  Ookpik Member Username: Ookpik Post Number: 263 Registered: 01-2007 |
 This photo was taken with a Minox "spy" camera. The negative is smaller than a dime. You can read about the Minox camera here. I'm not sure what the picture depicts. Perhaps it shows a "riverwalk" of a different era.  For a larger view: http://www.geocities.com/detpixii/detpic68b.jpg Ookpik | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 6026 Registered: 02-2004 |
Looks like the Whittier Hotel. | ||
Mccarch Member Username: Mccarch Post Number: 127 Registered: 12-2003 |
It's the Kean apartment building before 9000 East Jefferson was built. | ||
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen Post Number: 2337 Registered: 10-2003 |
Where is the photographer standing? The bridge railing doesn't look like the Belle Isle Bridge. Is it a fishing dock off Belle Isle? That's the only way that I can figure the building be the Kean. And what is the smaller building? If the photographer was standing on the Belle Isle Bridge, wouldn't those buildings have to one of the other apartment buildings like Alden Park Towers? (Message edited by Kathleen on June 11, 2007) | ||
Ookpik Member Username: Ookpik Post Number: 264 Registered: 01-2007 |
I think Mccarch is right. The building to the left of The Kean is the Detroit Towers. I have no clue where the photographer is standing. Ookpik | ||
Catman_dude Member Username: Catman_dude Post Number: 156 Registered: 03-2006 |
Could the photographer be standing on the North Fishing Pier on Belle Isle? Edit: The angle of the North Fishing Pier would have the Kean to the left of the pier instead of the right as shown in the picture. Is it possible the picture above is flipped? Otherwise I'd say that the location the picture was taken was from the Belle Isle Bridge itself before it had the current railings. (Message edited by Catman_Dude on June 11, 2007) | ||
Mccarch Member Username: Mccarch Post Number: 128 Registered: 12-2003 |
The building to the left of the Kean is the Hibbard Apartments, at the NE corner of Hibbard and East Jefferson. It's by Robert Derrick, though on one of his sleepy days. | ||
Bulletmagnet Member Username: Bulletmagnet Post Number: 622 Registered: 01-2007 |
Ookpik, North Fishing Pier looks about right. I'll look through my slides tonight of that part of the island for a comparison. BTW, I am the owner of two of those Minox miniature cameras. I have never used them though, because of the scarcity of film. | ||
20043_stotter Member Username: 20043_stotter Post Number: 42 Registered: 03-2007 |
That bridge could be the original Belle Isle bridge that my uncle used to dive off of. | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3363 Registered: 10-2003 |
I don't think that is the bridge, but instead is a railing along the side of the marina at Memorial (Erma Henderson) Park. http://ookpik.grobbel.org/old_ photo_xxv.htm https://www.atdetroit.net/forum/mes sages/6790/95994.html | ||
Ookpik Member Username: Ookpik Post Number: 266 Registered: 01-2007 |
 The red car is the Kean Apartments. A = Erma Henderson Park B = Belle Isle fishing pier. Both appear to line up. Ookpik | ||
Mikem Member Username: Mikem Post Number: 3364 Registered: 10-2003 |
How long has the pier been there? I think the photographer is too close to the Kean to be across the river. | ||
Kathleen Member Username: Kathleen Post Number: 2345 Registered: 10-2003 |
Thank you, Mikem and Ookpik! That makes much more sense!!! | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 4535 Registered: 08-2004 |
Mikem, I think that it's too far out in the water to be Memorial Park pier. When they built the MacArthur Bridge to Belle Isle, was part of the old bridge still standing (that didn't get burned down)? When you look at that picture, you see the chain link preventing people from crossing passed that point. If the new bridge was built west of the old one, then this could be a remnant of the old bridge that wasn't torn down yet, maybe? Or was it part of the pier/dock of the Detroit Boat Club? Also, earlier in the 20th Century the Detroit Yacht Club was much farther west near the beach area, before it was rebuilt on a separate island. Could that be a pier from the old Detroit Yacht Club? | ||
Catman_dude Member Username: Catman_dude Post Number: 157 Registered: 03-2006 |
It is possible that the chain link is preventing people from the area of the factory that used to be sitting alongside the basin of Erma Henderson Park? In the other thread linked in Mikem's post above, shows a 2-stack factory at the park. Taking a close up look at the original picture, it appears that you can see nearly all of the Kean and the building next to it, making me think that Mikem is right that the picture is taken from/near the mouth of the basin, looking inland across the water to the Kean. If this was taken anywhere from Belle Isle, then the bottom half of the Kean would be covered by intervening trees and other buildings. Ya think? | ||
Ha_asfan Member Username: Ha_asfan Post Number: 106 Registered: 06-2006 |
I lived in the KEAN, 9 North, what a place! Michael Higgins owned the building at the time, let it tumble into a sad state. The Kean apartments, each a penninsula with windows and views on three sides was a spectacular place to call home. Our apartment was "just" big enough to be comfortable. At the time of our residency, aside froma few elderly tenants including Higgin's mom, nearly all the residents were young folks involved in the media and arts. The top floor of the Kean was a community room, long closed with access to the terraces and beautiful views and breezes. Sandy Spuz, the building manager, we always joked about her one blacked out eyeglass lens, "She was blind in her good eye and couldn't see out of her bad eye." Poor management was the downfall of the Kean and our move to the burbs. |
