Discuss Detroit » Hall of Fame Threads » Vintage Kodachrome Collection of Detroit by MikeG » Vintage Kodachrome - Vintage Vehicles « Previous Next »
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Mikeg
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Username: Mikeg

Post Number: 2006
Registered: 12-2005
Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 5:24 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

1949 Ford panel truck, circa 1950
(full size)

1949 Ford panel truck


1949 Buick Roadmaster, circa 1950
(full size)

1949 Buick Roadmaster


Cars parked outside Michigan Central Station, Dec. 1961. It looks like these folks have just arrived and enjoyed the Pullman service on their way into Detroit. Behind them is Roosevelt Park and the Hotel Roosevelt. The one-way street in front of the White Castle is Dalzelle Street.
(full size)

Michigan Central Station, Dec. 1961


Dodge Dart, Feb. 1965
(full size)

Dodge Dart


Dodge Polara station wagon, April 1966
(full size)

Dodge Polara station wagon
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Mortalman
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Username: Mortalman

Post Number: 435
Registered: 03-2007
Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 5:33 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

GREAT pixs, Mikeg!

I've some technical questions for you.

Are you scanning these images from prints, negatives or slides?

If you are scanning them what model scanner are you using?

What are your settings?

I can't get over the quality of these images.

Thanks.
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Whittier70
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Username: Whittier70

Post Number: 212
Registered: 02-2008
Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 8:46 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

mikeg, what street is the photo labeled :
Dodge Dart, Feb. 1965?
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Gravitymachine
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Username: Gravitymachine

Post Number: 2375
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Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 9:52 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

i drive through roosevelt park daily, and that picture in front of the train station is blowing my mind. thank you so much for sharing
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Bulletmagnet
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Username: Bulletmagnet

Post Number: 1610
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Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 10:31 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The first two shots are on the east side of Detroit on the corner of Devonshire and King Richard. The sleuths here will know why that corner house no longer exists.
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Royce
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Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 10:39 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Blowing up the picture, you can see the building behind the White Castle's. It says Briggs Mfg. Is this the same Briggs who owned the Briggs Stadium just a few blocks aways?
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Bulletmagnet
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Username: Bulletmagnet

Post Number: 1612
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Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 10:46 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Wow, damn good eye, Royce! IDK. Any one?
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Detroit313
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Username: Detroit313

Post Number: 744
Registered: 02-2006
Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 10:50 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Mikeg-


You ROCK!

<313>
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Mikeg
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Username: Mikeg

Post Number: 2008
Registered: 12-2005
Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 10:51 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Mortalman,

These are all 35 mm slides (positive transparencies) that I am scanning. Almost all of them are Kodachrome, with only a few Ektachrome mixed in (you can tell those by their washed-out color).

I am using my HP Scanjet G4050 scanner to digitize these slides. The scanner's Transparent Materials Adapter will hold up to 16 slides at a time on the flatbed. Almost all of the "full size" images that are linked in these threads were scanned at the default "300 DPI" resolution (yielding a landscape image that is approx. 1550 x 1030 pixels), with only two or three that were scanned at a higher "600 DPI" resolution. For all of these images, the default scaling was set at "400%", the output was in "millions of colors" and the "Optimize for Kodachrome slides" setting was enabled.

The scanned images you see in the postings were resized down to 550 pixels on their longest side using IrfanView freeware.
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Whittier70
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Username: Whittier70

Post Number: 213
Registered: 02-2008
Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 11:06 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

bullet, devonshire does not cross king richard
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Bulletmagnet
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Username: Bulletmagnet

Post Number: 1613
Registered: 01-2007
Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 11:07 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Whittier70, A good guess would be east side Detroit, perhaps just down the street from the first two shots. It is interesting to note: seen on the sidewalk in front of the Dart is a yellow arrow. These were once painted on the walk to help DPW workers find catch basins when a street became flooded over. Also: note that the sidewalks are boomed. I can’t recall when, but I do know at one time some walkways did get swept in Detroit with Willies Jeeps, either by the City or by a contractor (We pelted the drivers with snow balls). One can also see the snow on the side of the utility pole across the street, indicating the vehicles direction of travel.
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Whittier70
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Username: Whittier70

Post Number: 214
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Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 11:08 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

oh, i get it... before the free way
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Bulletmagnet
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Username: Bulletmagnet

Post Number: 1614
Registered: 01-2007
Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 11:10 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Whittier70, at one time it did. It is now known as I-94.
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Mikeg
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Username: Mikeg

Post Number: 2009
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Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 11:11 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

quote:

mikeg, what street is the photo labeled: Dodge Dart, Feb. 1965?



The handwritten caption info. on the slide gives no clue as to the location but the street address on the house in the background looks like "9812". Later in the same roll, this same car appears again in front of a different house and the very next two slides were obviously taken along Conner on the east side of City Airport. My best guess is that both photos featuring this car were taken somewhere on the east side of Detroit.
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Vivadetroit
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Username: Vivadetroit

Post Number: 82
Registered: 04-2008
Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 11:11 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Mike,
Thanks for posting all of these pictures! They are great & it's nice to see Detroit from a different era & one before I was born. Keep on posting these gems!!
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Reddog289
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Username: Reddog289

Post Number: 652
Registered: 08-2007
Posted on Tuesday, October 21, 2008 - 11:31 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Looking at the photo of the Fords in front of MCS, I know what Ray1936 was talking about in another thread. I caught that Briggs Mfg CO behind the White Castle.
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Thames
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Username: Thames

Post Number: 260
Registered: 02-2007
Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 12:29 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Mikeg, thanks for all the great pics! Keep them coming!

Admin: can we start a mega thread as another poster suggested?
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Eastsideal
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Username: Eastsideal

Post Number: 7
Registered: 10-2007
Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 2:15 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

"Blowing up the picture, you can see the building behind the White Castle's. It says Briggs Mfg. Is this the same Briggs who owned the Briggs Stadium just a few blocks aways?"

Yes, same Briggs. Walter Briggs owned Briggs Mfg., glimpsed in that picture, which made auto body parts. He bought a minority share of the Tigers in 1919, and became the sole owner when Frank Navin died in 1935. Briggs owned the team and the stadium, which he renamed after himself and expanded to its full double-decked size, until his own death in 1952. The Briggs family was forced to sell the team to settle his estate in 1956.

Love the car pictures. My aunt lived on that stretch of Devonshire for years. My sister lived there much later in the '80s. I took my driver's ed. in one of those Darts!
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56packman
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Username: 56packman

Post Number: 2493
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Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 7:35 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Briggs manufacturing made whole car bodies, not just parts. The made all Plymouth bodies for Chrysler, many of the "labor intensive" bodies for Chrysler (Dodge, DeSoto, Plymouth) like convertibles and station wagons, they produced bodies for Packard from 1941 (Clipper body) until 1954, and piece-parts for others.
Briggs was sold to Chrysler in 1953, allowing Chrysler to finally become like Ford and GM in having all "major component" design and manufacturing in-house. Briggs had a formidable design and engineering department that did much contract design work for the auto companies.
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Mikeg
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Username: Mikeg

Post Number: 2010
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Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 9:16 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Briggs also made bathroom fixtures, which were sold under the "Briggs Beautyware" trademark. My dad's first (and only) job in a manufacturing plant was working on the press line that stamped out Briggs bathtubs.
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Cman710
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Username: Cman710

Post Number: 495
Registered: 07-2006
Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 9:26 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Hi Mikeg,

Were all these pictures taken by the same photographer? I am just curious who originally took these, because I am very grateful that we get these great shots now. I am looking forward to any further prints you can post. I am hoping there may be one of Michigan Central Station somewhere in the bunch! (I really enjoyed the Roosevelt Park one.)
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56packman
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Username: 56packman

Post Number: 2495
Registered: 12-2005
Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 9:29 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Yeah, I didn't go into that in my post. They reasoned that bathtubs would be a good second line as they had the equipment and knowledge to do deep-draw stamping for car body work. The Briggs family kept the Beautyware business after selling the auto body business to Chrysler. It is still alive in the form of a brazilian firm that makes toilets and urinals, you still see a Briggs toilet from time to time.
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Mikeg
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Username: Mikeg

Post Number: 2012
Registered: 12-2005
Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 9:33 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

There are still more slides to be digitized and uploaded - a few more for this thread and enough for maybe two more stand-alone threads. Unfortunately, none of them include MCS. Except for some of the slides on this thread, all of them appear to have been taken by the same photographer.
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Cman710
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Username: Cman710

Post Number: 496
Registered: 07-2006
Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 9:53 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Too bad none include MCS, but I am still really enjoying them. Thanks for posting these for us!
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Eastsideal
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Username: Eastsideal

Post Number: 8
Registered: 10-2007
Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 12:07 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I had not remembered that there was a White Castle next to Michigan Central. But perhaps it was gone by the time I first went there in the mid '60s. I assume it was closed & torn down at some point and replaced with the nearby White Castle at Michigan & 12th (Rosa Parks) that I do remember.
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Detroitbred
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Username: Detroitbred

Post Number: 143
Registered: 06-2008
Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 12:11 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

On a side note, Frank J. Navin is buried in Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, in Southfield, in an individual family type mausoleum. That mausoleum is flanked on both sides by bronze tiger statues. I believe that Briggs is also buried there.
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Jimb
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Username: Jimb

Post Number: 19
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Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 12:49 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

On first look I thought that might be the intersection of Prevost and Eaton on the NW side, where I grew up (the picture with the Dart, that is). Subdivisions these days sure don't have the character of those old Detroit neighborhoods. We had the sweepers come through to sweep the sidewalks, but you had to pay a fee for it, which my dad didn't do. Sometimes they wouldn't bother lifting up the sweeper in front of our house and we'd get it done anyway. One thing's for sure, they didn't plow the sidestreets in the winter! Man could those ruts get nasty. How many cars did we help push when they were stuck in the snow back then?
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Mikeg
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Username: Mikeg

Post Number: 2016
Registered: 12-2005
Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 1:12 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

That once-new Dodge Polara station wagon is taking a break from pulling a travel trailer (location unknown), Aug. 1969.
(full size)

Dodge Polara pulling trailer


Here's that Dodge Dart again, only now it's parked on Conner Ave. north of Nashville St. and across from Detroit City Airport, Feb. 1965.
(full size)

Dodge Dart on Conner Ave.


Looking north on Conner from Nashville, a VW microbus is turning onto Conner from Engleside St., Feb. 1965.
(full size)
(Here's a link to another photo of the City Airport hangers, taken from the same spot, Feb. 1965.

VW microbus turning onto Conner


Easter Sunday, April 9, 1950 and that Buick Roadmaster looks almost as lovely as the young lady standing alongside it.
(full size)
(Here's a link to another photo of a different lady in red, taken at the same time and place.

Buick Roadmaster, Easter Sunday 1950


Ouch!
(full size)

Fender bender


This one's headed for the scrap yard and lives on today, possibly in a part on your car.
(full size)

Rollover wreck
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Ray1936
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Username: Ray1936

Post Number: 3791
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Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 3:24 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

The bunged up tan car is a '47 or '48 Ford. The only difference between the two was that one had red lines across the chrome strips of the grille, but I can't recall which year had 'em and which year didn't. I think the '48 had them.

The last one is maybe a Packard?
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Detroitbred
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Username: Detroitbred

Post Number: 145
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Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 3:28 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Maybe a Pontiac of some kind? My grandfather had one that looked a lot like that.
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56packman
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Username: 56packman

Post Number: 2496
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Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 3:51 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

'51 Packard for sure. I wish they had saved that grille crest, those are worth money these days.

That grille shell is worth about $1,500 bucks in very good usable condition--that one is bent at the bottom, ruined.
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Jarvo
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Username: Jarvo

Post Number: 11
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Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 4:23 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

...the last car is a Packard.No doubt about it. The emblem/insignia and grillwork make me certain...i would say it is a 1952...

the photo of the VW van turning on to Connor shows a glimpse of the hangars on the left side...the same hangars still sit there today.

it brings to mind the old flight school right along there...anyone here recall?
--Learn To Fly with Lank Tygard...the lessons were 5 bucks a session.
The building/school is still there, under some other name...not sure if it is still in use/business anymore...

I travel that route daily to get over to work at Mack & Connor...not too much going on at the old City Airport these days.
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56packman
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Username: 56packman

Post Number: 2497
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Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 4:27 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Here is a listing of Briggs plants at the time Chrysler purchased them, December of 1953. The Briggs name ceased to exist after that in the automotive industry, but as previously indicated lived on in bathroom fixtures. This plant does not show up on this list, either on Dalzelle, 14th or 15th street.



Briggs plants 1


Briggsy #2
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Norwalk
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Username: Norwalk

Post Number: 399
Registered: 11-2006
Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 4:46 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

That is a 52 packard because of the emblem. The 51 had the block letters that spelled out Packard on the hood. I bought a great grille shell for my 51 on E-bay for $300.00 bucks before ebay came along every one else wanted $1500.00
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Norwalk
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Post Number: 400
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Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 4:48 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

My mother worked for Brigg Beautyware for many years until they moved to Florida back in the 70'S
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Bulletmagnet
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Username: Bulletmagnet

Post Number: 1615
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Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 5:36 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Can any one here ID the blue truck parked along side the Packard?
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Jarvo
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Username: Jarvo

Post Number: 12
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Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 5:53 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

...really not enough visible in the shot to say for certain what the blue vehicle would be.

looks as if some "customizing" was done to it.
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Davemarc
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Username: Davemarc

Post Number: 80
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Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 6:30 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

I thought that blue truck was interesting...It might be an old power wagon,some of them had open seating.
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Mikeg
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Username: Mikeg

Post Number: 2018
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Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 7:48 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Here is a May 1961 DTE aerial showing the vicinity of the Michigan Central Station. I have labeled the buildings and camera location/direction. From the looks of it, I believe the Briggs Mfg. building is probably an office type building, not a manufacturing facility and thus it wouldn't have appeared on that list of plants.

MCS and vicinity, 1961
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Bulletmagnet
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Username: Bulletmagnet

Post Number: 1618
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Posted on Wednesday, October 22, 2008 - 9:32 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Thanks for posting the map Mikeg. I was a little confused as to the exact placement of the camera and subject. Hotel Roosevelt is located on Michigan Avenue, so it makes sense.
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56packman
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Username: 56packman

Post Number: 2498
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Posted on Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 6:32 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

In the post war years Briggs manufacturing co. (auto body works) was headquartered at the building listed above at 3675 East Outer Drive.
Great job on the map Mikeg.
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Mortalman
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Username: Mortalman

Post Number: 441
Registered: 03-2007
Posted on Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 7:15 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Mikeg, thanks for the great technical information on the equipment used and the settings for scanning these fine images you are posting. I appreciate it.

I look at some sites like the Library of Congress and wonder if they use specialized equipment to digitize their many images.
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Mikeg
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Username: Mikeg

Post Number: 2028
Registered: 12-2005
Posted on Thursday, October 23, 2008 - 7:33 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

From the Shorpy.com old photo web site:

Most of the photos on this site were extracted from reference images (high-resolution tiffs, 20 to 200 megabytes in size) from the Library of Congress research archive. (To query the database click here.) Most were digitized by LOC contractors using a Sinar studio back. They are adjusted by your webmaster for contrast and color before being downsized and turned into the jpegs you see here.


More here on the methods used by LOC contractors who do their digitizing work.