Lost Landscapes of Detroit

[Paintnprint]

http://www.archive.org/details/LostL...sOfDetroit2010

Koko

[Kathleen]

Thanks for posting this link. Rick must have posted it this afternoon as I looked for it this morning. I'll add it to the original event posting as a follow up.

[One Shot]

That video is AWESOME!
The old color video of the neighborhoods from the 40's 50's is amazing.
THANKS for sharing!

[Chub]

Best collection of older footage I've seen so far!

[rjlj]

What are all those street cars, trains and people doing in Detroit? This must be a fake film.
I love the part about double parking, would it work today?
Awesome film footage.

[Patrick]

Jesus, you can't really understand what Detroit once was without seeing a moving visual aid. All the hustle and bustle and people...yes, people actually out and about. Trees too.

[Paintnprint]

Promoting Detroit is what more people should do.
Koko

[Detroitus]

Just saw the show out here in S.F. last night at Counter Pulse http://counterpulse.org/

It was the largest show at the space except for Rick Prelinger's "Lost Landscapes of San Francisco. They had to turn away over 80 people at the door. At least half of the folks where members of the Detroit Diaspora. Excellent open discussion through out the film by D.D. and non-D.D. alike.

FYI, Rick and his wife maintain a self-supported video archive here in S.F. and are always looking for additional material.

[SaintMe]

I only know Detroit through pictures of the past and what I see with my own eyes today . . . it's so bizarre to see this city living . . .

[Ocean2026]

I like that Voice of Safety - Where the police car with the big boom box nails a lady for jaywalking and a car for double parking. Of course if Detroit tried that today- someone with an automatic weapon would nail those police within the first hour.

[Buy American]

The video was one of the best I've seen. I remember downtown Detroit when people were five deep walking up and down Woodward. Those were the days when Detroit was at it's greatest!
The tree lined streets and what looked like brand new subdivisions were good to see.
I only wish there were more pictures of the Eastside that I would recognize more. Belle Isle and canoeing on the lagoon was sure a great memory as well.

[laphoque]

Apparently you've never stepped on the yellow area at the edge of the people mover platform for any period of time, nor have you jumped the turnstile. Also I assume you've never climbed on the platform under Joe Louis's fist or on Detroit's iconic spirit. In all of these places you might encounter that voice today. And it feels just as dytopically modern today as I bet it did then.

Not that it's always staffed or that they're always watching. But commonly enough, they are.

[Buy American]

Apparently you've never stepped on the yellow area at the edge of the people mover platform for any period of time, nor have you jumped the turnstile. Also I assume you've never climbed on the platform under Joe Louis's fist or on Detroit's iconic spirit. In all of these places you might encounter that voice today. And it feels just as dytopically modern today as I bet it did then.

Not that it's always staffed or that they're always watching. But commonly enough, they are.

Not quite sure what "dytopically" means.

Personally, I've never stepped on the yellow area at the edge of the people mover, nor have I jumped a turnstile or climbed the platform. None of that sounds very exciting to me.

I have been downtown in the 50's when downtown was packed with people. I have been on a streetcar down Jefferson Avenue, taken a bus all the way from Hudsons down Vernor to home and never had a problem. Belle Isle was wonderful and I've canoed the lagoon many times. Horseback riding from Knapps Stables on Belle Isle was a favorite pastime. Visiting the conservatory or the aquarium on Belle Isle was very special for my family.
Yesterday in Detroit was a lifetime ago. Detroit, as shown in the video, was alive and moving forward. Today, it is stagnant and seems to be going nowhere, and that's so unfortunate.

[scbaker]

Not quite sure what "dytopically" means.

Personally, I've never stepped on the yellow area at the edge of the people mover, nor have I jumped a turnstile or climbed the platform. None of that sounds very exciting to me.

I have been downtown in the 50's when downtown was packed with people. I have been on a streetcar down Jefferson Avenue, taken a bus all the way from Hudsons down Vernor to home and never had a problem. Belle Isle was wonderful and I've canoed the lagoon many times. Horseback riding from Knapps Stables on Belle Isle was a favorite pastime. Visiting the conservatory or the aquarium on Belle Isle was very special for my family.
Yesterday in Detroit was a lifetime ago. Detroit, as shown in the video, was alive and moving forward. Today, it is stagnant and seems to be going nowhere, and that's so unfortunate.

Like you, I wish the video had show more of the Eastside. I think there might have been a shot of the corner of Mack & Chalmers at 31:47. The bank bldg & houses to the right look very familiar. Maybe, it's only wishful thinking. There are very few images, if any, available of that area of Detroit.

I grew up in the area of Mack & Chalmers. I lived on Eastlawn St. between Mack & Charlevoix. As you know, nothing remains there anymore. It was one of the hardest hit areas for crime & decay.

I too have the same wonderful memories. As a young teenager I spent many hours on Belle Isle with my friends going canoeing, riding horses and of course enjoying the beach. After a day at the beach, we would stop at the penny arcade at Jefferson & E. Grand Blvd. spending whatever money we had, saving only enough for bus fare home.

I worked in the Griswold Bldg. in downtown from 1961-1964. I remember standing in Campus Martius watching the first wrecking ball hit the old city hall bldg. Very sad. After work, I would take the bus that ran down Vernor all of the way home. The buses were always so crowed that I never got a seat until I had almost reached my stop.

It's nice to meet someone from the Eastside. Too few of us on the Detroit forums.
Where did you live on the Eastside? What schools did you attend?

[gazhekwe]

I just watched that all the way through. I was struck by the Detroit Police film Tuebor about how the police are deployed so that every street is patrolled. Those were the days. Why can't we do that now, again? My heart was wrung by the film narrated by Jerome Cavanaugh, Detroit, a city on the threshold of a bright future, showing how all this planning and expertise was going to launch us into the new city of the future. Little did he know how close we were to the long slide down.

A lot of the places and people looked familiar. The Memorial Day war protest was like old home week to this peacenik. I wasn't there, but attended similar rallies. The downtown pix with all the traffic and the shops and hotels and lights, aaah, that's the way it looked, exciting and dynamic. Something to look at every step. Driving down Grand River by the Riviera Theater was familiar. Many a day I waited for the W. Chicago bus a block down from there.

[Buy American]

Like you, I wish the video had show more of the Eastside. I think there might have been a shot of the corner of Mack & Chalmers at 31:47. The bank bldg & houses to the right look very familiar. Maybe, it's only wishful thinking. There are very few images, if any, available of that area of Detroit.

I grew up in the area of Mack & Chalmers. I lived on Eastlawn St. between Mack & Charlevoix. As you know, nothing remains there anymore. It was one of the hardest hit areas for crime & decay.

I too have the same wonderful memories. As a young teenager I spent many hours on Belle Isle with my friends going canoeing, riding horses and of course enjoying the beach. After a day at the beach, we would stop at the penny arcade at Jefferson & E. Grand Blvd. spending whatever money we had, saving only enough for bus fare home.

I worked in the Griswold Bldg. in downtown from 1961-1964. I remember standing in Campus Martius watching the first wrecking ball hit the old city hall bldg. Very sad. After work, I would take the bus that ran down Vernor all of the way home. The buses were always so crowed that I never got a seat until I had almost reached my stop.

It's nice to meet someone from the Eastside. Too few of us on the Detroit forums.
Where did you live on the Eastside? What schools did you attend?

Welcome to DetroitYes scbaker.

I'll have to go back and check the shot that you think may be Mack and Chalmers.

I grew up on the East side, Montclair and Vernor area. Went to school at Howe Elementary, Foch Jr. High and Southeastern, graduating in 1962 then went right to work for the City of Detroit Fire Department and did so for 30 years until I retired. Lived in the 7 Mile and Hayes area while working.

[scbaker]

Welcome to DetroitYes scbaker.

I'll have to go back and check the shot that you think may be Mack and Chalmers.

I grew up on the East side, Montclair and Vernor area. Went to school at Howe Elementary, Foch Jr. High and Southeastern, graduating in 1962 then went right to work for the City of Detroit Fire Department and did so for 30 years until I retired. Lived in the 7 Mile and Hayes area while working.

Thank you for the warm welcome! I have been lurking on this forum for almost a year and have loved the informative and nostalgic postings. I have been away from Detroit for so many years which makes it hard to add anything to the conversations. So, I guess I will be forced to continue lurking until a new thread discussing by gone days pops up.

As an employee of the Detroit Fire Dept., the summer of 1967 must have been a very trying time for you. I worked for Michigan Employment Security Commission in Mt. Clemens during that period. We sure had our share of crazies walking through the doors. Threats were not uncommon.

I attended Jackson Jr. High and graduated from Southeastern in 1961. Our paths may have crossed many times in those halls of S.E. They were remodeling the interior of the school when I visited in 2003. We were not allowed inside, but one of formen of the construction crew was very helpful with information on what the final results would be. I am thrilled that at least one structure still remains in good condition. A towering beauty amidst a sea of almost total destruction. Pretty much describes the old neighborhoods that I saw in 2003.

[English]

Thanks for the link... I didn't see it when it was posted last year. To me, a daughter of postmodern Detroit, it's not odd to see footage of a bustling Motor City. I grew up amid these fabulous ruins; the more splendid the ruins, the greater the fall those ruins indicate.

As always, I feel very ambivalent about this kind of nostalgia. Ultimately, I agree with this reviewer:

" These films unwittingly offer hints of why Detroit would fall so far so fast. The scenes of the auto plants cannot help but call to mind the decline of American industrial manufacturing, of course. But that is not the whole story. Detroit, in its heyday, was among the most rigidly segregated cities in the country. The only black faces you will see here [[apart from an occasional pedestrian) are shown at a neighborhood celebration for an arriving [[or departing--it's hard to tell) church pastor."

When this footage was taken, my family [[grandfather's side) had been in the city of Detroit for nearly a half century. Hate to rain on folks' parade, but the city beautiful of yesterday had a flaw perhaps other cities that didn't fall as far didn't have... a flaw that few mourning its demise would notice. How could they? One doesn't notice invisible men, women, and children.

Still, this is an important documentary recounting an essential part of our city's history. As someone interested in preservation, I enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing it.

[laphoque]

Not quite sure what "dytopically" means.

Personally, I've never stepped on the yellow area at the edge of the people mover, nor have I jumped a turnstile or climbed the platform. None of that sounds very exciting to me.

I have been downtown in the 50's when downtown was packed with people. I have been on a streetcar down Jefferson Avenue, taken a bus all the way from Hudsons down Vernor to home and never had a problem. Belle Isle was wonderful and I've canoed the lagoon many times. Horseback riding from Knapps Stables on Belle Isle was a favorite pastime. Visiting the conservatory or the aquarium on Belle Isle was very special for my family.
Yesterday in Detroit was a lifetime ago. Detroit, as shown in the video, was alive and moving forward. Today, it is stagnant and seems to be going nowhere, and that's so unfortunate.

Sorry, forgot the 's' in dystopically, which refers to the strange or terrible reality of an envisioned utopia. It feels strange to have a disembodied voice telling you to step back from the yellow line when you have half of your foot on it. I wasn't implying you should try it, I was just remarking that the same technology—in conjunction with CCTV—is in use today. When I saw the video, it also reminded me of the makeshift traffic stops police in the city will sometimes do when they witness a traffic violation while they're on their way to a higher priority call: they'll pull abreast and say something like, "red means stop," or whatever the case may require, and then speed away.

I wouldn't say Detroit's stagnant, it's just been in the withdrawal phase of a boom town—like so many in the rust belt. With green belts and smart planning, we just might start building worthwhile architecture and infrastructure again while maintaining the old. Ah, dreams.

Although one thing I'd like to do once I get more capital is get the canoes going again. It seems to me that there should be a rental place on the island with canoes, kayaks, and the like. I'm going to go search for the reason that stopped.

[Buy American]

Sorry, forgot the 's' in dystopically, which refers to the strange or terrible reality of an envisioned utopia. It feels strange to have a disembodied voice telling you to step back from the yellow line when you have half of your foot on it. I wasn't implying you should try it, I was just remarking that the same technology—in conjunction with CCTV—is in use today. When I saw the video, it also reminded me of the makeshift traffic stops police in the city will sometimes do when they witness a traffic violation while they're on their way to a higher priority call: they'll pull abreast and say something like, "red means stop," or whatever the case may require, and then speed away.

I wouldn't say Detroit's stagnant, it's just been in the withdrawal phase of a boom town—like so many in the rust belt. With green belts and smart planning, we just might start building worthwhile architecture and infrastructure again while maintaining the old. Ah, dreams.

Although one thing I'd like to do once I get more capital is get the canoes going again. It seems to me that there should be a rental place on the island with canoes, kayaks, and the like. I'm going to go search for the reason that stopped.

There used to be the canoe barn where you could rent them. I imagine it's quite dilapitated today, if it's standing at all. Also, you could rent bikes on the island, that was fun, too. I hope you're right and Detroit becomes that place again where there will be good memories for people again.

[Mikeg]

There used to be the canoe barn where you could rent them. I imagine it's quite dilapitated today, if it's standing at all.

Long gone, but here's what it looked like on Sept. 5, 1956 [full size]. From the Friends of Belle Isle web site:

Canoe Rental Building [[closed about 30 years ago):
Over the years a very popular pastime on Belle Isle was canoeing. Either you stored your own privately owned canoe or rental one. The Canoe Rental and Storage Building was located near the current Harbor Master Building located on your right when you enter Belle Isle.

Here's a Google Street View of the vacant lot where the Canoe Rental Building once stood.

[RickPrelinger]

I've started to work on a new Lost Landscapes of Detroit, which I'll present in Detroit in the fall of this year. I'd be delighted to connect with anyone who has historical footage [[especially home movies) showing the city. Naturally, I want the second show to cover territory that's neglected or missing in the first, so would love to hear from Eastsiders and others. I'm also coming to Detroit in February, and if you've got a collection, maybe we can meet.

thanks -- Rick [[email footage AT panix.com)

[Mikeg]

Hate to rain on folks' parade, but the city beautiful of yesterday had a flaw perhaps other cities that didn't fall as far didn't have... a flaw that few mourning its demise would notice. How could they? One doesn't notice invisible men, women, and children.

"Art Exhibit at Broadstreet [[Russell Woods) Park, Detroit, June 21, 1959"

[Buy American]

Long gone, but here's what it looked like on Sept. 5, 1956 [full size]. From the Friends of Belle Isle web site:

Canoe Rental Building [[closed about 30 years ago):
Over the years a very popular pastime on Belle Isle was canoeing. Either you stored your own privately owned canoe or rental one. The Canoe Rental and Storage Building was located near the current Harbor Master Building located on your right when you enter Belle Isle.

Here's a Google Street View of the vacant lot where the Canoe Rental Building once stood.

Thanks for posting the picture, that's what I remembered. I also remember the Harbormaster and the Police boat that was there. I have a couple of bricks from Knapps Riding Stable...couldn't let it be demolished and not take a memory. I have a Hudsons brick, too.

[ja!mz]

"and heeeeeeeear comes the race card"-thanks for pointing that out English, cant we just look at a video with out it for a change?