Welcome to Detroit, Mr. Banksy.

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Welcome to Detroit, Mr. Banksy.

Welcome to Detroit, Mr. Banksy., photo by b.plus.

I guess that even the world’s most famous graffiti artist needs a vacation every now and then. mLive reports that:

Famed British graffiti artist Banksy has left his mark on Detroit, tagging a crumbling wall near the dormant Packard Plant with an image of a young man and the line, “I remember when all this was trees.”

A photo of the mural recently popped up on Banksy’s official Web site, and at least two local photographers have snapped their own shots verifying the location.

Popular photoblogger Detroit Funk dropped by the Packard site last night (link) and noted that workers from the local 555 Nonprofit Gallery and Studios were attempting to preserve the piece.  Check out his photos here.

Travis Wright of the Metro Times reports Banksy didn’t end his work at the Packard Plant; he also created murals on two buildings along VanDyke. There’s no word on whether he added his mark to the new Mexicantown bridge.

Apparently, he’s hit numerous locations in North America. One might guess that it has to do with his new film Exit Through the Gift Shop. Here’s the Banksy web site.

Check it out bigger in Brian’s a work in progress slideshow.

Exposure.Detroit May Exhibit Opening ~ May 15th

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

urban velvet

urban velvet, photo by Jon DeBoer.

Exposure.Detroit May Show - Poster by Jon DeBoer The May Exposure.Detroit exhibit opening party takes place on Saturday, Saturday, May 15th from 7-10 PM at the Bean & Leaf Cafe in Royal Oak and features the work of these 5 talented photographers:

You can see this photo bigger in John’s My Best slideshow and who knows, maybe up close and personal will be on the wall on Saturday!

The Last Pitch: Farewell to Ernie Harwell

Posted on by farlane

The Last Pitch
The Last Pitch, photo by baklein62

“I’d like to be remembered as someone who showed up for the job. I consider myself a worker. I love what I do. If I had my time over again, I’d probably do it for nothing.”
~Ernie Harwell

Like thousands of other people, whenever I see a picture like this of my beloved Detroit Tigers, the voice that narrates it in my head is the voice of William Earnest “Ernie” Harwell, who passed away last night at the age of 92.

Probably the best thing that I’ve seen about Harwell is this video. The Detroit Tigers tribute page to Ernie Harwell lists his accomplishments:

He also called the pitch from Todd Jones in the photo above that ended the last game ever at Detroit’s Tiger Stadium on September 27, 1999.

Struck him out.

I’m thinking Ernie would have liked this photo from Barney even more, but I already blogged it. More in his terrific Baseball as Art set (slideshow) and more about Ernie Harwell and the Detroit Tigers on Michigan in Pictures.

Step back in time at Greenfield Village

Posted on by farlane

Greenfield Village
Greenfield Village, photo by Michael Lavander

“I am collecting the history of our people as written into things their hands made and used…. When we are through, we shall have reproduced American life as lived, and that, I think, is the best way of preserving at least a part of our history and tradition.”
~Henry Ford on his museum

Greenfield Village in Dearborn (satellite map) is part of The Henry Ford, dubbed America’s Greatest History Attraction. If you’ve ever been to either, you know that’s not just a marketing slogan. Greenfield Village has seven historic districts that are jam packed with historical buildings & artifacts from all over:

Entering Greenfield Village is like stepping into an 80-acre time machine. It takes you back to the sights, sounds and sensations of America’s past. There are 83 authentic, historic structures, from Noah Webster’s home, where he wrote the first American dictionary, to Thomas Edison’s Menlo Park laboratory, to the courthouse where Abraham Lincoln practiced law. The buildings and the things to see are only the beginning. There’s the fun stuff, too. In Greenfield Village, you can ride in a genuine Model T or “pull” glass with world-class artisans; you can watch 1867 baseball or ride a train with a 19th-century steam engine. It’s a place where you can choose your lunch from an 1850s menu or spend a quiet moment pondering the home and workshop where the Wright brothers invented the airplane. Greenfield Village is a celebration of people — people whose unbridled optimism came to define modern-day America.

Michael took this photo at the museum’s opening day and you can see it bigger in his Greenfield Village 041510 slideshow.

Need more? Check out the Greenfield Village slideshow from the Absolute Michigan pool and more posts about Greenfield Village on Michigan in Pictures.

Enjoy your weekend and remember that Michigan’s museums need your patronage more than ever!

Comerica Park, Home of the Detroit Tigers

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Extra! Extra!

Extra! Extra!, photo by RLHyde.

The page on Comerica Park at ballparksofbaseball.com says that in the mid 90s:

…Tigers President John McHale said that Tiger Stadium had 10,000 of the best seats in baseball, but was supported by 40,000 of the worst. It was clear that Tiger Stadium lacked many of the amenities of newer parks being constructed at the time. In 1995 the city agreed to help fund a new stadium and in March 1996 voters approved a plan to build a new ballpark in downtown Detroit. Following other ballparks that were built during that decade, the Tigers new ballpark was built mainly of steel and concrete, with a brick exterior. Constructed in downtown Detroit, construction began October 29, 1997.

For the first time in over 100 years, opening day baseball was played at a different location other than at the corner of Michigan and Trumbull. Nearly 40,120 fans filled Comerica Park on opening day, April 11, 2000.

The $300 million ballpark is 345′ down the leftfield line, 330′ down right and 420′ in straightaway center. For the name, Comerica Bank pays the Detroit/Wayne County Stadium Authority $2.2 million per year. Here’s a satellite map of Comerica Park at 2100 Woodward Avenue in Detroit.

Whatever you feel about the Tigers’ move from Michigan & Trumbull, it’s hard to deny that Comerica is a beautiful ballpark. The Detroit Tigers section for Comerica Park has some sweet panoramas of Comerica Park and past ballparks that the Tigers have called home.

Ryan says that this looks better the bigger it gets, and he’s right. Check it out on black or background bigtastic.

Need more? Here’s the Comerica Park slideshow from the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr!

Detroit, Old & New

Posted on by farlane

This post is technically for Saturday and Sunday, so I’ll use two photos. Happy weekend, Michigan.

the book cadillc 1960s
the book cadillac 1960s, photo by detroitmi97

This photo must be seen bachground bigtacular, preferably as part of Mark’s old detroit slideshow.

The star of the photo is best met through the awesomely awesome Buildings of Detroit. Their page on the Book Cadillac Hotel begins:

The Book brothers sought to make Washington Boulevard the most opulent, most successful retail destination in Detroit. By 1923, the siblings had built the Washington Boulevard Building and the Book Building and had already cornered much of the real estate on the boulevard. But the Statler Hotel, which opened Feb. 6, 1915, anchored their boulevard on the north and was drawing their tourists. The brothers decided they needed a hotel of their own.

On the south end of the boulevard, bound my Michigan Avenue, stood the venerable Cadillac Hotel. The Book brothers – Herbert, Frank and J. Burgess Book Jr. – were born within its walls and played along the landscaped mall that stood outside it…

Read on to go from the razing of the Cadillac Hotel through many owners to shuttering to the present day when it is once again open as the Westin Book Cadillac Detroit.

I could stop there, but when I read the first post in Noah’s The People of Detroit Photo Documentary, I really felt I had to share it. Head over to The People of Detroit: Outlier on Flickr for a good read (PG for brief language and sexual reference).

The People of Detroit: Outlier
The People of Detroit: Outlier, photo by Noah Stephens

gulo gulo: The Wolverine and Why Michigan is the Wolverine State

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Gulo gulo

Gulo gulo, photo by anikarenina.

Wikipedia’s wolverine entry says that the wolverine (Gulo gulo), also referred to as glutton, carcajou, skunk bear, quickhatch, or gulon, is the largest land-dwelling species of the Mustelidae (weasel) family in the genus Gulo (Latin: “glutton”). It is a stocky and muscular carnivore, more closely resembling a small bear than other mustelids. The wolverine has a reputation for ferocity and strength out of proportion to its size, with the documented ability to kill prey many times its size.

For more detailed information and photos, check out gulo gulo (wolverine) from the UM Animal Diversity Web. You can also see videos of the wolverine at ARKive.

Speaking of videos, recently Michigan lost its only known wild wolverine. Just days before, the Bay City Times put together this cool feature on Deckerville High School science teacher Jeff Ford’s longtime fascination with the wolverine that includes photos and video.

As to the question of why Michigan is called the Wolverine State, I couldn’t find anything definitive, but 50 States offers two theories:

Some people believe that Ohioans gave Michigan the nickname “The Wolverine State” around 1835 during a dispute over the Toledo strip, a piece of land along the border between Ohio and Michigan. Rumors in Ohio at the time described Michiganians as being as vicious and bloodthirsty as wolverines. This dispute became known as the Toledo War.

Another reason given for the nickname is a story that has Native Americans, during the 1830s, comparing Michigan settlers to wolverines. Some native people, according to this story, disliked the way settlers were taking the land because it made them think of how the gluttonous wolverine went after its food.

About this photo, Andrea writes:

Everett adopted a Detroit Zoo wolverine for me for Valentine’s Day last year. The zoo’s “Wildlife Preservers” adoption package came with a cute stuffed wolverine that we named Winchell.

Detroit’s wolverines produced 2 kits in 2005, who were fondly nicknamed Bucky and Sparty by the zookeepers. At the time, there were only 77 wolverines in captivity in North America, and Aggie’s litter was the only pair of surviving kits that year–and Detroit’s first surviving wolverine kits ever. Their official names are now Tamarack and Tilia.

See this photo bigger or in her Detroit Zoo set (slideshow).

More animals from Michigan in Pictures.

Jimmy Howard looks ready for the Coyotes … are YOU?

Posted on by farlane

Detroit Red Wings Goalie Jimmy Howard
Detroit Red Wings Goalie Jimmy Howard, photo by radiospike photography

Canadian hockey broadcaster Bob McKenzie has said that perhaps playoff hockey should be renamed “goalie.” If that’s the case, then we better hope that the man above, Red Wings rookie goalie Jimmy Howard – named the NHL’s second star for March – is up for the task. Jimmy Howard finishes the season 4th in the NHL in save percentage and is considered a candidate for Rookie of the Year. ESPN says that beyond that, Howard is playing himself into the Hart Trophy debate:

With each passing day, it becomes crystal clear Detroit netminder Jimmy Howard isn’t just the obvious candidate for rookie of the year, but he has also played himself into consideration for the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender.

…Now the storyline surrounding the Wings is whether Howard can become the first Red Wings netminder to capture rookie of the year honors since Roger Crozier in 1964-65, and how he will react to the pressures of being a playoff goalie in Detroit.

“He’s a guy that’s done a good job for us. He’s gotten us to the point we’re at. The test of time is what he’s got to survive,” Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. “There’s been lots of goalies that have come into the league and some even won the rookie of the year and then you don’t keep it going. That’s up to him.

The Wings open the 2010 playoffs at Phoenix on Wednesday at 10 PM.

See this photo bigger in Spike’s Red Wings slideshow, stay tuned to his photostream through the playoffs for more shots and let’s go Wings!

Morning view

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Morning view

Morning view, photo by Mike Lanzetta.

Top of the morning to you.

Mike says Yup, no photoshop, she really was right there. See it bigger along with more from this shoot in his slideshow.

Happy Ernie Harwell Day!

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Ernie Harwell & George Kell broadcasting for the Detroit Tigers
George Kell Ernie Harwell 1961, photo by doctor_gogol.

For, lo, the winter is past,
the rain is over and gone;
The flowers appear on the earth;
the time of the singing of birds is come,
and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land
~Ernie Harwell quoting the Song of Solomon (listen)

The Detroit Free Press notes that today is not just the Detroit Tigers home opener against the Cleveland Indians, but also that April 9 is now Ernie Harwell Day by decree of the Michigan Senate.

The Detroit News Rearview Mirror on Ernie Harwell writes that the Baseball Hall of Fame and longtime Detroit Tigers announcer was born on January 25, 1918 in Washington, Georgia, was so tongue-tied as a youngster that kids made fun of him and became the only broadcaster ever traded when the minor league Atlanta Crackers traded him to the Brooklyn Dodgers for farmhand Cliff Draper.

In 1950 Harwell was lured to the rival New York Giants, where one year later he broadcast the debut of Willie Mays. From 1954 to 1959, Harwell was the voice of the Baltimore Orioles.

George Kell was finishing his Hall of Fame career as a player with the Orioles, and one day Ernie invited him into the radio booth. Kell later landed a job with the Detroit Tigers and in 1960 the Detroit club signed Harwell to become Kell’s partner. “It’s the best move I ever made,” Ernie said. “I’ve been very happy in Detroit.”

…Baseball author Bruce Shlain reflects: “Somehow he brings the proper pitch and phrasing to a whole season, with a rhythm and pacing that only a select few have ever commanded. In many ways a Harwell broadcast is profoundly musical, as befits a man who has published 55 songs with composers such as Johnny Mercer. Many an announcer has aspired to sounding as if talking to a friend in his living room, but Harwell effortlessly establishes the same rapport on the air as he does in person.”

Be sure to check out this shot of Ernie & George Kell out bigger and see more in Doctor Gogol’s Stadium Workers set. In honor of Ernie and the home opener, I suggest you settle back and watch the Tiger Briggs Stadium Detroit slideshow.

Check out more Detroit Tiger features on Michigan in Pictures and play ball!