detroit

Michigan Drive-ins and the 75th anniversary of the drive-in

Posted on June 7, 2008August 28, 2013 by Michigan in Pictures

Wayne Drive-In Theatre Marquee – Wayne, Michigan, photo by michigandriveins.

In recognition of yesterday’s 75th anniversary of the drive-in, WIRED Magazine featured June 6, 1933: A Car, a Movie, Some Popcorn and Thou. You have to check it out, if only for the photo of the reverse side of the world’s first drive-in movie screen (Richard M. Hollingshead, Jr’s Camden NJ theater) advertising the opportunity to SIT IN YOUR CAR – SEE AND HEAR MOVIES for 25¢ per car, 25¢ per person and $1 for 3 or more people.

About the above photo of the marquee of the Wayne Drive-In Theatre, michigandriveins writes:

What an amazing display this must have been to pass through. This giant neon masterpiece was apparently built by the Long Sign Company. Detroit-based Long also constructed the still-standing Commerce Drive-In Marquee, and the long-gone Waterford Drive-In Marquee.

Amazingly, the top portion of this marquee was saved during demolition. A Ford plant now stands on the grave of the Wayne Drive-In. When the Wayne went down in 1990, speakers, projectors, and three of it’s four screens went to the Ford-Wyoming 6-9 Drive-In in Dearborn, they are still in use today.

I’d like to hear from anyone connected with the Long Sign Co.

Much (much) more about Michigan’s drive-ins and drive in history at michigandriveins.com (also see Drive-in theater on Wikipedia).

You can get even more cool old photos, posters and history about drive-ins in general and in Michigan from the Drive-in Theater History page at WaterWinterWonderland.com.

It was in the period of the late 1930’s that the state of Michigan was introduced to the drive-in, with the opening of the so-called “Drive-In”, later known as the Eastside, on May 26, 1938 with the film “The Big Broadcast of 1938.” A Mr. John H. Flancher filed a petition in court in July of that year on behalf of the residents of 3 Detroit suburbs. His contention was that the new Theater could be heard from two miles away and should be deemed a public nuisance. Although the petition contained over 500 signatures, the case was dropped when the Theater agreed to take steps to alleviate the problem which seemed to satisfy the petitioners and the court. This would not be the last time a drive-in Theater operator would run afoul of the local community however.

I’ll leave you with the Michigan Drive-in Theater slideshow on Flickr (just the photos) and say I hope you and yours get a chance to take in a film or three at a Michigan drive-in this summer! (There are 10 open in Michigan today!

GM Flyby at the Red Bull Air Race in Detroit

Posted on June 6, 2008June 6, 2008 by Michigan in Pictures

GM Flyby, photo by (Andrew).

Last weekend’s air race in in Detroit produced some pretty cool photos. Andrew says to be sure to view this one Large on Black.

You can see a whole lot more in this slideshow of Detroit Red Bull Air Race photos (or the photo thumbnails).

Welcome Back, Stanley! Detroit Red Wings win Stanley Cup!!

Posted on June 5, 2008December 12, 2015 by Michigan in Pictures

Welcome Back, Stanley!, photo by radiospike photography

Spike writes that this photo of Red Wings captain Nik Lidstrom was taken after the Detroit Red Wings defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins to secure their 11th Stanley Cup. He has a ton of great Wings shots and says that his complete gallery of Red Wings photos will be on sale within hours.

For a while it looked to Wingnuts like the Red Wings were going to take fans to the edge of heaven and leave them there after a crushing game 5 loss. Last night fans gathered around their TVs, in the Joe Louis Arena and (lucky few) at Mellon Arena where their beloved Wings:

…played a perfect road game Wednesday night at Mellon Arena, defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins, 3-2, in Game 6 of the 2008 Stanley Cup Final to go wire-to-wire as the best team in the National Hockey League this season.

“It’s never easy,” Wings goalie Chris Osgood said. “Toughest trophy in sports to win; it lives for that name every year, that nickname. It was difficult, again. Pittsburgh is a great young team … gave us all we could handle. Probably one of the most difficult series I’ve played in a while. They have a talented team. They held on right to the end again. They kept pushing us still.”

Detroit Red Wings’ players, coaches and staff will participate in a parade to celebrate the 2008 Stanley Cup championship tomorrow (Friday, June 6) starting at 11 AM. The parade will end with a celebration rally at Hart Plaza in downtown Detroit. Click for all the details!

You can check Wikipedia’s 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs entry for the Wings route to Lord Stanley’s Cup. Here’s a slideshow of photos from the Detroit Red Wings 2008 playoff run on Flickr (just the photos) and you’ll also want check out the Detroit Red Wings group, and this slideshow of Game 6 photos from the Red Wings site.

Exposure Detroit in Ann Arbor – June – July 2008

Posted on June 2, 2008June 2, 2008 by Michigan in Pictures

Fly by, photo by blind lemon larry.

The Exposure.Detroit in Ann Arbor show opens this Friday (June 6) from 7-9 PM at Sweetwaters Cafe in Ann Arbor and continues through July and the Ann Arbor Art Fair. The theme of the show is “Michigan means ______ to me” and you can see the photos submitted right here.

Selected photographers for the show are: vonhaupt, rhonda marie, mike glinski, joejoesmoe , orlowski photography, kevin ridge , buckshotjones, tedguy49, paulhitz, radiospike, bobby alcott, maya fardoun, caterpillars, A2 Kathy , ledio/shqipo, ryan southen, bashas04, david sr. – lapeer photography, 1manwithacamera , keith burgess photography, kathy4, blind lemon larry , urban picasso , living in red, Rich S , Katthor , amy palomar, senecacreek/, ralph ckrawczyk jr/, alanna st laurent.

This photo is part of Larry’s Michigan set (slideshow).

50th anniversary of the launch of the S. S. Edmund Fitzgerald

Posted on May 28, 2008November 18, 2015 by farlane

Hull 301 Launch 3, photo courtesy The Open Lake Group, LLC

I was initially going to use another photo of the Edmund Fitzgerald for this post, but when I asked about that one, Wade showed me this one from the launch of “Hull 301”. How cool is it that I would happen to contact someone who had an unpublished photo of the launch? You can see a couple more photos from the launch (including one that shows the huge crowd) in his Edmund Fitzgerald set.

Saturday June 7th marks the 50th anniversary of the launch of what’s probably the most well known Great Lakes ship. Over on Absolute Michigan, SSEdmundFitzgerald.com posted “Celebrating the launch of the S. S. Edmund Fitzgerald”. Reading it made me realize that our remembrance of what was once the largest ship ever to ply the Great Lakes ignores almost two decades of service and countless hours of hard work and craftsmanship.

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon on June 7th, 1958, as more than 10,000 people lined the banks of the Detroit River. They had come to witness the launching of Hull 301 at the Great Lakes Engineering Works of River Rouge, Michigan. Mrs. Edmund Fitzgerald, wife of the president of the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company for which the ship was named, christened the brand new ship and at 12:34 p.m. the 729 ft. “Edmund Fitzgerald” slid gracefully into the basin amid cheers, salutes, and well wishers.

For many of those in attendance, it was a spectacle that they would never forget.

The shipyard workers who constructed “Big Fitz” felt a deep sense of satisfaction as they anxiously watched the launch of this marvelous vessel. Being a prideful lot, they often endured long hours and harsh conditions. This was their “crowning achievement” and the beauty of their craftsmanship was truly evident to all those present.

This year marks the 50th anniversary of that memorable event. It is an opportunity to reflect on and celebrate a joyous time in our lives. It is also a chance to recall the great pride and cherished memories experienced by the ship workers, the community, and all who had the opportunity to witness the launching of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

On this historic occasion, let us joyously share our personal stories, renew old friendships, and fondly remember the day when the “Queen Of The Lakes” was born.
June 7, 2008 Detroit MI

Great Lakes Ship Builders (Detroit Area) host the 50th Anniversary of the Edmund Fitzgerald Launch and Down River Celebration from 11 AM – 4 PM on Saturday, June 7 2008. The celebration will include a chance to meet the designers and others who worked on the Fitz, workshops on shipbuilders, and ships built in the downriver during the last 200 years. There will also be a Salute to Excellence Award, launch commemoration, and lots of art and artists. For more information, call Roscoe at 810 955-4305 (and poke around SSEdmundFitzgerald.com).

As often, there’s a Wikipedia entry for the SS Edmund Fitzgerald and you can see a gallery of photos from the building of the Fitz and this Zapruder-class video of the launch of the Edmund Fitzgerald.

Memorial Day 2008

Posted on May 26, 2008May 26, 2008 by Michigan in Pictures

Memorial Day 2008, photo by mikeh5856.

Michael says that this was taken at Greenfield Village yesterday during their Civil War Remembrance. More are in his Greenfield Village set (slideshow).

In cities and town all across Michigan, people are remembering men and women who served our state and nation over the years.

I hope you can take the time to remember them today, and also to think about those who are serving now.

Exposure.Detroit opening: all the cool duckies will be there

Posted on May 12, 2008November 25, 2016 by farlane

Rubber-Duckies, photo by nichpr

This photo is part of Paul’s Artful set (slideshow). It’s also part of my developing collection of Michigan duck-related phoptography, but the less said about that, the better!

The Exposure.Detroit May Exhibit Opening Party takes place this Friday (May 16) from 7pm – 10pm at the Bean & Leaf Cafe in Royal Oak. The show features five photographers: Paul, Eric, Amy, Nicole and Ross and you can learn more about Exposure.Detroit and the upcoming exhibit from the Exposure.Detroit group on Flickr.

The Enrico Fermi Nuclear Power Plant

Posted on May 6, 2008January 20, 2011 by Michigan in Pictures

Nuclear Wetlands, photo by mandj98.

James writes that the Enrico Fermi Nuclear Power plant is located on Lake Erie about six miles from Point Mouillee.

The Department of Energy’s page on the Enrico Fermi plant says that it was named for the first physicist to split the atom. The prototype Fermi 1 unit operated at the site from 1963 to 1972 and is now mothballed. The current 1,111 MW Fermi 2 unit is operated by Detroit Edison Company. It’s a boiling water reactor that ranks as Michigan’s 9th largest nuclear reactor.

Wikipedia’s entry for Fermi notes that plant suffered a partial meltdown on October 5, 1966, an event that inspired the Gil Scott-Heron song We Almost Lost Detroit. There was no reported release of radiation or injury.

Here’s an aerial view of Fermi Nuclear Power plant and you can also check out this satellite view of the Enrico Fermi Nuclear Power plant on the Absolute Michigan map of Michigan.

MayDay!

Posted on May 1, 2008May 1, 2008 by farlane

Straight Out Of The House, photo by SNWEB.ORG Photography

This photo is part of SNWEB’s Detroit Fire Department set (slideshow). He says that you can buy a print of this photo with one click but that if you are a DFD member and would like a print, please contact him directly!

I’m featuring this photo because I was tipped off (from a fan of the Michigan archives) that the Society of American Archivists recognize May 1st as MayDay. They say:

Protecting our collections is one of our fundamental responsibilities as archivists. The Heritage Health Index, released in 2005 soon after hurricanes Katrina, Rita, and Wilma struck the Gulf Coast, reported that few institutions have disaster plans and for those that do, often the plan is out of date. It’s easy to put off emergency response planning as we devote our attentions to tasks with more immediate “payback”

But on May 1 – this year and every year – you can do something that will make a difference when and if an emergency occurs. That’s the purpose of MayDay – a grassroots effort whose goal is to save our archives.

MayDay is a time when archivists and other cultural heritage professionals take personal and professional responsibility for doing something simple – something that can be accomplished in a day but that can have a significant impact on an individual’s or a repository’s ability to respond.

Reading through their recommended activities made me think that all of us could take a few minutes today to think about a preservation plan for our photos and other historical records.