Shorpy 1967: who, where, why?

[gnome]

Anyone have any idea who these folks might be? The distinguished gentleman on the left looks like Matt Guitar Murphy and the lady looks like Ophra...

Bill's Luncheonette, wasn't that in Brush Park? Like up around Erskine and Brush?

[Honky Tonk]

Anyone have any idea who these folks might be? The distinguished gentleman on the left looks like Matt Guitar Murphy and the lady looks like Ophra...

Bill's Luncheonette, wasn't that in Brush Park? Like up around Erskine and Brush?

I'm pretty sure the white guy is George Romney.

[Jimaz]

The caption at Listening Tour: 1967 says

October 1967. "Michigan Gov. George Romney in urban area." The Republican presidential aspirant during the "ghetto tour" that took him to more than a dozen inner cities following that year's race riots and civil unrest. From photos by James Karales for Look magazine.

if that helps.

[gazhekwe]

It's George Romney all right.

The white guys all around in back are union, that was a big part of his campaign.

I have not been able to pull up contemporary pix to make sure, there were some big political movers and shakers of the time. Robert and Louise Millender, super important, but I'm pretty sure this is not them.

[mikefmich]

The two folks alongside Romney seem awfully familiar.

[gnome]

I really didn't think it was necessary to identify George Effing Romney.

Anyone remember Bill's Luncheonette?

[jcole]

Romney did a tour of numerous ghettos that year in his run for the Republican candidate; Oprah would have been 13 in 1967

[gnome]

Ok, I see this is going to be difficult.

How about I start over.

does anyone know who is in the above photograph besides Governor of Michigan George Romney? The photograph was taken in Detroit in October of 1967 in front of a dining establishment named, Bill's Luncheonette.

Does anyone remember Bill's Luncheonette? I vaguely recall it might have been in Brush Park.

oh, by the way, neither Oprah not Matt Guitar Murphy are in the photo.

[Honky Tonk]

I didn't care for George Romney. I thought he really bungled the '67 Detroit riots. I would never vote for him to be president.

[313WX]

I didn't care for George Romney. I thought he really bungled the '67 Detroit riots. I would never vote for him to be president.

I don't think you have to worry about a dead man running for President, at least not any time soon...

[gnome]

That is comforting to know.

If it came down to George or Richard Nixon, you betcha alrighty I'd be pulling the handle for George.

[jcole]

Ok, I see this is going to be difficult.

How about I start over.

does anyone know who is in the above photograph besides Governor of Michigan George Romney? The photograph was taken in Detroit in October of 1967 in front of a dining establishment named, Bill's Luncheonette.

Does anyone remember Bill's Luncheonette? I vaguely recall it might have been in Brush Park.

oh, by the way, neither Oprah not Matt Guitar Murphy are in the photo.

What I'm trying to say is that picture may not have been in Detroit; it says "October 1967. "Michigan Gov. George Romney in urban area." The Republican presidential aspirant during the "ghetto tour" that took him to more than a dozen inner cities following that year's race riots and civil unrest. From photos by James Karales for Look magazine"
It never says he's in Detroit

[1953]

I saw this pic the day they posted it and discounted a Detroit connection after looking at the nature of the "urban area." It struck me as not-especially Detroit, but that's just my gut feeling. I would love if someone could pinpoint the spot and the people.

1953

[Smirnoff]

X2+ regarding Geo Romney.....

Black gentleman with the suit & tie appears to be the "Wicked Wilson Pickett"!

[gnome]

What I'm trying to say is that picture may not have been in Detroit; it says "October 1967. "Michigan Gov. George Romney in urban area." The Republican presidential aspirant during the "ghetto tour" that took him to more than a dozen inner cities following that year's race riots and civil unrest. From photos by James Karales for Look magazine"
It never says he's in Detroit

Ah, I see what you are saying. A little sniffing around revealed George made his announcement November 18, 1967 at the Veterans Memorial Building on Jefferson in Detroit.

a quick review of Jet from December of 67 referred to his multi-city tour, hence, I willing concede the point that the photo might not be in Michigan at all.

[Honky Tonk]

I don't think you have to worry about a dead man running for President, at least not any time soon...

've and ed, Ok?

[ABetterDetroit]

I don't think you have to worry about a dead man running for President, at least not any time soon...

Clearly you didn't watch any repub debates the last time around. Some of those stiffs looked and sounded pretty dead.

[gazhekwe]

I found some info on the tour, seventeen cities in all. In DC, he met with Marion Barry. Here is a picture of Marion Barry with hair:



St.Louis, Rochester, DC, Watts, Chicago. Those are the ones I found on the tour so far.

Nobody in the Romney campaign, with the exception of George Romney himself, thought that beginning the fall of 1967 with a tour of the American ghetto was a very good idea. The national polls were getting worse, and in New Hampshire, site of the first primary, they were disastrous. The tour seemed strangely off-point; there was possibly not a single Republican vote to be won in Watts. But Romney himself seemed on a mission. "We must rouse ourselves from our comfort, pleasure, and preoccupations and listen to the voices from the ghetto," he said in one speech. It was, after all, his campaign. He went.The trip required advance men for seventeen cities. In Saint Louis, Bill Whitbeck followed close behind as Romney disappeared into a housing project where a woman "poured out this tale of woe--son killed, daughter raped. A searing experience." In Washington, D.C., Romney met with Marion Barry; in Rochester, with Saul Alinsky, near portraits of Stokely Carmichael and Malcolm X. "I am more convinced than ever before that unless we reverse our course, build a new America, the old America will be destroyed," he said.
Romney was talking into a vacuum. Republicans weren't interested in the problems of the ghetto, and the ghetto wasn't interested in Romney's solutions. On his tour, as the historian Geoffrey Kabaservice writes in Rule and Ruin, Romney was convinced that "independent citizens groups and local private-sector institutions could make a greater impact than federal programs in improving life in the slums." What stayed with his staffers was the loneliness of Romney in the ghetto, the earnestness of the endeavor but also its delusion.

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/...-booed/259695/

[Jimaz]

We can rule out Google's top search results for "Bill's Luncheonette" [[New Jersey). It's streetview photo shows it's clearly not urban.

[softailrider]

Clearly you didn't watch any repub debates the last time around. Some of those stiffs looked and sounded pretty dead.

Yeah, Biden kind of wiped the floor with Ryan. I was shocked Ryan did so poorly.

[ABetterDetroit]

Yeah, Biden kind of wiped the floor with Ryan. I was shocked Ryan did so poorly.

I was referring to when they all squared off against each other, but you are right Biden did take Ryan to school in their first debate.

[davewindsor]

The guy to the right of Romney reminds me of the actor Christopher Lloyd in the 70s for some reason.The ears, eyebrows, the gaze. The guy beside him to the left also reminds me of an actor from a 70s detective show. Can't remember the name.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A4vE_vpkr90

[Cincinnati_Kid]

I didn't care for George Romney. I thought he really bungled the '67 Detroit riots. I would never vote for him to be president.

Don't like his son either.

[cjd]

I can't place the location, but I knew I recognized the guy on the left-center:

[Cincinnati_Kid]

I can't place the location, but I knew I recognized the guy on the left-center:

Nice try, but that isn't Carl Weathers.