great historic photos of detroit

**guychampeau** · February-21-10, 07:00 PM

this site has some great high resolution photos of historic detroit...

http://www.shorpy.com/

**ASR89** · February-21-10, 07:17 PM

Right you are, Guy. Folks have posted links to Shorpy many times, but it doesn't hurt to put it out there for those who are new to the forum or those who haven't visited it in a while. I've seen many good pictures on that site.

**Ray1936** · February-21-10, 07:19 PM

I visit that site every day. Even the non-Detroit photos are amazing and make you seem like you've just gone back in time a century or so.

I hear the theme music of "Somewhere in Time" whenever I visit Shorpy.

**douglasm** · February-21-10, 09:33 PM

This is why it doesn't bother me if people repost sites a number of times. I hadn't seen this one. Thanks for the link.

**EastsideAl** · February-22-10, 10:06 AM

There are some nice Michigan themed pictures on there today, including a circa 1904 shot of an "ice fountain" on Washington Blvd., and a 1900 shot of the famous [[infamous?) and still-standing Ypsilanti water tower.

**southen** · February-22-10, 10:36 AM

that site never gets old.

**Wintersmommy** · February-22-10, 11:39 AM

Originally Posted by Ray1936

I visit that site every day. Even the non-Detroit photos are amazing and make you seem like you've just gone back in time a century or so.

I hear the theme music of "Somewhere in Time" whenever I visit Shorpy.

I check it daily as well...its like stepping back in time with every visit

**jbd441** · February-22-10, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by Wintersmommy

I check it daily as well...its like stepping back in time with every visit

I will too from now on. It never ceases to amaze me the archecture from that time period. Even predepression buildings seems so huge and with such intricate details and the fact some w\ere built in areas without any other buildings around. It makes you wonder where the money came from to build these buildings.

**Ray1936** · February-22-10, 12:49 PM

Hey, attention, all you retired DFD smoke eaters: Be sure to catch this photo of the launching of the fire boat "James Battle", which served the city for half a century! Shorpy does it again!
http://www.shorpy.com/node/7774?size=_original

Buy American · February-22-10, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by Ray1936

Hey, attention, all you retired DFD smoke eaters: Be sure to catch this photo of the launching of the fire boat "James Battle", which served the city for half a century! Shorpy does it again!
http://www.shorpy.com/node/7774?size=_original

Thanks Ray, that's a great picture. I love looking at the people in these photos and the activity out on the river. What a time that must have been.

**Hornwrecker** · February-22-10, 04:29 PM

I think most of the Shorpy photos are from the Detroit Publishing Co at the LOC:

http://rs6.loc.gov/detroit/dethome.html

Also thousands of old Detroit pics at the Burton Collection:

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/imag...index;c=dpa1ic

Some at the Bentley Historical Library at UoM:

http://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/imag...view=thumbnail

More at the Virtual Motor City at WSU:

http://dlxs.lib.wayne.edu/cgi/i/image/image-idx?c=vmc

National Automotive History Collection DPL:

http://mmm.lib.msu.edu/search/browse...cfm?t=2&col=48

**Ray1936** · February-22-10, 05:21 PM

True, many of the Shorpy photos are available on other web sites, such as those listed above. However, Dave, the webmeister of Shorpy, brings them up to sizes not attainable on the other sites. He also cleans many of them up with photoshop to make them brilliant.

I have no connection with Shorpy other than a happy viewer.