Detrola Camera Factory

**mjk1217** · July-29-15, 01:58 PM

I was at Eastern Market a couple of weeks back and found a Detrola camera. These were made in the city at a factory on Beard St back in the 30's and 40's. Anyone have any info ? Any pics of the factory from back in the day ? looks like the building is long gone.

**EastsideAl** · July-29-15, 02:44 PM

They were mainly a radio company. I have a couple of their old radios that I've inherited from family members. They mostly built beautiful looking, but cheaply made and sold, tabletop radios for the radio-crazed depression economy. Their colorful bakelite plastic radios can cause some excitement on the collectors' market. I think the cameras were pretty much a sideline. They were in business from 1931 until Motorola bought them out after WWII.

Their first big factory was at 3630 Fort St., just east of W. Grand Blvd. By the time they were in the camera business they were located at 1501 Beard, which at Beard and Chatfield on the southwest side in the Springwells area. The site is now occupied by the DPS Roberto Clemente Academy [[across the street from the well-hidden Sidekick's Saloon).

**mjk1217** · July-29-15, 03:10 PM

That just sounds so strange - cameras as a sideline ?

**gazhekwe** · July-29-15, 08:58 PM

We have a Detrola record player, floor standing model.

**mjk1217** · July-30-15, 12:16 PM

Wow. Let's see a pic of that. I Am very interested in Detroit's manufacturing past. I love hearing stories about Detrola or the era when stoves we're produced in this town. I was shocked to see the camera [[probably should have bought it) and I actually thought at first it was a "joke". I had never even heard of Detrola.

**gazhekwe** · July-30-15, 12:57 PM

I hope I figured this out right, Pix of Detrola record player and radio. OK, sorry they're blurry. I haven't figure out how to adjust focus etc on my new tablet.

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**lpg** · July-30-15, 08:16 PM

I have a Detrola tabletop radio in a wood cabinet that my aunt gave to me when she worked there just after the war. My old neighbor worked there during the war making mine detectors. My wife and I attended a seminar put on by a amateur radio club years ago that gave the whole history of Detrola. The end of the company was very interesting.

**mjk1217** · July-30-15, 08:51 PM

Originally Posted by lpg

I have a Detrola tabletop radio in a wood cabinet that my aunt gave to me when she worked there just after the war. My old neighbor worked there during the war making mine detectors. My wife and I attended a seminar put on by a amateur radio club years ago that gave the whole history of Detrola. The end of the company was very interesting.

Well you can't leave me hanging. What happened at the end ? Do you have any pics of the plant ? What the heck was going on there ? They made radios, cameras, mine detectors. Crazy.

**rb336** · July-31-15, 08:37 AM

If it is the Detrola 400, it could be worth from $1000-2500 depending on condition

**Left_For_Texas** · August-02-15, 12:57 AM

Great thread. I love this stuff. Learning the history of Detroit, and especially the manufacturing history is why I joined DetroitYes.

**lpg** · August-02-15, 06:29 PM

Originally Posted by mjk1217

Well you can't leave me hanging. What happened at the end ? Do you have any pics of the plant ? What the heck was going on there ? They made radios, cameras, mine detectors. Crazy.

If memory serves me there was a dispute with Motorola and the workers were told they would not have jobs. They did not agree and when they returned to work on Monday all the equipment had been loaded onto boxcars and shipped to Chicago. No pics, sorry.