Detroit in the 1920s (2024)

A 1925 photo taken overlooking the intersection of Lafayette Avenue, Michigan Avenue and Griswold Street, presumably taken from City Hall facing northwest.

Taken during the 1925 Hudson's Thanksgiving Day parade in Detroit, this photo shows the view of the "Ding Dong Bell" float, as men and women in costume surround a wishing well on the horse-drawn float. It was the second year for the historic parade.

A 1924 photo shows Michigan Avenue as viewed from Campus Martius. An electric streetcar, bearing a sign that reads "Cyril Maude," approaches, as two early automobiles cross its path. More streetcars, automobiles and pedestrians are in the background. The Majestic Building, housing Central Savings Bank, is on the immediate right.

In a photo taken of Woodward Avenue, facing north from the riverfront, pedestrians crowd the sidewalk ahead, and buses and other vehicles are stopped along the curb on the right. The photo is dated between 1925-26. The Detroit and Windsor Ferry Arcade is on the immediate left.

Downtown Detroit, as viewed from an elevated position in 1921, near Grand Circus Park and Woodward Avenue. Broadway Street extends from the lower left corner of the image, diagonally toward the upper right. Library Street is visible in the lower right. The L. B. King and Company Building, St. Mary Roman Catholic Church, the D.M. Ferry Seed Warehouse, the New Detroit Opera House, the Detroit River, Windsor and Belle Isle are all in view.

This is a view of workers laying concrete on Clairmount, between 12th and 14th streets, during the construction of the Detroit Street Railway in May 1921.

This is a view of workers digging a drain trench with shovels at Elmwood and Palmer during the construction of the Detroit Street Railway in April 1921.

The 1926-27 Detroit Cougars hockey team, pictured on the ice in Border Cities Arena in Windsor. Games for the first season were played in Windsor Arena as Olympia Stadium in Detroit was in a period of construction. The team was eventually named the Detroit Falcons and finally, in 1932, became the Detroit Red Wings.

Olympia Stadium, photographed in 1927, from the corner of Grand River Avenue and McGraw Street. Olympia was used by the Detroit Cougars, Falcons and, eventually, Red Wings from 1927-1979.

Taken in May of 1928, this photo shows a view of what was once Electric Park, an amusem*nt park near Belle Isle that was in operation from 1906 to 1928. It was located on Jefferson near the bridge to Belle Isle.

A 1925 photo taken overlooking Electric Park, also known as Granada Park, along Jefferson Avenue. One of the park's roller coasters and booths of carnival games, including a Japanese-themed one at the lower left, are in view. The riverfront and the Detroit River are on the right side of the frame.

Detroit United Railway streetcar #3038 pictured in 1921, with a destination sign reading "Hamilton." The DUR operated more than 400 miles of interurban lines and 187 miles of street city street railway lines throughout southeast Michigan.

Construction along Randolph Street for the Detroit Windsor Tunnel, pictured in August 1928. The sidewalk immediately ahead is torn out, and sandbags are piled several feet high. The tunnel first opened to traffic on Nov. 3, 1930 after 26 months of construction.

Bracings for excavation dug along Randolph Street are pictured during the construction of the Detroit Windsor Tunnel in 1929. Barges, likely also involved in the construction, are on the Detroit River in the background.

The west side of the 10-story Detroit Edison Company headquarters building on Second Avenue, pictured in 1922. The Tuller Hotel building and its sign can be seen in the background at the far left side.

Fire truck tillerman Ed Cooney of the Detroit Fire Department, seated on the back of a ladder truck in 1925.

The General Motors Building, known today as Cadillac Place, under construction in 1922.

The General Motors building, now known as Cadillac Place, pictured in 1928. The Albert Kahn-designed, 15-story building served as GM's headquarters for several decades until the automaker moved into the Renaissance Center.

The northeast corner of Woodward and Gratiot avenues, pictured in the 1920s, features Sallan Jewelry Store, Herbst Clothing and the J.L. Hudson Company Department Store. Pedestrians are visible walking along the sidewalks, and crossing through the intersection.

The fabric department at the J.L. Hudson Company department store, pictured in the 1920s. Bolts of differing types, styles and patterns of fabric are displayed throughout the department; small signs note the type of fabric and price per yard.

The J.L. Hudson Company department store in Detroit, photographed between 1923 and 1929. A giant American flag is affixed to the the store, and the sidewalk is heavily populated with pedestrians.

Taken in June 1924, eight employees of the Merchants Credit Bureau pose on the roof of the Merchants Building, on the east corner of Grand River Avenue and Broadway Avenue.

Detroit's Comique Theatre, as taken from across Broadway Street. According to HistoricDetroit.org, theatergoers were invited to "stay as long as you like," all for the price of 5 cents for a balcony seat or a dime for the ground floor. The building eventually became a Crowley's store, which closed in 1977.

This is a view of the Masonic Temple in Detroit, Michigan during construction in March 1923, showing a wall covered with masonry. Scaffolding is suspended next to the brick wall.

People ice skating on a pond in Detroit's Palmer Park in 1920. In the background is a water tower, windmill and log cabin.

Photo taken in 1920 shows the Smith Brothers Wagon Shop on the northeast corner of Third and Congress streets, taken from the southwest corner. The rear of Fort Street Presbyterian church is visible in the background on the left.

Taken on May 29, 1920, this photo shows the newly constructed railroad bridge over the Rouge River. Massive concrete counterweights can be seen on the overhead trusses in the foreground on each side of the tracks. Several workmen are working on the railroad tracks.

In a photo taken by bridge inspector W.B. James in 1920, the completed new railroad bridge over the Rouge River is shown. The new two-story brick building for the bridge operator can be seen on the far right side of the photo.

In 1920, 34 Detroit police lieutenants stand on the steps in front of the entrance to the old Detroit Police Headquarters building, located at the corner of Bates and Farmer streets.

A Walker & Co. billboard displays an advertisem*nt in 1924 for the Detroit Free Press that reads, "First Complete Dependable Reports of all Sport Events, The Detroit Free Press, Michigan's Greatest Newspaper."

Detroit Tiger Ty Cobb rounding a base during a baseball game in 1924.

The interior of the Guardian Trust Company's bank within the Buhl Building, decorated for its opening on July 8, 1925. The room is wood paneled with a tile floor and large chandeliers. Bouquets of flowers decorate the marble desks and counters of the bank.

Boats prepare for the Harmsworth Cup, which was held on the narrow waters of the Detroit River from 1921-1959. The docked boats, from left to right, are Miss America IV, Miss America V, Miss America III and the French challenger, Excelsior, pictured at the Detroit Yacht Club. Garfield Wood was the winning driver for every Detroit Harmsworth Cup from 1921-1933, aboard a variety of Miss America boats. In 1926, he won aboard Miss America IV.

Gar Wood (left) and Orlin Johnson in the co*ckpit of Miss America VII at the 1928 Harmsworth Trophy race on the Detroit River.

A view of exterior stucco walls and a corner of the porch of the Detroit Yacht Club during construction in 1922.

A photograph of Woodward Avenue looking south in 1920. Several automobiles are parked and traveling along the thoroughfare; a pedestrian in the middle ground appears to be hailing a taxi. Many businesses are adjacent to Woodward including Joseff Brothers Kosher Restaurant, Dr. Applegate's and Central United Methodist Church. Grand Circus Park and the David Whitney Building are visible in the distance.

Construction is pictured beneath Randolph Street for the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel, taken in 1923 from the corner of Randolph and Atwater streets, facing north. A crane is positioned above a hole in the street, as a man walks by along Atwater in the foreground.

The Frank J. Hecker House at the northeast corner of Woodward Avenue and East Ferry Street, pictured in 1924. The home was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in September 1971. The mansion became the headquarters of Smiley Brothers Pianos and Organs in 1947 and was sold to the law firm of Charfoos and Christenson in 1990. It was purchased by Wayne State University in 2014 for $2.3 million and officially renamed the Tierney Alumni House.

A 1928 photo of the view along Second Avenue from Seward Avenue. Detroit's Finest Flowers is on the left. Apartment buildings, a Hi-Speed Gas station and a dressmaking, alternations and tailoring business called Beatrice Shoppe are further south on Second. The General Motors Building and the Fisher Building (with two flag poles at its peak) are in the distance.

The 1929 view north from atop the Penobscot Building. The David Stott Building, the Majestic Building, Kern's, Hudson's, Woodward Avenue, the David Broderick Tower, the David Whitney Building, the Industrial-Stevens Apartments and Detroit Statler Hotel are visible.

A variety of radio equipment is on display in 1920 at Tecla Company, Inc. Speakers, condensers, receivers, transmitters, headphones and gauges are among the pieces. Tecla Company, Incorporated, Radio Department boxes are used as stands for several pieces. Frames containing photos, clippings and documents are hung in the background against a divider in the room. The room has a wooden floor, painted brick walls, timber ceiling supports and several windows that are visible beyond the divider.

The bridge-top bandstand over Belle Isle's loop canal, pictured in 1925. Several canoes float in the canal, and people are seated in several of the chairs set up on the west bank.

In a photo dated in a range from 1923-1925, the Belle Isle ferry is docked to the west of the foot of the second Belle Isle Bridge on the mainland. A figure stands beneath what appears to be a mechanical signal next to the dock.

Kite Day, pictured on May 26, 1928, on Belle Isle. A semi-circle of children posing with decorated kites, while a uniformed marching band of children sit with their instruments in the foreground. A boy near the lower left holds a kite in the shape of an airplane, with a working propeller.

The inside of a Packard Motor Car Co. factory, pictured in 1925. Two men can be seen in the foreground, with several others visible in the background. A row of automobiles runs along the left side of the image.

The Michigan Stamping Company plant and Motor Products Company plant, pictured in 1920, are located on the north side of Mack Avenue east of St. Jean Street. The Michigan Stamping Company plant can be seen in the left foreground and Motor Products Company can be seen to the right.

A 1920s photo shows early construction stages of the 18-story addition to the J.L. Hudson Company Department Store. The north elevation of the structure is visible along Grand River with work trucks parked along the curb neighboring the construction. Automobiles and pedestrians are visible on Woodward Avenue in the foreground.

A 1925 photo of a mother and her young son, presumably Annie Wood Diplock and Alfred "Frank" Diplock, posed in front of the James Scott Memorial Fountain on Belle Isle.

Six Packard Motor Car Co. automobiles are pictured in 1928 along the side of a street in front of a Packard showroom. Packard automobiles can also be seen through the second level windows.

The Fairview Pumping Station on Parkview Drive is pictured in 1925.

Pictured in the 1920s is 58 Bagley Street, the former home of Henry Ford where he built his first car, the Ford Quadricycle. The photograph shows a car parked next to store fronts including Lola-Bett Tea Room, Valet Services cleaners and hatters, and the Blue Goose.

A team of three Detroit Fire Department horses fully bridled and pulling an engine, as part of the ceremonial final run of a horse-drawn Detroit Fire Department apparatus on April 10, 1922 on Woodward Avenue.

A 1922 photograph taken of the ceremonial final run of a horse-drawn Detroit Fire Department fire apparatus on April 10, 1922. Three uniformed firefighters riding on a fire engine being drawn by a team of three horses south along Woodward Avenue, as taken from the west side of Woodward south of Grand River Avenue. The Shaw Building and Rayl's Hardware stand in the background. Spectators line the sidewalk, and peer through the windows overlooking the street.

An interior retail display, pictured in the 1920s, of Detroit Jewel and AB Stove Company kitchen stoves and ranges, sold at the J.L. Hudson Company Department Store.

A composing room of the Detroit News building, pictured in the 1920s. Desks and workers are pictured in the foreground and a row of linotype machines in the background.

The Detroit News Building, located at 615 W. Lafayette, pictured in the 1920s. The building, designed by architect Albert Kahn in 1916, was home to the newspaper's operations for decades. In 1998, the Detroit Free Press moved from its home at 321 W. Lafayette Blvd., and moved into the ground floor of the News building. Both newspapers relocated to the Federal Reserve Building in 2014.

View of the Union Guardian Building during construction, showing structural framework in March of 1928. The building was also known as the Guardian Building and the Union Trust Building.

Two Public Lighting employees working together in 1929 to paint a street light. One worker operates a crank on the ladder of a Ford Model A, outfitted as a cherry picker truck. The other worker stands atop the ladder with a bucket and brush.

A Walker & Co. billboard displays an advertisem*nt for the 1926 Detroit Auto Show.

An aerial photo of Fort Wayne viewed from the northwest taken in 1925.

Michigan Central Station, photographed between 1920-1925, from the northeast with sprinklers going off in Roosevelt Park in the foreground.

Five firemen in a fire truck in a parade on Woodward Ave. at Campus Martius on April 10, 1922. In the background is the Golde Clothes store and also a crowd of people who are standing on the sidewalk.

Masonic Temple, as taken in 1927 from within Cass Park, across Temple Street to the southwest.

Red Cross nurses, pictured in 1921, wearing uniforms and standing at the entrance of the American Red Cross Detroit Chapter, which was located on East Jefferson Avenue at Dubois Street.

City Hall, pictured in 1928, draped with an American flag and a sign that reads "Welcome 1st Annual All-American Air Show." An airplane is on display behind City Hall at the corner of Michigan Avenue and Griswold Street. The corner of the First National Building, the Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument, the Guardian Building, the Hammond Building, the Buhl Building, the Ford Building, the Penobscot Building, the Dime Building and the edge of the Majestic Building are in view as well.

The Detroit Institute of Arts, looking east from across Woodward Avenue, pictured in 1927. Along the street are pedestrians, parked automobiles, and a streetcar.

The Detroit Institute of Arts, pictured in 1928, from the Belcrest Hotel facing southeast. The Hotel Park Shelton stands on the left on the corner of Woodward Avenue and East Kirby Street.

The Detroit Public Library, photographed from Cass Avenue on January 23, 1927. The building originally opened in 1921.

The Belle Isle Conservatory as viewed from the gardens to the northwest. Visitors walk beside the rows of plants in the foreground.

The Detroit Mantel and Tile Company, at 116 Broadway, pictured in 1920.

A 1928 billboard displays an advertisem*nt for Velvet Brand Ice Cream reading, "Ypsilanti Next Town, Detroit Creamery Velvet Brand Ice Cream, Established 1900, Pure Delicious Wholesome."

A group of young girls wearing summer dresses, pictured in 1925 at a summer camp sponsored by the Detroit Kiwanis Club No. 1. Two women are standing at the left side of group of girls and one man is standing at the right.

A crowd of people wait to board the Bob-Lo Island Park Steamers at the Detroit and Windsor Ferry Company on Woodward Avenue. At the right, a painted billboard sign advertises departure times and island activities. Boats left every 20 minutes from docks at the foot of Woodward and Third. A round-trip adult fare was 10 cents; children were 5 cents.

A starboard-side view of the auto and passenger ferry, Brittania, docked at the Detroit and Windsor Ferry Company docks in a photo taken between 1925-1928.

Buildings along the east side of Woodward Avenue just north of the Central United Methodist Church, pictured in 1924.

Five firemen, pictured riding in a fire truck in a 1922 parade on Woodward Avenue at Campus Martius. In the background is the Golde Clothes store and a crowd of people who are standing on the sidewalk.

The north end of Woodward Avenue in Campus Martius, pictured in 1928. The streets are filled with people, cars, streetcars and double-decker buses. The Majestic Building, Central United Methodist Church, the David Broderick Tower, Hudson's, Sallan Jewelers, Kern's, Golde Clothing, the Detroit Opera House, Roesink's Clothes, United Shirt Distributors, Randall Clothes, the Bagley Memorial Fountain and the Michigan Soldiers' and Sailors' Monument are all pictured.

A City of Detroit Water Board truck is pictured in 1926 with a mounted clamshell bucket excavator. A man is seated in the truck cab and another is seated in the bucket operator's cab. A pile of excavated ground is visible in the left background.