Shorpy again!

[EastsideAl]

What a great picture. It seems, from the cars stacked up on Fort St., that there was already a parking problem downtown in 1910.

Everytime I see a picture of old City Hall I am always amazed by the shifts in taste that found this building the height of monumental municipal modernity [[say that 3 times fast...) in the late 19th century, and an embarrassing civic eyesore to be eliminated by the mid-20th century. And now, when you show pictures like this one to people today, they find it hard to believe that such a building was purposely torn down.

Makes me a little more careful in my own aesthetic judgements about what is and is not dated or ugly.

Buildings still standing that are in this picture: Central Methodist and St. John's Episcopal churches up Woodward and the Bagley Fountain [[although not in the same spot). Any others?

[Gistok]

What a great picture. It seems, from the cars stacked up on Fort St., that there was already a parking problem downtown in 1910.

Buildings still standing that are in this picture: Central Methodist and St. John's Episcopal churches up Woodward and the Bagley Fountain [[although not in the same spot). Any others?

The Schaworsky Music Building is on the NE corner of Woodward and Grand River is still there. The towers of both Central Methodist and St. John's are closer to the middle of Woodward than they are today [[they got moved during the 1930s Woodward widening).

[Whitehouse]

What a great picture. It seems, from the cars stacked up on Fort St., that there was already a parking problem downtown in 1910.

Everytime I see a picture of old City Hall I am always amazed by the shifts in taste that found this building the height of monumental municipal modernity [[say that 3 times fast...) in the late 19th century, and an embarrassing civic eyesore to be eliminated by the mid-20th century. And now, when you show pictures like this one to people today, they find it hard to believe that such a building was purposely torn down.

Makes me a little more careful in my own aesthetic judgements about what is and is not dated or ugly.

Buildings still standing that are in this picture: Central Methodist and St. John's Episcopal churches up Woodward and the Bagley Fountain [[although not in the same spot). Any others?

You mean, in 50 years they will mourn the loss of the Ford Theatre?

And also, that church is strictly spoken also not on the same spot, having some of it eliminated due to widening of Woodward.
Edit: Was mentioned above.

[EastsideAl]

You mean, in 50 years they will mourn the loss of the Ford Theatre?

Exactly. I thought Ford Auditorium was plain and unlovely, dated and outmoded, and it was certainly unused, uncared for, and had been a serious failure in its main use as a symphony hall. I felt that it was past its useful life, and that it was really time for it to go. But from older relatives I've come to understand that's pretty much how people at the time felt about City Hall too.

So, I have to wonder if, at some time in the future, people will look at photos of Ford Auditorium and wonder "why the hell did they tear that down?" In much the same way we look at pictures of old City Hall today;

[Gistok]

Exactly. I thought Ford Auditorium was plain and unlovely, dated and outmoded, and it was certainly unused, uncared for, and had been a serious failure in its main use as a symphony hall. I felt that it was past its useful life, and that it was really time for it to go. But from older relatives I've come to understand that's pretty much how people at the time felt about City Hall too.

So, I have to wonder if, at some time in the future, people will look at photos of Ford Auditorium and wonder "why the hell did they tear that down?" In much the same way we look at pictures of old City Hall today;

That's been my fear all along. Just like the Quo Vadis Theatre [[a Yamasaki design)... we may not now appreciate mid 20th century architecture [[I'm not keen on it myself)... but at some point we may look back and say that.... from that era it was among the best we had, design wise.

Granted, the acoustics were mediocre at Ford Auditorium... but even today... as much as people love the design of the famous Sydney Opera House... they can't even perform Grand Opera there because of the limitations of the venue...

[cman710]

Given how long I have been posting on this forum, I should know the answer to this question, but what is the building to the right of City Hall?

[jcole]

Given how long I have been posting on this forum, I should know the answer to this question, but what is the building to the right of City Hall?

Caption below the picture on Shorpy:

The Motor City circa 1910. "Campus Martius. Detroit City Hall, Bagley Fountain and Majestic Building." Detroit Publishing glass negative. View full size.

[Gistok]

Given how long I have been posting on this forum, I should know the answer to this question, but what is the building to the right of City Hall?

As was just stated, that was the Majestic Building, which came down to put up 1001 Woodward back in the 60s. The Majestic and Hammond Building [[where Chase Tower is today) and the old Ponchartrain Hotel [[where First National Building is today)... were the first tall buildings in downtown...

[cman710]

As was just stated, that was the Majestic Building, which came down to put up 1001 Woodward back in the 60s. The Majestic and Hammond Building [[where Chase Tower is today) and the old Ponchartrain Hotel [[where First National Building is today)... were the first tall buildings in downtown...

Thanks everyone for the helpful information.

[Wintersmommy]

Makes me a little more careful in my own aesthetic judgements about what is and is not dated or ugly.

?

I couldn’t agree more...i loathed midcentury modern homes. I grew up in a 1956 home in Warren and thought it hideous! but....i have decided to embrace it, because really the 1950's-60's houses of today are viewed the same now as turn of the century structures were seen at the beginning of the "modern" era ...outdated and ugly