DETROIT MICHIGAN 1880 to Early 1900's Old Photographs

historic photos of detroit 1880 to early 1900's

[@MeMyselfAndUs903]

Wonderful. The history and the majesty of the buildings are stupendous.

[@yolandacastano4321]

Thank you for the old pictures of Detroit my mother wasn't born till 1918 I was born 1947 two years after WWII ended thank you so much for these pictures🥰👍

[@patricequinn7733]

I love these pictures. It is striking,though that people look very stiff and serious-no smiles.

[@WitchKing-Of-Angmar]

1920 was a really special time, outside of Detroit and even of course in detroit, there were these incredibly luxurious car brand/companies producing some really fine automobiles...it was a really unique time period. Now in the 1910s and before in 1900, automobiles were pretty massive, tall, by 1904 or so the tonneaus got lengthier, and wide and just intense in general. It was definitely a city of street, vehicle wall, and then other street because they were just SO large. I explain how massive these cars were, the sedans looked like Buses, their tires were more than half the height of most people, and then you had something like the Model T which you'll find are STILL MASSIVE in museums when your next to them, but were the runt of the litter at the time although popular for being arguably 7000 $ in todays money. But then there were the $2000-$3000 (in 1920 price) ranged sedans, and in 1920, most models had a closed sedan/coupé option (most models as in all of the 250 companies in America; yah there were a ton) and it was such a cool look! I loved the overall simplicity of the appearance with large white/ black tires (typically white wall would cover the entire tire band/or the entire tire in fashion of the 1900s), super uniformed clean body design, this noticeable part on the car where the bevel was at always contoured the body with a cool sheen, and the very ship like nature of these vehicles with an occasional port hole/opera window, and tons of variations on models from Cabriolet to spectre. Now what made this era so cool before the late 1920s took a'hold is the vehicle colors. I don't know why, but dark Caspian blue was on nearly every other vehicle, this slick gray/blue color. Black was only available if it was available on a model, but each company had a blue. (Its super incredibly hard to find any color chart from the early 1920s let alone mid to late but I found one with a color name list that matches the advertisement colors and it goes as follows: dusk blue, coast biege, park green, midnight maroon, frost blue opalescent, Manhattan red, palm green)...and these colors really showed up well on the shaping of the car, whereas in the late 1920s there was this sleek bus look with a lot of ornamentation and one/two/tri tones and nickel work.

[@markp8581]

Very Nice

[@vincentvanmeow]

Makes me want to cry

[@vivianvaldi7871]

Ahahahah. Good one.

[@scotnick59]

A once- gorgeous city. Pity the way it looks now.

[@cortezmiller1899]

Tell that to the government!

[@anonymouse4213]

You need to give this comment a trigger warning.

[@nestorb4364]

Muy pronto la vamos a recuperar.

[@esteban1487]

@@nestorb4364 Doubtful

[@guynorth3277]

The passage if time, it gets all.

[@jimweb4936]

I live here in 2024 and there's no pity needed. Things change of course, but we have soul and a sense of the embodiment with the glorious past and the potential of the future.

[@Only1Science]

Memories of a place where I live yet, I've never been to.

[@sylviasmith4077]

Thanks for sharing 👍

[@libertyvilleguy2903]

I wonder if there has ever been a city that has fallen as far as Detroit. Looked like a wonderful city in the early 1900’s.

[@troygier991]

Very pretty and thanx.

[@SterlingFord-mw5yu]

Thank you for the historical journey. Many of the comments are misplaced. Having been born and lived in Detroit for many years, its reality is the historical journey that the country and multiple regions of the country have journey through. This included the financial transformation of the Midwest. At its worst, it was called the "Rust belt " like many Midwest large urban cities. Its heavy industrial base included heavy coal, steel, auto, and related heavy manufacturing. As the county transitioned to a greater technical base, so did Detroit. This transition was difficult because of the racial division as part of the American culture. Tax driven city civic resources failed to keep up with the demands of growing demographics. Some of the comments seem to be doing a racial blame game instead of talking a more recent look to admire the amazing people and the amazing future vision being realized in a beautiful Detroit. You might also take a look at multiple large cities across the country and look at their struggles and transition from urbanization and past limitations to meet the needs of the future. Great Job Detroit!

[@rob57ert]

Thank you very much- I enjoyed the history trip.

[@ML-ie1he]

Just lovely

[@lynnthomas3720]

I loved Detroit, they wrecked everything!

[@younggully9442]

Who is “they”?

[@vivianvaldi7871]

@@younggully9442Me.

[@doctorzoloft7587]

The ones that "wrecked everything" !!!!@@younggully9442

[@rufst]

​@@younggully9442biggers

[@suzibouch-xm9yr]

You might be referring to the Slum Lords and the people who would not pay their taxes and dumped their houses...

[@MrFullService]

At 5:23, that's the Tuller Hotel, not Fuller. Lew Tuller financed quite a few hotels in this town. Gee, the Pasadena Apt. bldg. at 5:44 looks so much better with its cornice in place. 10:12 = Daniel Burnham's 'Ford' building....Ford GLASS CO., that is. At 11:39, I believe this was the Empire building on Washington Boulevard, cornice removed in 1956, bldg burned...or WAS burned, in like 1978(?). Bye, bye..

[@Msangel06]

Them employees look like they ready to go. Especially the one in the middle with that hat on, his arms crosse, looking mad.

[@user-pp4nd7vw8m]

Really enjoyed this collection. Thank you!

[@johnlynch8935]

Love these pictures where did they find them

[@johnmc67]

The Ford Building had nothing to do with FOMOCO.

[@edindoffer687]

great collections of pictures, but poor choice of music

[@mg4663]

Detroit was called the "Paris of the Midwest" during that era.

[@esteban1487]

Goebel beer!

[@danerogers9058]

I remember that beer, use to buy it from an Arab party store in East Detroit when I was a teenager in the late 70s because it was like $5.00 for a case. Never acquired a taste for it and preferred Canadian beer like Labatt Blue.

[@drpoundsign]

Detroit quadrupled in population from 1910-1930, because of in-migration due to automobile jobs. There were a lot of folks from Europe, and also African-Americans fleeing the South. In the immediate years after WWII there was some home construction on the North side of the City, but there was already movement to the nascent suburbs. Freeway construction and VHA loans accelerated this. THEN, the factories moved out to the suburbs, then the anti-Union South, and, finally, Many jobs were lost due to automation. This also happened in coal mining, as well as the Steel industry. There also has been outsourcing to Third World countries. America was ill-prepared to compete with Japan. After the 1973 Oil Shock, there was a demand for compact cars. The Big Three managed to save their companies, but not the jobs. HECK, time magazine had a cover story about the decline of Detroit...back in 1961, six years before the devastating riots.

[@georgeprokopenko3044]

good

[@yoda8192]

Love the Cart Narcs theme song

[@user-ch4ji5ux4s]

What the hell do you meant Detroit is still a beautiful city it has gone through a tough time just like all countries and state it went through the 2018 to 2009 financial crisis but now it come back 💪💪💪💪💪

[@fulleronthefrontier1615]

I saw a Jackson hidden in there.

[@ericadams4464]

I wish you would’ve gave the street address of these buildings

[@MrFullService]

10:03...looks like D.C.

[@NoizeyAcres]

So beautiful but gone forever

[@pittsburghwill]

no pictures of those buildings being constructed horse and wagon technology built them? you decide

[@dnice4732]

I see architecture that can’t be duplicated by people in horse and buggy with hammers and chisel let’s be honest something major happend in the 1800s that nobody talks about (holocaust) a world reset would be more practical

[@raymondnovack3654]

That is incredible. Devolution. Detroit was Paris France.I don't even know what to say. It was. I can only say Devolution.

[@raymondnovack3654]

They were cool photos, from when were still human beings.

[@MrEric2cu]

Detroit wanted everyone to know just how powerful and wealthy their city was. How incredibly sad In a short period of time, Detroit would fall Into disrepair, destruction, and decay.

[@roughriderreturns5039]

Back in the day Detroit was referred to as the Glistening City. Clearly that name does not apply now.

[@guynorth3277]

That was like over a 125 years ago, nothing last forever, the only constant in nature is change! Rome use to be important too!!!!

[@maximumcaffeine6003]

Too bad all this turned into the pinnacle of neglect, decay and death. They keep trying to reanimate this corpse but the crime always drags it back into the grave.

[@ronernst3991]

We should showcase post African American Detroit. You might be suprised. It's not so pritty. It looks more like Hiroshima today.

[@chrisadams416]

When a certain element arrived in DETRIOT that’s when we lost it..

[@stevejackson1572]

Yup...same thing Chief Pontiac said. Let that reply simmer in your brilliance. 🤔

[@younggully9442]

What was that element?

[@chrisadams416]

@@younggully9442 a frowned upon element that brings disgrace and dimenished property values along with high crime rates with only the hope of gentrification to rejuvenate a neighborhood or area or only god willing a whole city .. THAT ELEMENT SIR..

[@ronernst3991]

I think this is the pre African American era. (resident of Detroit.)

[@thomasvankuiken6266]

Grand Rapids preserved most of its past. You guys destroyed it.

[@RADIUMGLASS]

The music is terrible for these pics.

[@bobwallace9814]

Looks far more like a European city by architecture and by the people you see. Now it's an African city. It is what it is.

[@dtyallen9864]

When was the last time you saw cities in Africa? The city closed down factories because of jobs outsourcing to overseas production, which was cheaper and where there were no unions. Top corporations CEOs and owners are NOT African. Keep in mind that President Nixon and Regan's economic plans backfired on American Society.

[@Felix_Effex]

@@dtyallen9864 blame blame, Make sure you don't mention YOUR political party in "control" since 1962.

[@semblanceofdisorder]

The Wayne County Courthouse and the post office are way over the top considering their purposes don't ya think?

[@g1sokool669]

Government has always found a way to waste taxpayers money.

[@buzzfeedright4154]

It was the weathiest large city in the world at the time if I’m not mistaken. Comparable to the wealth of modern day Seattle.

[@younggully9442]

People really love to point the finger at blacks for the decline of the city. Skipping over the fact that they were literal policies in place preventing blacks from excelling at a high rate. “When Blacks got there the city got bad.” Never mind the fact that the first black police officer of Detroit joined the force in 1893. Meaning blacks were here long before the decline. Instead of looking at the TRUTH which isn’t hard most would rather point fingers at one race. Not just any race but the race who had less opportunity and even less rights than any others who were arriving after them. Although the first black officer joined the force in 1893 it still wasn’t a lot of blacks on the force. The first black mayor was elected in 1974. The percentage of white officers was like 97% during the riots if that high. It’s a city built for at least 2 million people being occupied by a fraction of that. When whites left the city en masse supposedly in fear they took employment with them. These buildings aren’t going to maintain themselves. Finally the idiocy of saying white flight was caused by fear and not hate must be addressed. So the people who had guns and were the majority left due to fear? It simply doesn’t make sense. The country changed at a national level and racism simply wasn’t a viable option anymore. So instead of treating people like human beings they left. It’s illogical for you to tell me that the MAJORITY WHITE police force fled due to fear. No they left due to hate and was leaving before the riots even occurred. If you take feeding family away from ANY RACE crime rates would be higher than their population percentage.