Rainboat … aka the State of Michigan

Posted on by farlane

Sorry about the bad link this morning…

Traverse City 9-15-2011, by Mark O’shaughnessy

It was quite the double rainbow last Thursday in the Traverse City area. I was off to the right end of the bow in Suttons Bay but I couldn’t fit it all in in any of my photos.

The boat is the State of  Michigan at the Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City, a  training ship that allows cadets to put into practice the theory and skill sets taught in the classroom. The vessel is a:

…224-foot former Navy submarine surveillance ship Persistent, which is now T/S State of Michigan. The vessel is relatively new, having been built in 1986 as part of a series of 18 Stalwart-class T-AGOS vessels designed to tow highly sensitive sonar arrays for the tracking of Soviet submarines. As the Soviet threat diminished in the 1990s, the Navy decided to decommission the T-AGOS fleet, and in 1998 Persistent and sister ship Vindicator were transferred to the U.S. Coast Guard for primary use in drug interdiction.

See the specs and check it – and Grand Traverse Bay – out on their webcam!

See this photo bigger on Facebook and see more from Mark on his photography website.

Festival Summer starts with Electric Forest

Posted on by farlane

Huge Crowd at The Dead Concert, Rothbury 2009, photo by Ann Teliczan

I’m not sure if this qualifies as a commercial break, but in addition to Michigan in Pictures, I also work to promote the enjoyment of Michigan through Absolute Michigan. We have just kicked off a summerlong campaign we’re calling Absolute Michigan’s Festival Summer. The goal is to give away as many tickets as possible to Michigan festivals and events all summer long. After just a week of reaching out to folks who make these events happen, we have tickets for a half dozen music festivals and events  including a pair of June ones – the Leland Wine & Food Festival (Michigan’s oldest – Jun 11) and the Lake Michigan Shore Wine Festival (Jun 18) with more on the way!

This weekend we are giving away a pair of weekend passes to the first-ever Electric Forest Festival (June 30 – July 3) in Rothbury, Michigan. That’s about a $500 value and we’re happy that Electric Forest is sponsoring Absolute Michigan in part by providing a pair of tickets for us to give away to our readers. The festival is headlined by String Cheese Incident, Tiesto, Pretty Lights, Bassnectar and REO Speedwagon, but for my money, a big part of the experience are some fantastic acts from Michigan (Greensky Bluegrass, SuperDre, Macpodz and the Ragbirds) as well as from points near and far that many of you (including me!) have never heard of.

All you have to do to enter is to join the Absolute Michigan email list – do that and get all the details in our interview of Rothbury and Electric Forest founder Jeremy Stein!

The photo above was taken by Ann of the great blog Michigan Sweet Spot. Ann went to Rothbury in 2008 and 2009, and she has some cool shots and recollections at Rothbury in her blog along with lots more Michigan photographic goodness.

Be sure to check out the work of another Anne, her 360 degree Rothbury panoramas include ambient sound and are a real treat and she has a nice slideshow too. Speaking of slideshows, here’s one from the Absolute Michigan team at Rothbury 2009.

 

Superbowl Knockout for Chrysler … and Detroit

Posted on by farlane

Welcome to Detroit

Welcome to Detroit, photo by mi_kirk

There were a lot of great snapshots from the Motor City in Chrysler’s 2 minute Super Bowl homage to Detroit (and itself) with Eminem, but to me, the most powerful image in this daring ad was the Joe Louis Memorial.

Click above to watch it the ad on Absolute Michigan.

See this photo bigger in Kirk’s Detroit slideshow and tell us what you think on the Absolute Michigan Facebook.

C is for Camp Cusino Civilian Conservation Corps … and COLD!

Posted on by farlane

Road building by CCC men of Camp Cusino, photo courtesy Archives of Michigan

Read the story behind this photo and see a video of 94 year old Ernest Hubacker’s story of his time with the Civilian Conservation Corps at Seeking Michigan: Cold Conservation Corps. Check out a lot more features and Michigan history at seekingmichigan.org!

Job Shadowing: Glen Haven Canning Company

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Job Shadowing

Job Shadowing, photo by Happyhiker4.

Looks like the old cannery at the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is getting a fresh coat of paint as part of a renovation this fall. The Cannery Boathouse Museum is the largest public exhibit of Great Lakes small craft and features all kinds of historic boats used around Glen Haven and the Manitou Islands.

360 Michigan has a cool 360 degree panorama of the cannery and the beach at Glen Haven that you’ll want to check out.

Check this out bigger in Mark’s slideshow which features some outstanding fall photos!!

Studying the Rouge Complex

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Rouge Remnants: Study II

Rouge Remnants: Study II, photo by Jeff Gaydash.

Jeff writes:

Freighters travel this portion of The Rouge to access Henry Ford’s Rouge Complex, where upon completion in 1928 was the largest industrial complex in the world. The massive facility had the ability to turn raw materials such as iron ore into complete vehicles ready for the showroom. Many buildings within the complex were designed by Albert Kahn and have been subjects for Diego Rivera, Charles Sheeler and Michael Kenna, whose work here has been some of the biggest inspirations in my own work.

Can we see Michael Kenna’s work at the Rouge Plant?, you ask. Just click that link, I answer!

Check this out bigger in Jeff’s slideshow.

More black & white photography on Michigan in Pictures!

Have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend!

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend

Have a wonderful Labor Day weekend, photo by Kevin Povenz.

I always love it when the perfect photo for Michigan in Pictures is waiting in the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr. I echo Kevin’s sentiments and wish everyone a very happy & safe Labor Day Weekend filled with all the family, friends & fun that you desire!!

Check this out background boomtacular and in Kevin’s Fun/Interesting slideshow.

Here’s some Michigan Labor Day gems from Absolute Michigan & Michigan in Pictures:

High Speed Internet – the new Mackinac Bridge?

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures

Mackinac Bridge.....I-75

Mackinac Bridge…..I-75, photo by bitsorf.

In this week’s Traverse City Area Chamber of Commerce e-News, Laura Oblinger wrote :

In 1957, the Mackinac Bridge connected the state to new economic and social opportunities. More than a half-century later, high-speed Internet service (broadband) can have a similar impact by connecting all regional businesses to the global marketplace. Statewide broadband deployment is projected to result in a $400 billion increase in the state’s gross state product over 10 years.

If tourists can remain connected to their work, it could mean an additional $52 million to the Traverse City area economy due to stays being extended by just two days.

You can check out the Chamber’s Regional Broadband Initiative page and learn a lot more about Michigan’s Broadband Initiatives and even check connectivity across the state through Connect Michigan.

Check this out bigger!

Much more about the Mighty Mackinac Bridge from Michigan in Pictures!

100,000 photos in the Absolute Michigan Pool

Posted on by Michigan in Pictures
Can You See Me Now...?(.142/365) by Sydney Marie Photography

Can You See Me Now…?(.142/365) by Sydney Marie Photography

Sometime over the weekend, the 100,000th photo was added to the Absolute Michigan pool on Flickr.

One hundred thousand.

What an amazing gift you nearly 2400 photographers have shared with Absolute Michigan and Michigan in Pictures over the last four and a half years. Whether it’s dandelions or Detroit Lions, hill sides or mud slides, if it’s Michigan, chances are there’s a photo of it in the Absolute Michigan photo group!

Check this out bigger and in Sydney’s 365 slideshow.

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Hand-building automobile bodies: Michigan’s Automobile Factories, 1900-1961

Posted on by farlane

Packard Factory, Detroit, 1910, courtesy of the National Automotive History Collection, Detroit Public Library

The Michigan Radio Picture Project has a new feature titled Michigan’s Automobile Factories, 1900-1961 edited by Doug Aikenhea. It’s a fantastic tour through Michigan’s automobile heritage, that takes you from hand-built wooden auto bodies to sheet metal & assembly lines. It features well known factories in Detroit, Flint & Lansing like Ford, Buick and Chrysler along with lesser known ones such as Durant-Dort, Fisher, Chalmers & Maxwell. They write:

The industrial adventurers and entrepreneurs who launched Michigan’s automobile industry came from various backgrounds. Some of them began as carriage makers, like William C. Durant who would go on to found General Motors in 1908. The earliest automobiles, like their horse-drawn predecessors, were constructed largely from wood and were built individually until the assembly line evolved to accelerate production and incorporate standardized, mass-produced parts. As automobile manufacturing progressed, the role of the worker changed from traditional craftsman to skilled assembly line specialist. This series of historical photographs traces the evolution of Michigan automobile factories from 1900 until 1961.

Click through for more!