Shorpy!

**jtf1972** · September-24-10, 11:12 AM

Edelweiss Cafe, Miami Ave, 1912

http://www.shorpy.com/node/9014?size=_original

**gnome** · September-24-10, 11:47 AM

I believe Miami Ave was renamed Broadway in the early teens, others in the collective brain-trust will know better, but IIRC the Edelweiss was on the corner of John R and Broadway. The tallish building in the background is the Henry Clay, now known as the Milner.

**jcole** · September-24-10, 12:01 PM

Thanks, Gnome; I was having a hell of a time trying to figure out why Miami St near Fort St and Schaeffer was all residential now.

**jtf1972** · September-24-10, 12:33 PM

Gnome... Are you sure the Henry Clay is the Milner? Looks to be a different building to me. The Milner has double windows, where the tall building in the background does not.

**gnome** · September-24-10, 01:20 PM

jtf, I think you're correct, good catch. ... looks like it could be the Madison-Lenox.

http://www.forgottendetroit.com/madlen/23.htm

I have an undated map from sometime after 1915 and it shows Miami Ave as Broadway, show the Eidelweiss on the corner of john R and Broadway. the Henry Clay is shown behind the Eidelweiss.

Hence, I would guess that the shorpy pic was taken before 1915 and before the Henry Clay was built. Not sure when the Henry Clay was built, but I do know the Milner lobby still has the words Henry Clay tiled in on the floor of the entrance.

I think I need to find out when the Henry Clay was built.

Stosh · September-24-10, 01:49 PM

Seems it was built in 2 parts, 1915 and 1913?

Attachment 7498

**EastsideAl** · September-24-10, 02:22 PM

The building in the background of the Shorpy photo is definitely the Lenox portion of the Madison-Lenox Hotel. An enlarged view shows that the windows line up perfectly with those shown in the demolition picture posted by Gnome.

The Edleweiss seems to have stood on the site now occupied by the Opera House parking garage. That whole Broadway - Randolph area was full of German restaurants and other German institutions [[like the Harmonie Club and the Abend-Post newspaper) at that time.

I'm somewhat intrigued by the house behind the Edelweiss, where the Henry Clay/Milner was soon to stand. It looks to be built in a style similar to many of Detroit's best late 19th century homes and buildings, like the Freer house, etc.

Shorpy seems to be on something of a pass through the local area right now. They also posted pictures of the Bancroft House Hotel in Saginaw and the Hiram Walker Distillery warehouse in Walkerville [[now part of Windsor) on Wednesday.

**jtf1972** · September-24-10, 03:00 PM

EasstsideAl,

Looks like you got it! http://www.detroityes.com/downtown/16lenoxfull.htm

Looking at that shot, the windows do look exact.

**Patrick** · September-24-10, 04:35 PM

How are these pictures so clear and crisp despite their age? Are the negatives scanned?

**GOAT** · September-24-10, 04:39 PM

Imagine that the trees on the top of the roof are actually planted there and not growing due to neglect.
I love the federalist style steetlights as well.

**Whitehouse** · September-24-10, 04:54 PM

This corner in present day Detroit looks like this. Another parking structure. As far as parking structure goes, this one actually looks quite decent. It looks like they actually bothered to spend some bucks on the outer design of it.

**Savoyard** · September-24-10, 07:32 PM

Originally Posted by Patrick

How are these pictures so clear and crisp despite their age? Are the negatives scanned?

The Detroit Photographic Company took this photo on an 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. That's huge! I don't know if this technique could even be duplicated in our digital world. And they did long exposures. That's why the man in the foreground appears blurred. I've saved a number of these photos, and you can zoom in close enough to see horstsh-t in the streets. Incredible.

**nat** · September-26-10, 12:51 PM

I remember reading an archive on the old webber on cigar factories that Hornwrecker & Co. were kicking around. Part of the discussion was about Hemmeter Cigar and if you look at this photo in the upper right quadrant you'll notice the name on the water tower.

**kathy2trips** · September-27-10, 12:59 AM

Those street lamps are beautiful! White, perhaps? And the awning over the entrance...the intricate detail.....zowie! This stuff rocks! Thank you!

**Carey** · September-27-10, 08:20 AM

It looks like a movie set.

**EastsideAl** · September-27-10, 08:41 AM

New Shorpy picture of a pristine corridor in a then brand-new Northwestern High:

http://www.shorpy.com/node/9020?size=_original

Anyone here go to Northwestern? My mother lived over there and would have gone there, but went to Cass instead.

**RealityCheck** · September-27-10, 05:09 PM

Originally Posted by nat

I remember reading an archive on the old webber on cigar factories that Hornwrecker & Co. were kicking around. Part of the discussion was about Hemmeter Cigar and if you look at this photo in the upper right quadrant you'll notice the name on the water tower.

Give the man a cigar for solid recall of an Oct. '08 conversation preserved here that also involves Townonenorth.

And while we're riffing on details in the evocative photo, I'll note that the sign-makers and maintainers at Walker & Co. continued doing their thing at least 30 more years . . . as shown by this five-foot-diameter Olds dealership exterior sign up for sale from an antiques shop on Melrose in LA:

**gnome** · September-27-10, 08:20 PM

Walker and Co. signs can be seen at: http://www.detroithistorical.org/veW...2/vexmain2.htm

not the best in terms of picture quality, but if you might want to tae a peek

**townonenorth** · September-28-10, 02:02 PM

Originally Posted by RealityCheck

Give the man a cigar for solid recall of an Oct. '08 conversation preserved here that also involves Townonenorth.

And while we're riffing on details in the evocative photo, I'll note that the sign-makers and maintainers at Walker & Co. continued doing their thing at least 30 more years . . . as shown by this five-foot-diameter Olds dealership exterior sign up for sale from an antiques shop on Melrose in LA:

Just like beetlejuice.

**luckycar** · September-28-10, 03:19 PM

Originally Posted by gnome

Walker and Co. signs can be seen at: http://www.detroithistorical.org/veW...2/vexmain2.htm

not the best in terms of picture quality, but if you might want to tae a peek

The billboard of the two soldiers may be the one of a certain Ralph K Hofer.He would be the one on the right.He crossed into Canada from Detroit, in 1942,to join the RCAF.He was a 15 kill ace with the USAAF.He was killed in 1944.A very colorful guy,he was always going off on his own to seek out the Germans.He flew wearing a #78 football jersey!He posed for a Coca-Cola billboard/painting while in New York.Just some ad guy thinking he looked sharp in his RCAF Cadet uniform.I read about this years ago and thanks to DY,there is the billboard!A little off subject,but I used to be a huge WWII airwar history buff,guess I still am.

**gnome** · September-28-10, 05:35 PM

you mean this one?

A quick googling brought up those two pix ... he sounds like quite a guy.

**luckycar** · September-28-10, 08:03 PM

That's our guy.God bless you Ralph Hofer.RIP.

**Whitehouse** · October-03-10, 12:25 PM

Shorpy again! Shipbuilding in Ecorse along the Detroit river.
Another picture of the same location.

The Charles B. Hill was shipwrecked the same year at November 22 at Lake Erie.

**mauser** · October-03-10, 09:30 PM

Originally Posted by Savoyard

The Detroit Photographic Company took this photo on an 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative. That's huge! I don't know if this technique could even be duplicated in our digital world. And they did long exposures. That's why the man in the foreground appears blurred. I've saved a number of these photos, and you can zoom in close enough to see horstsh-t in the streets. Incredible.

Yes - they made a digital sensor that big, but it is a one of a kind and not commercially viable.

http://www.engadget.com/2010/08/31/c...60fps-video-i/