A pictorial history of Detroit through postcards.

Greetings from Detroit: Historic Postcards from the Motor City offers a glimpse into the past through more than two hundred historic postcards of Detroit from the early 1900s to the 1950s, compiled and presented in full color by Dan Austin of HistoricDetroit.org. From familiar sights to long-lost landmarks, this book pairs vintage views with rich stories from the Motor City's yesteryear.

In the era before cameras became commonplace, postcard shops were everywhere--allowing folks to send snapshots of their travels to friends and family, or to take home as mementos. Many of these old postcards are now sought-after collectibles today, offering a rare look back at a time of tremendous growth and change across Detroit during the first half of the twentieth century. Divided into six sections, Greetings from Detroit showcases the changing times and interests of the city--highlighting some of the distinct neighborhoods, including Midtown, southwest Detroit, and the downtown area. A portion of the book is devoted to Detroit's parks, with special interest in Belle Isle, Palmer Park, Clark Park, and Water Works Park. The book also shines a light on the majestic steamers that often dotted the Detroit River. Greetings from Detroit gathers some of the best, most illustrative postcards in one place and--for the first time, in full color--frames them alongside meticulously researched writing, offering context and stories behind each image. It is a history book. It is a picture book. It is a window into the history of Detroit.

As the city grows and changes, there is value in observing a Detroit that is frozen in time. This beautiful collection would make an excellent conversation piece in the home of any local history aficionado.

Author: Dan Austin
Binding Type: Paperback
Publisher: Wayne State University Press
Published: 09/18/2017
Series: Painted Turtle
Pages: 360
Weight: 0.73lbs
Size: 10.00h x 7.00w x 0.37d
ISBN: 9780814344118

About the Author

Dan Austin is a former Detroit Free Press journalist who served as Mayor Mike Duggan's deputy communications director before joining Van Dyke Horn public relations. He has been chronicling Detroit's history for more than a decade and runs the online architectural resource HistoricDetroit.org. He is the author of Lost Detroit and Forgotten Landmarks of Detroit.