DETROIT: City on the Move (1965) (Part 1)



This public domain film narrated by then-mayor Jerome P. Cavanaugh was made in 1965 to promote Detroit. The city faced many urban problems and its population was in decline. These difficulties were amplified by the 1967 riots, which are seen by many as one of the most significant events which led the city into a forty year decline. Since the mid 50s, the population has dropped by half and the infrastructure has been destroyed or has decayed due to abuse and neglect.

This film is pretty funny for the mayor's unenthusiastic reading of the narration and the film's denial of the problems which went on to destroy the city, but it wasn't so funny for those who lived this slow-motion deconstruction.

Finally, though, since 2000, the central city truly has been showing signs of life again as investment and residents return to the core, renovations of streets and buildings take place, and new construction develops, but whether this encouraging development can spread out to the far-flung neighborhoods remains to be seen. Fortunately, Detroit has more cultural jewels remaining than those unfamiliar with it tend to credit it, and this greatly helps its prospects.

Detroit Riot 1967/ Mr. Jacobs



Project for history on the Detroit Riots of 1967.

Urban Decay In Detroit. 1967 Riot, Death of the Motor City.



The DETROIT RIOT that began July 23, 1967, became a symbol of Detroit as a deeply divided city and continued to fuel white flight to the suburbs. Davide Bowie wrote the song "PANIC IN DETROIT" based on it.

Detroit Riot- Then and Now



40 years ago I watched Detroit burn around me... I returned in the spring of 2007 to visit and photograph the same areas. Sadly they have not been rebuilt. See more photos at www.philcherner.com

Michigan Central Station - 1987



I got this from a co-worker, Robin Tracey. She wrote and produced this for a show called Sunday Times back in 1987. It's a rare "video" glimpse of the MCS while it was still in use.

The Fisher Mansion in Detroit



Marvel at the elegance of a time past, when one of America's wealthiest men commissioned the world's finest architects and craftsmen to create an incomparable architectural wonder in Detroit. One of the founders of the Fisher Body Company and president of Cadillac Motors, Lawrence Fisher, spent millions of dollars of his huge fortune constructing this magnificent riverfront estate. Completed in 1928 the Fisher Mansion was remarkable for its ornate stone and marble work, door and arches, along with rare black walnut and rosewood parquet floors. More than 75 ounces of pure gold and silver leaf highlight the decorative ceilings and moldings. Seeing the exquisite European handcrafted stained glass windows, the brilliannt Art Deco tile work, and exquisite chandeliers, one embarks on a visual journey into an exciting, eloquent chapter in Detroit's illustrious cultural history.

Fisher Mansion
383 Lenox Ave, Detroit, Michigan 48215
Tours: Sunday 2:00 and 3:30 pm
Phone: 313-331-6740

Save Detroit 2008



These pictures were taken in January 2008 in Downtown Detroit. Detroit was once a major player in the industrial age, providing gainful employment and a good quality of life for many. Detroit is now befallen poverty and useless brownsfields. Please take some time to think about how we have neglected our own nation and people. I hope you find this video insightful.

Detroit's Beauty Destroyed



Detroit's historic hotels destroyed by weather, vandals, and Kwuame Kilpatrick!

Westin Book Cadillac Hotel gets ready to open in Detroit



The Westin Book Cadillac Hotel gets ready to open in Detroit on 9.30.08