hudson's Flagship Dept. Store was the core along with Crowley's Kresge's, Federals, and yes Crowleys. Now they all gone. replace by Dan Gilberts pop art stores.

[canuck]

That carbcould be a Ford LTD four door from 1970-73... Speculating...

[stasu1213]

That was Downtown Detroit pack with people, filled with department stores. Hudson's Flagship Dept. Store was the core along with Crowley's Kresge's, Federals, and yes Crowleys. Now they all gone. replace by Dan Gilberts pop art stores.

This type of downtown Detroit will never come back. There's a new type of downtown where residents will work, live, and play. Dan Gilbert hinted that he doesn't want the downtown to be like the downtown that are in the suburbs. I take that to be less retail and more PunchBowl type businesses with maybe a store such as MooseJaw and other Michigan based stores sprinkled here and there

[Danny]

This type of downtown Detroit will never come back. There's a new type of downtown where residents will work, live, and play. Dan Gilbert hinted that he doesn't want the downtown to be like the downtown that are in the suburbs. I take that to be less retail and more PunchBowl type businesses with maybe a store such as MooseJaw and other Michigan based stores sprinkled here and there

Once Gilberttown Detroit is being filled up with his pop art stores. Then comes the corporate retail that young professionals want. We already have PotBelly's and Starbucks. I doubt that an Apple or Microsoft Store might come.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Canuck and Jimaz are probably much closer. It is not late 70's. The styles are too mod. By late 70's styles were a lot more subdued [[with the exception of the punk movement), though to a youngster would be hard to see much of a difference.

The car with a white top looks like a 1972-75 Gran Fury. But it could be a Mercury too. It is hard to tell without seeing the grill.

Woodward seems to be wide in the pic. It was malled in the 1970's. See pg 21: http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/75906

That car is definitely a 1974 Plymouth Gran Fury. I would say it was taken around 1974-76