Half Mast .........1929-ish

**Magnatomicflux** · October-20-10, 04:10 AM

God I suck at posting stuff lol. Anyways........I've been looking over this great photo from what I think was listed as 1929. Looks way better when it's big, I'm sure alot of you have it.

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What was happening in Detroit, or possibly the nation that warranted this? Anyone know? A few other, smaller buildings also have lowered flags...but not all.

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Second.....on the Windsor side of things.....is this person in the window naked?

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**blackmath** · October-20-10, 05:13 AM

If it were taken in 1930 it could be for former President and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court William Howard Taft who died March 8th, 1930.

lilpup · October-20-10, 05:45 AM

Could have been any number of things, including Memorial Day.

**gnome** · October-20-10, 06:00 AM

I can't see the 2nd pic, ... where did you find it? The WSU logo isn't in the corner, so ...

**Magnatomicflux** · October-20-10, 10:13 PM

gnome, I found it on a site called "vintage obscura"
There's some neat photos on there.

**blackmath** · October-20-10, 10:22 PM

Magna - GREAT website, thanks for the heads up.

**Cincinnati_Kid** · October-20-10, 11:39 PM

Originally Posted by Magnatomicflux

gnome, I found it on a site called "vintage obscura"
There's some neat photos on there.

Link please?

**Magnatomicflux** · October-20-10, 11:53 PM

Here ya go Cincinnati_Kid

http://vintageobscura.wordpress.com

No problem blackmath...I shoulda included the link in the first place. It is a great site.

**Lowell** · October-21-10, 07:44 AM

Beautiful pic, but technically it is half 'staff' unless you can spot a half mast flag on one of the ships.

**One Shot** · October-21-10, 10:59 AM

Whats with the unemployment building looking like it was stuck in a chimney? Looks soot black! I know they used coal back then but did buildings really get this dirty? I know its possible its painted black too. See alot buildings looking like that in those old pics.

**BrushStart** · October-21-10, 11:57 AM

The collapse of the financial markets? Quite a few people took "the leap" in NYC... wonder if the same thing happened in Detroit. Sad. Not sure if that's a legitimate reason to lower the flags though.

**Sandhouse** · October-21-10, 01:43 PM

Great depiction of the passsenger steamers on the Detroit waterfront.
I'm not sure what building the query above is about, but the portion of the city to the right of downtown is in the shadow from one of the cumulus clouds.
Considering how much coal burning is going on in these old photos, it's a tribute the skill of the stationary, locomotive, and steamship firemen that only about 3 smoke plumes are visible in this photo.

**Magnatomicflux** · October-21-10, 10:19 PM

Originally Posted by Lowell

Beautiful pic, but technically it is half 'staff' unless you can spot a half mast flag on one of the ships.

Sandhouse - you sure are right about those firemen. I don't think alot of people know that steam powered machines arn't really supposed to be blowing huge black clouds everywhere. They see a steam train now and see black smoke all the time, but it's only for show. I thought I heard that the engineer and fireman of locomotives would actually get in trouble if they were reported to have been throwing black soot all over town.

**blackmath** · October-22-10, 05:20 AM

Originally Posted by Lowell

Beautiful pic, but technically it is half 'staff' unless you can spot a half mast flag on one of the ships.

Lowell, Magna's Windsor is showing when he calls it "half-mast". That term is generally a British/British Commonwealth colloquialism pointing to the naval tradition of flying the flag just a flag width's distance down from where it normally would be following a death. It never ceases to amaze me how different our speech patterns, accents, sayings and slang are in some cases even though we are only separated by a narrow river

**Lowell** · October-22-10, 06:13 AM

I guess I need to get oot and aboot agane in Windsor, eh?

What amazes me is how similar native Detroiters' and Windsorites' [aka Canusans] are -- such that someone who grew up in Toronto, for instance, stands out.

Native Windsorites do use the famous Canadian 'eh' vs 'huh' but there is little beyond -- no oot and aboot.

There are some other little differences, just can't think of them right now.

Back on topic, it is interesting to note how many rooftop billboards from Windsor faced the USA side and how much of a sea port Detroit used to be.

**MikeM** · October-22-10, 01:02 PM

I never realized that the broadcast antennas of radio station WWJ were downtown before being relocated to Oak Park in the 1930s:

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**Magnatomicflux** · October-23-10, 12:41 AM

MikeM, is that what those are? I noticed the one to the right of this pic here a long time ago and couldn't figure out what they were really for. Imagine climing the ladder in that?!
Geez, look how solid the ice is in the river!
Notice the elevated railway bridge running under the steam skimming the ground. Anybody know it's purpose? Is it for a hump yard?

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Lowell and blackmath, I've also had people from Toronto tell me how American myself , and Windsorites in gerneral sound!

About sea ports Lowell, I'm always amazed at how much of a working waterfront Windsor had as well. We were just workng on a smaller scale

What a fantastically busy waterfront. I could've sat down there all day and watched the action. Planes, trains, ships, boats, rumrunning, palacial steamer races.....sigh.....

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Boy, in this shot of Windsor you can really see the pollution in the river [[headed to the bathing beach anyone?) and the smoke drifting over the city. Hmm....whatever, I'd still rather live in the 20's then any other time!

**Whitehouse** · October-23-10, 10:42 AM

Wow!! Just as exciting as Shorpy! From the same source, here's a Detroit skyline from... 1866!!!

It's VERY BIG!!!

I don't think there's any building left standing from this picture, apart from churches maybe.

**Magnatomicflux** · October-23-10, 10:31 PM

I found that GORGIOUS pic a few months ago Whitehouse! I wanted desperatly to post it here but never thought it would fit! Thanks for posting it for everyone to enjoy!

I plan on blowing it up to about 6 feet long and framing it

My best guess is it was taken from Goyeau and Riverside....pressumable from our original town hall. The white 2 story building on the right in the back ground would be Ouellette. The train station would be where the Canadian National #5588 aka Spirit of Windsor resides. I'm also pretty sure one of the visible buildings on the north side of Riverside drive is where the Dodge Brothers were producing either the parts for, or were assembling their "Maple leaf" bicycle in 1892.
I also love the cattle yards to the right of the photo in Windsors side.