Another Shorpy Mystery

[cosine]

This one was just posted on Shorpy. Any idea of where it was taken? Looks like Dr. M.E. Silver might be a clue.

http://www.shorpy.com/node/9403?size=_original

[Patrick]

The only thing I can think of is reading the lettering on the window which says something like BE ME Silver office....beats me.

[Jared9903]

looks like the address below the DR SILVER on the door is 530?

[Guideboat]

Posted in photo comments on Shorpy site:

Submitted by RDown3657 on Wed, 11/24/2010 - 5:13pm.
Maxwell Silver, physician, address 530 Brush Street, Detroit. He's 35 and was born in Russia. Street numbers were changed rather radically in Detroit around 1922, so it's difficult to pin down where on Brush Street this would be. It's pretty well all been razed, anyway.

[jtf1972]

Damn shame that's gone. That looks like a place that would be rather nice to live!

[Patrick]

Look at how detailed and well-built even the middle-class buildings were built back then.

[Brock7]

That address would've been between Edmund Place and Brewster, which were both between Wilkins and Alfred.

[Zacha341]

I love Shorpy.com. The photos are so large and clear when you zoom in on them... truly a travel thru time. All the richness and detail provided.

This one was just posted on Shorpy. Any idea of where it was taken? Looks like Dr. M.E. Silver might be a clue.

http://www.shorpy.com/node/9403?size=_original

[EastsideAl]

The Village of Brush Park Manor seniors complex is on that site now.

[Russix]

$100 bucks say those are the same pipes in use today[[whatever their purpose is, sewage??)

[mikefmich]

$100 bucks say those are the same pipes in use today[[whatever their purpose is, sewage??)

Cast iron leaded and hemped bell jointed gas main.
I'll take your bet. Wanna offer odds too?

[Russix]

Cast iron leaded and hemped bell jointed gas main.
I'll take your bet. Wanna offer odds too?

Considering that most of the subsurface infrastructure around here is pretty much original unless a small portion of it has catastrophically failed at one time, I’d say the odds on them being still in use to be 2:1.

[Russix]

Is that machine an early form of an air compressor?

[Whitehouse]

Shorpy delivers again. A bike shop.

Man! Just look at that state-of-the-art audio equipment on the left!

And again!
Detroit's Theatre Comique.

And again:
Gasholder being erected.

And again:
Wayne County Building.\
[Which makes me wonder. Has that building already a new tennant?)

[stromberg2]

Thanks for those, Whitehouse! I wonder what neighborhood the gasholder was in?

Stromberg2

[Jimaz]

Is that machine an early form of an air compressor?

According to the comments, yes. A two-cylinder.

[windsor_shane]

its too bad those rowhomes are gone... looks similar to my street here in windsor.

http://maps.google.ca/maps?hl=en&q=m...190.28,,0,7.86

[MikeM]

Thanks for those, Whitehouse! I wonder what neighborhood the gasholder was in?

Stromberg2

Station A, on W Jefferson between 24th and W Grand Boulevard, had a gas holder built in 1912 [[the date of the Shorpy photo). I think that's Jefferson on the left and West Grand in the background.

[MikeM]

Cast iron leaded and hemped bell jointed gas main.
I'll take your bet. Wanna offer odds too?

Similar:

Attachment 7892

[mikefmich]

Considering that most of the subsurface infrastructure around here is pretty much original unless a small portion of it has catastrophically failed at one time, I’d say the odds on them being still in use to be 2:1.

Original water mains were bored log sections...we dug up some of those when cutting off all the old gas mains in the black bottom area circa 1974.

In that same time frame, 74-75 all the old cast mains downtown were replaced.

Before I left MichCon in '77, they were slowly but surely doing main renewal projects emanating out from downtown on all the older areas that use to be low pressure mains. Pressure in the old days were measured by water gauges..just a few ounces. When they increased the pressure in later years to a couple pounds, the old mains and services would pop leaks like a colander.

I can state with near certainty, that location has been renewed with steel or plastic gas mains.

[Russix]

Original water mains were bored log sections...we dug up some of those when cutting off all the old gas mains in the black bottom area circa 1974.

In that same time frame, 74-75 all the old cast mains downtown were replaced.

Before I left MichCon in '77, they were slowly but surely doing main renewal projects emanating out from downtown on all the older areas that use to be low pressure mains. Pressure in the old days were measured by water gauges..just a few ounces. When they increased the pressure in later years to a couple pounds, the old mains and services would pop leaks like a colander.

I can state with near certainty, that location has been renewed with steel or plastic gas mains.

Don't spend that $100 bucks all in one place, thanks for the info!! I'm newer here to the face of the planet, what was the purpose of increasing the pressure? I'm going to assume something like supplying more customers over longer distances???

[Russix]

According to the comments, yes. A two-cylinder.

My apologies, sometimes to view these pictures I look at them like this: http://www.shorpy.com/files/images/4a26704a.jpg. Is that half of a street car rail in the middle of the street or what is that metal rail doing there?

[stromberg2]

Thanks, Mikem.

Stromberg2

[mikefmich]

Don't spend that $100 bucks all in one place, thanks for the info!! I'm newer here to the face of the planet, what was the purpose of increasing the pressure? I'm going to assume something like supplying more customers over longer distances???

In a manner of speaking.

Low pressure was in the original piping installed from the coal gas days. It was very problematic as the system aged.
Piping had to be installed like sewers...a quarter bubble downhill to get to the house because of such low pressure.

Condensation would accumulate inside the mains, when installed they put in these large "drip pots" that were tapped off the main bottoms every so often. Condensation would fill the piping and stop the gas flow. With the pots, the water would fall into them, and they needed to be pumped on a fairly regular basis. During the winter it was a bigger problem that during the summer, and as Murphys Law would have it, often happened at night. Uggghhh.

I'd work off shifts often, and I'd get the dreaded call of no pressure. I had a lot of calls in the neighborhoods surrounding Tiger Stadium, and fixing them often was a real PITA. Sometimes luck was with us, and we only had to pump a drip pot. Other times, I was out in wet muddy holes in January trying to effect a fix.

Boosting the pressure alleviated those problems. Of course then new leaks would start popping.

The only thing I miss about those days was being 35 yrs younger than I am now.

Donate the $100- to some needy kids!

[Whitehouse]

Fresh pictures! [[Well, fresh... you get the idea) An enormous shitload of them!!! Woot!

A Detroit swimmingpool.
1910. All white boys. Sign of the times back then I guess. And as the caption says, these boys really look very skinny. Where was this? Some kind of institution? Was anorexia also a disease back then or is this the result of some other illness? Spanish flu came later than when this picture was taken. Everyone in this picture is dead now, so you can't ask them....

Glass and stove factory in Chelsea Michigan.

Detroit, Michigan, circa 1902. "Artist for Richmond & Backus, printers and binders."


Now it gets very interesting!!
Majestic theater Detroit. 1909.

Also intersting to see a genuine Dutch name appear in a Detroit picture. Van Vliet, optician.

It doesn't stop!!! Another forgotten theater! Should have a thread IMHO.
Princess Theater.

Where is this???
33 Center Street Detroit.

Packard Fire Squad!!


Not Detroit but what an awesome sight of Manhattan, 102 years ago!

Coke delevery by the Detroit Gas Co.

Same truck of the Detroit Gas Co.


Icing on the cake!!! For Gistok to inform about this one!
Interior shot of the Temple Theatre in Detroit, 1905.

That is some entrance!!@ Oink!!
A Detroit barbershop.

Where is this??? What an incredible building!! This deserves a dedicated topic.
Pandridge and Blackwell.
[[Edit: It has a topic. )

Lots of food for thought!