The title of this translates via babelfish from Chinese as “the spring rain is hazy.”
I don’t know if that’s correct or not, but I do know that I like it.
From the top of Sleeping Bear Dunes
Muted, photo by Jessie Turner
This is the view of Little Glen Lake (foreground) and Big Glen Lake from atop the Sleeping Bear Dunes. It’s part of a great set of photos of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
I don’t have time to do a full history on the Sleeping Bear Dunes, but I can say that if you visit, you will not be disappointed. More information at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore web site and also the Unofficial Sleeping Bear Dunes Homepage. There is a shot from here in this YouTubed 1949 travelogue of Northern Michigan.
American Memory: Pointe aux Barques in Lake Huron
Lake Huron from the caves, Pointe aux Barques
The United States Library of Congress is a shining example of why we need government: to perform the vital work of preserving our heritage. One of the ways you can experience this preserved heritage is through American Memory from the Library of Congress. According to the mission, American Memory provides free and open access through the Internet to written and spoken words, sound recordings, still and moving images, prints, maps, and sheet music that document the American experience. It is a digital record of American history and creativity.
Today’s selection is from a gallery of photos from the collection of the Detroit Publishing Co. taken on and around Lake Huron near Pointe aux Barques and Port Austin in Huron County. It’s a gallery of 20 photos of natural wonders like Turnip Rock and structures such as the Port Austin Reef Light (if that link doesn’t work for you, try the Pointe Aux Barques link on this page).
You can get some great present-day photos of the shoreline at Port Austin Kayak Rental … either in their gallery or by renting a kayak and taking your own! If you have taken any photos of the area, please feel welcome to post links to them in the comments! Port Austin Kayaks also helpfully provided a map link that lets us give you this cool satellite view of the Port Austin shoreline! (I believe that point at the western edge is where Turnip Rock is)
Library of Congress LC-D4-12361
Updated Oct 2, 2008: Check out modern day photos in Kayaking Point Aux Barques!
104
104, photo by Cara Jo Miller.
Cara Jo explains that this is a double exposure of the same negative – done in the dark room.
She is a photography & web design at Northern Michigan University. You can see a lot more of her work on Flickr and at her web site, cara-jo.net.
Lily
Untitled, photo by mellowhummer.
There’s a lot that I treasure about this Michigan in Pictures thing, but probably nothing more than finding a lovely photo like this that there is really nothing to say about other than “Here you go”.
Here you go…
The Argus Camera Company of Ann Arbor, Michigan
Hey Argus fans – here’s a post with information about the Argus Museum and an event they are having!
Lighthouse ruins at Cheboygan State Park, MI, taken with Argus C3 by Mark O’Brien
It’s apparently O’Brien week here on Michigan in Pictures. Yesterday we had a photo from Marjorie and then I received an unrelated email from her dad. He was passing along a request from Bob and Mary Kay Berg of Palindrome Productions:
Our production company, Palindrome Productions, is working on a short film about the Argus Camera Company, originally based in Ann Arbor, MI. To supplement our video footage, we are currently looking for still photos taken by Argus cameras models from 1936 to 1960.
If you have family photos (everyday events, family vacations, recitals, holidays) or photos of Ann Arbor, please contact us no later than Friday, April 13, 2007 at palindromevideo@aol.com.
I’ve never been one to look a gift blog post in the mouth, so without further delay – and with copious thanks to Mark for the links – I bring you:
About the Argus Camera Company of Ann Arbor, Michigan
Wikipedia’s very much incomplete entry on the Argus Camera Company says:
Argus is an American maker of cameras and photographic products, founded in 1936 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Argus originated as a subsidiary of the International Radio Corporation (IRC), founded by Charles Verschoor. Its best-known product was the C3 rangefinder camera, which enjoyed a 27-year production run and became one of the top-selling cameras in history. The company’s Model A was the first low-cost 35 mm camera in the United States.
The link above for the Argus C3 (aka “The Brick”) is much more complete and says the simple design and ready availability of the C3 makes it widely used even today. While that entry says the C3 was responsible for establishing 35mm, Stephen Gandy of CameraQuest hands that title to the first camera Argus made – the Argus A, declaring:
In MY always not so objective mind at least, the Argus A is undoubtedly the 2nd most important 35mm camera of all time– second only to the Leica A. If you think about it, that’s a pretty amazing legacy for a simple little Bakelite camera from a Michigan USA radio factory. It really is.
How does Argus deserve this impressive ranking? Easy, they bribed me. Unfortunately, not with money. Argus paid me off in Photographic Heritage. Building on the astounding sellout success of the Argus A, Argus sold MILLIONS of Argi, thereby establishing 35mm as the serious Amateur’s film format of choice in the largest photography market in the world, America.
If you are interested in repairing, collecting or just learning more about any of the Argus camera models and their accessories, look no further than the Argus Collectors Group. You can get a quicker overview of the Argus line over at Mark’s Argus Cameras Page. Mark also took visit to the Argus Museum located at the old Argus Factory in Ann Arbor and (go figure) he took some photos.
There are a TON of very cool Argus camera advertisements (I learned that Galileo was a 17th century Argus and am definitely going to get an Argus A to take to the next World’s Fair), some detail shots of the cameras on his projects page and the results of a Spring Fever Argus photo contest over at Alexander Rawles argoflex.com. Speaking of photos , you can see some shots of the camera and from the cameras in the Argus Rangefinders Group on Flickr.
You might also want to check the local bookstore for a copy of Argomania: A Look At Argus Cameras And The Company That Made Them by Henry Gambino. The promotional copy explains:
Argus’ founder, Charles Verschoor, did not establish an empire, as did George Eastman. Nor did he enjoy a particularly long tenure as the head of the company he founded. Unlike Oscar Barnack, he did not invent anything particularly new, yet he had a tremendous impact on the photographic industry. He revolutionized the scope of the industry, not only from a technical standpoint, but even more so from a marketing perspective.
Additional photo credits:
Argus SS Notches by ReyGuy (part of a great set of detail shots of Argus cameras)
Paying tribute to Michigan’s architecture
Mason County Courthouse, Ludington, MI, photo by I am Jacques Strappe.
Michpics regulars may remember Marjorie O’Brien from her profile last year.
Given her passion for architecture and wandering the state of Michigan, it should come as little surprise that she has developed the Michigan Architecture Blog where she photographs and discusses everything from the red sandstone of Marquette to the fantastic details of the UM Law Quad.
Be sure to check out the above photo bigger!
Kalamazoo Fire Department: Truck 17 in front of Old Central
Truck 17 In front of Old Central, photo by Stoney06.
Joel Dinda knows old photos, so it’s not at all surprising that he found this great collection of historical photos from Brian Stone of the fire stations, fire trucks and the men of the Kalamazoo.
An added plus are his informative captions such as the one for the above: Old Central Station Kalamazoo Michigan. Truck is a 1936 Seagrave City Service Ladder. “Pride of the Department”.
Indeed. View the photo large and you can see that’s true.
time traveling in downtown detroit
time traveling, photo by paulhitz.
With a little help from Ye Olde Photoshoppe, Paul takes us:
back in a time when things were simple … a few Detroit Classics in this one:
- The Milner Hotel on the left
- The Detroit Athletic Club (DAC) a little farther back
- Comerica Park in the background ~ dating the photo
Why stop at time traveling? You can also zoom on the area via Google maps.
Grim Detroit day
Grim Detroit day, photo by John Levanen.
This isn’t a commentary on Detroit or today or anything like that. Just thought it was high time to blog a photo by John, and I quite like this one from a rainy Detroit afternoon in 1972!
Michigan in Pictures 