Garwood Mansion

[john collier]

After the newspaper strike work became hell and one of the only bright days of that time was the day I got the assignment to photograph John Mellencamp . He was giving a free concert in downtown Detroit at the ole Kennedy sq. I love his music ....It has this kind of white trash ,middle class , feeling I can find myself in. http://detroityes.com/mb/attachment....1&d=1261684277

[john collier]

Dear Garwoodians

May I present the most beautiful image of my entire life....

"NATLIE ON THE STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN" mostly cause its this beautiful creature.

God bless us one and all and may life bring a little Garwood Mansion into every heart
http://detroityes.com/mb/attachment....1&d=1261684965

[RickBeall]

The painting of the classical nude has been restored to the stairwell! ... well, the photograph is so well composed, and the colors so classically beautiful, I thought it was a painting.

[john collier]

I went to a meeting of the Prismatic Society in Detroit last Saturday. Its mostly old fogies, male only, and ties required.I fit right in. The talk on this saturday was the Garwood. Given by Ken Klemmer it was great to have the entire island's history unfold.
Originally it was swamp land. In the late 1800s a man named Campau had two channels dug with the soil deposited in the middle to form an island with two canals. On this land he put a horse track with a grandstand and stable. For several decades people would watch horse races here. It was Groose Point until the city of Detroit decided it would be Detroit. Thats when they dug a channel with a bridge that would improve flo in the channels.He had a photo of the bridge being built . Gray came along with his idea of houses with boat houses and pricy homes along with a marina. The architect for four of the homes here was Crain . He was the architect for Ralphs place as well as the two places across the street from Ralphs place. These were grand homes indeed with boathouses. He wasn't the designer of the Koeber home across the chanell to the west of the Gar Wood Manson .That owner made his money distributing the un-cola, Pepsi. He was principally an architect of theaters, having designed Olympia, The Paramont theater, Fox, and many others. If you think about how the house was really the ball room with the house around it you get the idea of how the Garwood was really a big theater with a house around it. And attached boathouse.
Ken knew that Lenny Braund was dead. He was the pres of the local Outlaw Motorcycle Club. He had been convicted for helping transport fugitives across the river. So, Lenny wanted a place to be able to do this illegal activity and the Garwood was perfect for that purpose. So, as always, Location, Location, Location.
One thing Ken pointed out in his talk was how the mansion was like so many other big elephants in Detroit and how it had that kind of destiny to go into ruin. If you think about it what happened was bound to happen. It was in destines hands and nobody could have averted the disaster waiting for the Garwood.

[john collier]

I almost forgot. Manny Harris's grand scheme was to connect Peach island-he owned it- with the Grayhaven Island. Presume the house gone, because his plans do not show the house. He was going to have a large cable device that would take passengers from island to island. It was to be a kind of cable car ride over the river and an amusement park would be on Peach Island.
As Larry Merryman pointed out the Grayhaven Island has become pretty much the way Gray envisioned it except he had a more grand scheme for the homes . Presently you wish they would think about calling Mr Bellvidere to keep up with the Dave Bings.
If you really think of it ---most of the homes in that area are gone-the Fisher brothers homes are gone and now that land looks much like the rest of the vacant lots in the city.

[stnfrnt]

Thought I might share this with some of you;

http://www.vasectomy-information.com/humor/manual.htm

[gash]

I totally dig the John Collier stories and photos, I'm very proud to call this guy a friend, and very glad that he was able to do the things he has done with a camera..... amazing images that bring a good dose of memories and good times listening to the music of many of his subjects........ Thank you John Collier for just being the only thing you could be ......... a good friend who happens to take really great pictures ........ and then there's the posting by Stnfnt.....about some prick and stats about what a prick can or can't do ......... Poetic justice in some sorted fashion ........ I love this country.................... Happy HO HO and GDGT

[Whaler]

Hey Ya'll...Just drove back from Chicago Pickin up the Kids for Christmas....Great Photos John...Cooool shit.....Stone i forgot Abbey road sorry will get it to you...Happy days to all Peace...Whaler

[RickBeall]

Hey it's gotta be the Beatles sterio set! The Beatles -- pure pop at its purest, sweetest, and somehow realest.

[Margie]

Wow...Amazing great pics and stories...Just Amazing ...
The most incredible thing happened today as usual God totally blows me away and does things that are so far beyond my reach that I am in Awe daily !!! So to make an
outrageously righteous story short, look what I got today...Attachment 4484

[Margie]

She is two pounds and We had decided that the next dog we got would be named Bella. She is already 6 months old so when I asked what is her name...well you just know what they told me don't you.................BELLA

[stnfrnt]

Gash...r.e. your #5408: "and then there's the posting by Stnfnt.....about some prick and stats about what a prick can or can't do "


I don't know. Honest.....I was looking for a link to download a PDF for a Dell Dimension 2350 Owner's Manual [[136 pages worth), because for the past 3 days I've been getting my ass kicked trying to get the system back to "Out of Box" condition so I could re-install the drivers manually IN THE RIGHT ORDER!; didn't know you had to do that or you end up with the clusterf#$k I had. So, in my frantic and frustrating key punching frenzy, I clicked on this one link, and the Penis Stats jumped up. I fell out of my chair laughing at the irony of the obvious message from...................well, where? I guess you had to be there.

Valium or Xanax?

[stnfrnt]

MARGIE!

I'm sending John Collier-John Collier over to get a photo of "Machine Gun" out walking that dog!

[kklemmer]

John, thanks for the fine summary of my talk.... a couple clarifications/corrections if you don't mind:
1. the Dossin house across from Ralphs was the home of the Pepsi distributor.
2. The Koerber house was the home of a beer brewer
3. When Campau owned the property with the horse track, there were no canals, he just built up the land along the waterfront so it wasn't swampy.

Thanks...

Oh yeah... i also take exception to the prismatic club being a club of old fogeys. I happen to be young and quite good looking, if i do say so myself!

My sincere thanks to all the F.O.G.'s, you have captured my imagination!

Kenneth

[Margie]

Hey Baby....
Attachment 4486

[Margie]

Life is Good........
Attachment 4487
Attachment 4488

[Margie]

It's a good night to be alive...

Attachment 4489

[1KielsonDrive]

Merry Christmas all, and Happy New Year too.

[john collier]

Sorry for the errors---Kenneth

I was just wondering if Stnfrt in all of his research found the owners manuel for the vagina, That could come in as very handy reading.

[Drummer21]

Sorry its been so long since my last visit. I'll catch up.

John, you make me smile. Sug, I'll let you know of our tour plans.

To all of my FOG friends, HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

[stnfrnt]

"Observations from a tree stump in Whiskey Flats"

ya' don't need an owner's manual for something ya' don't own

[Candy man]

For this day, peace on earth and good will to all.

[Margie]

MERRY CHRISTMAS ALL MY LOVERS...[[DON'T START HOOVER !)
F.O.G. I can not wait till June !!!! Love you all so much.
Last night at The Kelly House...
Mamas still got it !!! I won !!!!!
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[stnfrnt]

What a beautiful day to be alive in Southern California....right now it's sunny and 41 degrees. Global warming my ass!

[Whaler]

It is Raining so Hard here right now....I am looking outside for the Ark..Happy Day to all